In the world of Stitches, home and hospital are pretty much interchangeable. Among the treatments David's dad does at home are chiropractic adjustments (yay) and enemas (not so yay). David feels so at home in hospitals that he goes sock-skating in their empty hallways late at night while waiting for his dad to get off work. An environment that terrifies most kids is soothing to him; nurses are certainly no less nurturing than his own mother. But as he grows older, David realizes that passion, not geography, is what really matters—home is what you love, not where you live.
Questions About Home
- What else is scary about David's grandmother's home, besides the fact that she's in it?
- Does Ted feel more at home in their house than David does? If so, why?
- How does growing up in a cabin behind her grandparents' house affect David's mother's sense of home?
- Why do David's parents decorate their home before they take him to the doctor?
Chew on This
David's home is so lacking in emotional warmth that a boarding house lacking in physical warmth is more comforting.
David's dreams are all about homes (and mothers) that aren't really homes (or mothers).