Home by Jayne Anne Phillips Summary

Home is the story of a young woman who comes home to visit her mother. The two of them get along well and seem to be bonding: the narrator gives her mother a record, they spend a lot of time talking, even though they argue some, especially about men, but they obviously love each other and are close. Her mother has recently had surgery and her body is badly scarred. One night the narrator's boyfriend comes into town and they make love. However, the narrator's mother hears them and is extremely disturbed, yelling at her daughter the next morning.

Home by Jayne Anne Phillips Analysis

Home deals particularly with women's relationships to their bodies. The narrator's mother is extremely uncomfortable with hers, which she thinks is disfigured. Her disgust seems to spill over into her...