Joy Harjo discusses the powerful role a kitchen table has as she paints a picture of fundamental family values and responsibilities. She writes about the heart of the family home and reveals the values she finds important in life. In Joy Harjo's poem, “Perhaps the World Ends Here,” she uses the images of growth and mourning within the family to show the central and significant place the table holds. It holds a unique and core place in human history and serves as a site for exploring what it means to be human, physical and emotional reassurance, and the necessity and use of an emotional constant, representing the importance of a (natural) life and the potential for renewal and hope.
Throughout this poem, the concept of humanism is explored. Self-discovery is a potentially philosophical cumber that people face daily; but throughout the poem amongst family and friends Harjo shows that it can be easier. “...we put ourselves together once again at the table.” Having the image of family or even companionship alongside this table tells the audience how the loyalty of a table aids in emotional expression. Harjo also demonstrates this when she writes “It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human.” This illustrates the
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The emotional support of a physical object aids in the lives of people. “Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating the last sweet bite.” Having a physical table be the foundation of memories of laughter in a familial space shows how necessary its anchoring support can be. In a stereotypical home life, the supper table is valued as a place for talk and togetherness. Even then, having a metaphorical table is the same as having a constant. The image of a dinner table is at the center of life and growth itself. While it may not always be a physical dinner table, the table is a show of emotional