The Home of Spirited Away

Home can mean many things, but what if home is one of the reasons why we shape our identities and sense of belonging? According to the article, “The Meaning of ‘Home’” written by Roni Beth Tower, she defines home through a personality perspective: “...we craft an identity from internal experiences like temperament, needs, and desires, as well as through our relationships with others…Our own imagination creates what Hazel Markus has labeled ‘possible selves,’ imagery of who we might become.”

Additionally, home is also a place we are familiar with; as a result, we become more fond of the area we grew up in. As Trevor Noah explains on “A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek,” the feeling of leaving one’s hometown and choosing where to live is both a gift and a curse. While it offers freedom, it also becomes a constant wish to change their surroundings or neighbors since they believe it’s possible to choose a different environment. Spirited Away uses this theme when Chihiro is trapped in the spirit world and has to save her parents to return to the human world. Once Chihiro was left to fend for herself, she ultimately became anxious and fearful in the spirit world, which became her new temporary home.

As a result, her sense of home and identity was long gone, and she had no way to return. However, this eventually becomes the catalyst for her “possible self,” as Chihiro becomes more confident and responsible with the small guidance of Haku and others. For instance, the character No Face symbolizes overconsumption and greed, as he continues to eat more food and produce more gold to influence the bathhouse workers. His greed becomes literal, as scenes show his form becoming larger and more grotesque. Seeing this, Chihiro was the only one to step up and ultimately refuse the gold, giving him a medicine dumpling instead. This causes No Face to purge everything from his body and to follow the girl; after the chase scene, He eventually returns to normal and is taken in by Yubaba’s sister. The scenes of her helping the river spirit and solving Yubaba’s puzzle to save her parents show how she has gradually become a brave young girl by the end of the movie. Through these experiences, Chihiro returns home to her parents' comfort and a newfound identity.