Han Le

Essay 1

ENG0902

Professor Varrone

COMPLICATIONS OF PLACE ATTACHMENT

French philosopher Gabriel Marcel famously took an absolute stance on the impact of

place on people: “An individual is not too distinct from his place. He is his place.” Although

not everyone identifies with such a firm position on the importance of place, it is undeniable

that a sense of place is a part of human self-identity, the extent of which varies from person to

person. The bond between a place and its inhabitants has been extensively explored in literature

since the beginning of time, and even more so during this modern time of global

interconnectedness. Two notable literary works, Wilfred McClay’s essay “Why Place Matters”

and Ann Daum’s short story “Those Who Stay and Those Who Go”, offer two profound

perspectives on people’s attachment to place. While McClay claims a sense of place serves as

the basis for a strong personal identity and grounding for self-development, Daum’s story

proves that remaining in one place may have detrimental effects on realizing one’s full

potential. In my opinion, McClay’s right about the human need to hold on to a place to stabilize

their personal identity; however, such need is only as healthy as the place’s worthiness as a

foundation for success and happiness, as portrayed in Daum’s story.

In his essay “Why Place Matters”, Wilfred McClay delves deep into the meaning of

place in the world of increasing globalization and technological innovations. He argues that

human beings are vulnerable to life’s changes and therefore have a deep need for a place -

something that is permanent and long-lasting, which helps “anchor our memories in something

more substantial than our thoughts and emotions” (McClay 1). A place means more than merely

a physical space; it is alive with its own history, culture and continuous social and political
human activities. However, technological and social changes are making physical locations

less important in our lives by increasing global mobility and erasing geographical barriers. To

the author, this is problematic as place serves as the critical underpinning not only for diversity

and history, but also for healthy and resilient individual identity. Human identity without a

healthy place attachment is as incomplete as plants without roots in the ground: deprived of a

source of nourishment and a foundation for growth.

I agree with McClay’s argument that physical place has a significant role in personal

identity. In fact, there is a dedicated discipline within environmental psychology called “place

attachment” that studies the bond between human beings and place. According to this theory:

“a pattern of positively affected experiences of place in childhood are generalized into

an unconscious internal working model of place which manifests subjectively as a long-term

positively affected bond to place known as place attachment” (Morgan 11). The more we are

familiar with a place, the more it subconsciously becomes an extended part of ourselves. We

associate our feelings, whether negative or positive, to that landscape and that geographical

spot.

Therefore, McClay’s claim that our personal identity is disrupted when the physical

location is unsettled is justifiable; however, the extent of the disturbance is arguable. When the

physical location is destroyed, there is obviously a mismatch between our mental model of the

world, where the attached place is still intact, and the external reality of the place no longer

there. Nonetheless, how much will this insecure place attachment undermine our ability to

move on and thrive? Will our world come tumbling down when we hear the news that our

beloved childhood home is destroyed? Or will we dwell in nostalgia for a moment and carry

on with our lives because where we are in life now is more important and immediate than where

we were? For most people, I imagine the experience will be more similar to the latter, unless

there is such an exceptionally strong bond to the vanished site.

 McClay makes a convincing argument that place provides foundational support for

personal development and achievement, yet this conclusion is only correct as long as the place

– as defined by McClay as the geographical spot and more importantly all human phenomena

(history, tradition, society, culture, etc.) associated with it – is set up for individual freedom

and success. If the place is progressive, McClay’s argument holds true. However, if the place

is filled with outdated and restricting traditions and is nothing but a smothering environment

that holds people back, the need for place attachment will have the opposite effect of setting

people free. Not all places are equal, and arguably, there are more places that were set up to

suppress individual liberty and prosperity than there are to facilitate them. Moreover, not all

human beings are equal: whether a place supports or hinders his/her success is greatly

dependent on the individual’s position in the social order. This is evident in countries with

grave sexism, racism, prejudice and discrimination problems, where individuals who possess

certain characteristics receive substantially more privileges than those who don’t. Therefore,

whether it is better to hold on to one’s roots depends on the quality of the environment and the

relationship between that environment and the individual.

Ann Daum’s story “Those Who Stay and Those Who Go” is a perfect example of the

complications of attachment to origins. Daum’s hometown, Murlo, South Dakota, is an isolated

and traditional small town with the same routine activities. There are very few services here:

four gas stations, several restaurants, one telephone repair services, one bar and four hotels,

etc. Therefore, many people leave this place to seek better opportunities elsewhere. Those who

decide to stay live small and predictable lives: besides working at one of the above jobs, having

children is a given. Their other joys are going to church and study groups, taking care of their

children and using alcohol to forget the loneliness. The stayers are confined within the invisible

boundary surrounding the town, physically and mentally. There aren’t many travelers who visit

this town, and even if there are, they would be unwelcomed as the town’s inhabitants are
resistant and mistrustful of outsiders, even the ones who have lived their childhood in the town

before they left. Evidently, this is not a favorable environment for happily permanent settlement

and personal growth.

We can see in Daum’s writing the need for McClay’s “thereness” – something tangible

to hold onto to feel safe and to preserve their identity. The narrator left this town for 8 years to

go to college and she could’ve left for good; however, she came back every summer during

college and eventually decided to move back in town permanently. Why would she move back

to a place filled with sadness, loneliness, alcoholism, unspoken domestic violence, where her

people isolate her now for having left and her degrees and outside experience is not

appreciated? “Somehow I don’t belong anywhere but inside myself, and sometimes even there

I’m restless. What keeps me in South Dakota?” It is the scenic beauty of nature, or is it a bygone

sense of belonging that the narrator tries to find it in this old town? There is no denying that

the author needs the town as it has always been a part of her life and her identity, but the

important question remains: maybe she could’ve been happier somewhere else - where she has

no personal history with and the landscape is different, but the people actually understand and

accept her. This text proves McClay’s idea that place attachment can have significant impact

on our lives; however, it also demonstrates that the bond between place and people is not

always conducive to their well-being and their growth.

Living in South Dakota is even more tragic for those who never left. The narrator’s old

friend, Jackie, never got the chance to experiment and experience the world outside of her town.

She followed traditions: got married, has kids and works at a hardware store. The narrator saw

Jackie with bruises in high school, and when she saw her again years later, she still had bruises

under her eyes. After years, even though the circumstances were different, she never escaped

the abuse cycle. This defies McClay’s point that a place’s traditions and culture should be

preserved to protect global diversity and variety. Murdo’s traditions and patterns are well
preserved, but in this case, protection of a toxic culture is destructive. Murdo would be better

off being exposed to outside influence to challenge the status quo.

In short, McClay’s essay and Daum’s story both demonstrate geographical locations

are of great importance to people’s identity. However, permanent settlement in one place can

hinder one’s development and happiness, as depicted in Daum’s writing. It is everyone’s

responsibility to use their judgement instead of emotions to step out of the comfort of

familiarity upon finding out that their current position no longer contributes to their well-being.

Works Cited

Wilfred M. McClay & Ted V. McAllister, editors. Why Place Matters : Geography, Identity,

and Civic Life in Modern America. New York :Encounter Books, 2014. Print.

Morgan, Paul. "Towards a developmental theory of place attachment." Journal of

Environmental Psychology 30.1 (2010): 11-22.