Homesick for Another World

Many of the stories that comprise Homesick for Another World feature characters who feel disconnected from their society. These individuals find themselves isolated in various ways, whether physically, emotionally, or psychologically. Throughout the collection, Moshfegh’s exploration of the various types and effects of isolation suggests that a lack of meaningful connections can lead to a loss of humanity. The dangers of social isolation are seen most clearly in “Mr. Wu” and “Slumming.”

“Mr. Wu” takes place in a crowded, dirty city. Despite the density of the city—described from Mr. Wu’s claustrophobic perspective as “barbershops and brothels and pharmacies and little clothing stores and cigarette shops” (17)—Mr. Wu struggles to find meaningful connections with women. Although Mr. Wu and the unnamed arcade worker he’s obsessed with have lived in the same crowded town for some time, and although he speaks to her at the computer arcade every day, “the woman ignored Mr. Wu when they passed each other on the busy road” (18). Because their only communication happens within the commercial context of the computer arcade, Mr. Wu cannot bring himself to ask her out directly. Instead, he schemes to find her number and sends her an insulting text message; these anti-social behaviors demonstrate the depth of his isolation.