She assures him that her love will continue, even beyond the limits of Timothy's own mortality. Timothy's mother encourages her mortal son by trying to convince him that he is loved in spite of his differences. This rejection and dejection of Timothy sets an ideal situation for one of Bradbury's philosophical statements about the power of love. He has none of the abilities of his brothers and sisters, and he lacks their approval. Here, Timothy is an outsider in his family. 'Homecoming' is another of the stories which centers around the outsider, the one who is different from the norm. His mother, though, does her best to console her broken-hearted son by assuring him that although he is mortal, she loves him just as he is.

Then everyone laughs all the harder at him, intensifying his humiliation. Soon, however, Cecy lets all the relatives know that she is responsible for Timothy's abilities. At first, she is cooperative, projecting herself into him so that he can nip his sister's neck in true vampire fashion, drink an entire glass of 'warm, red liquid,' and fly like Uncle Einar. Timothy asks Cecy's aid in helping to make himself more acceptable. The homecoming celebration only makes him more dejected, for it points up specifically his many shortcomings. Timothy's mortality sets him painfully apart from the rest of his supernatural family. His teeth will never be sharp enough for those of a vampire, his wings will never sprout, he dislikes the taste of blood, and he is afraid of the dark.

His brothers Leonard and Bion are vampires, but Timothy has none of their abilities. His sister Cecy is able to fuse her mind with other people's minds, momentarily becoming the person whose mind she penetrates. Timothy's family is quite unique, for each member has been endowed not only with the gift of immortality, but also with supernatural powers. It will be a real homecoming this year, with relatives from as far as Europe, Asia, and South America congregating at Timothy's house. Timothy's family is busily engaged in preparations for the All-hallows Eve celebration. Summary and Analysis: The October Country.Summary and Analysis: Medicine for Melancholy.

Homegoing sparknotes