The Mark of the Dragonfly

The entire plot of The Mark of the Dragonfly hinges on returning Anna to her home. Consequently, it isn’t surprising that home looms large in the consciousness of both Anna and Piper. Initially, Piper’s desire to restore Anna to her family is purely mercenary since she hopes to claim a large reward for the girl’s return. Anna has no notion of where her home is and can’t help Piper find any context in which to fit her.

Aside from Piper’s interest in returning Anna to her family, Piper has her own obsession with the subject of home. Her orphan status makes her feel like an outcast in the scrap town where she lives, but Piper also has the inner sense that she doesn’t belong there. By placing Anna in a mansion in Noveen, she hopes to find a better home for herself as well.

Ironically, Doloman claims Anna as his daughter and wants to give her a place in his home, but both Anna and Piper react negatively to his offer. This response begs the question of what constitutes one’s true home. Presumably, a home contains a family with which one is emotionally connected.