What is the significance of using the word “pilgrimage” to describe Zauner's visit to H Mart?
What does the use of the word “pilgrimage” reveal about Zauner's motivations for visiting H Mart?
The use of the word "pilgrimage" to describe Zauner's visit to H Mart reveals that for her, the trip to the store was a very meaningful and profound experience. Some key things it suggests about her motivations and feelings: 1. Spirituality or reverence. A pilgrimage implies a journey undertaken for spiritual or religious purposes. So visiting H Mart likely felt very meaningful and significant to Zauner. 2. Deep personal connection. H Mart was not just any store to her, but a place that held deep symbolism and memories. It represented her connection to her mother and Armenian heritage. 3. Sense of duty or devotion. The pilgrimage framing suggests she felt she had to make this journey as a form of duty, honor, or devotion. It was not a trivial or optional trip. 4. Longing and loss. Often pilgrimages are made to places that are important because of a lost loved one. So Zauner's pilgrimage to H Mart was likely stirred by a longing to feel close to her mother again in this space they once shared. 5. Transformation. Pilgrimages frequently transform the traveler in some way. Zauner's trip to H Mart perhaps allowed her to gain new insights, find comfort, or work through grief in a transformative manner. So in summary, describing it as a pilgrimage paints the visit to H Mart as a deeply moving, meaningful, and even life-changing experience for Zauner. It reveals the profound personal and spiritual motivation behind her journey.