Sheep

At its heart, Sheep tells the story of Jack’s attempt to find and define the best possible home for himself, and throughout his various encounters, it soon becomes clear that the most essential elements of a home are often the intangible ones: love, comfort, safety, community, purpose, and kindness. The novel’s secondary characters offer Jack a range of experiences, and each person creates a different definition of home. As Jack encounters these various environments, he discovers which ones benefit him and which ones deprive him of what he truly needs to be happy, and he ultimately learns how to find the family that will allow him to fulfill his purpose.

Jack’s first major lesson on this topic occurs during his time with the Goat Man, as the man’s transient lifestyle demonstrates that home is more than a mere physical place. The Goat Man lives off the land, taking only what he needs before moving on. He does not put down roots anywhere, instead embracing each moment on his journey. The Goat Man therefore represents the idea that home can be an internal sense of belonging rather than a physical place. His contentment with his wagon and goats provides him with an enduring sense of comfort, stability, and safety, and although he is heading toward the specific destination of Canada, his travel plans do not define him or affect his ability to make his home wherever he happens to be.