The Delicious Liminality of In-Between Places…
As an English teacher for over a decade, I get a zing of geeky pleasure in LIVING conceptual terms. When you really understand the definition of a word used to analyze a book — in this case, “Liminal Space” — you start to see it in the real world, and by being able to identify it, realize why it’s so important.
Read on to get a fun yet educational definition of the term, then a deeper understanding of liminality via experiences you have likely had, yourself!
I have illustrated this whole article with (awkwardly blurry) photos that I took out the window of a speeding train between Boston and New York — and you’ll soon see why they’re so helpful.
Can You Define Liminal Space?
A “liminal space” is defined as the threshold between two places, states of being, or eras. The term is derived from the Latin word, “limen,” meaning “lemon.” Just joking– it means “threshold” or doorway: the passageway between two things.
Though it may seem like liminal spaces are just boring places to pass through on the way to the “real thing,” in fact, liminal spaces are incredibly powerful… and they are everywhere in our lives. For example, are you a teenager? Congratulations! You’re in the liminal space between childhood and adulthood!
An Example to Explain the Liminal Definition:
I’m on the train now, zipping southward from Boston, driving the passenger next to me crazy by snapping photo after photo out the window.
Sorry, sir, but the light is golden-perfect, and these photos are going to illustrate something I’ve been longing to sing to the world for a long time: the liminal spaces BETWEEN cities are AMAZING! However… most of the time we don’t give a hoot about them.
Let’s analyze the magic that’s going on outside my train window right now.
People care about New York City. People take lots of pictures of its flash and architecture, from Times Square to the Empire State Building. On the other end, people care about Boston itself, too: it’s historic, beautiful, and it’s fun!
But what lies in the liminal space BETWEEN these famous cities? Look out the train window and see.
What lies between Boston and New York is: rippling blue water swirling between golden reeds. It’s a bunch of small towns most of us have never given a second thought to, mixed among Providence, Hartford, New Haven, and Mystic, CT.
It is boats bobbing on inlets, and laundry drying on clotheslines. It’s pockets of auto junkyards and heaps of scrap metal! It’s open fields with swaying grass, and birds swooping through glistening marshland. It’s forests with bronze-gold branches and dancing boughs. It’s lots of human and animal lives!
This space between deserves a glance, even a stare or gaze of adoration… and maybe also a bunch of photos!
When traveling in Cambodia, some of the coolest photos I took were on the rural roads between the major tourist hubs of Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh. In fact, I snapped the majority of photos from the breezy open sides of my tuk tuk, on the way to the places my guidebook actually listed.
The tourists (myself included) spent days gazing at the towering temple ruins… but what of the fields and farms and homes in the emerald green fields between?
Liminal spaces can be FUNCTIONAL and useful. Now, for example, my workout plans depend on the hour-long, 3-mile walk home I do each day to clear my head and stay sane.
See? Liminal spaces are important! Confusing? Sometimes. Misunderstood and sometimes ignored? Sure. But important? Without a doubt.
Liminal Spaces in Literature: Catcher in the Rye
Liminal spaces are everywhere in literature, too. If you’re cool like our tenth grade class, you’ve read Catcher in the Rye, and likely know that Holden Caulfield’s main struggle in the novel is the agony of adolescence, the liminal space between childhood and adulthood.
Holden’s wish to be a “Catcher in the Rye” is a symbolic manifestation of this in-between life stage. By being a “catcher” in a field of rye, Holden shows he longs to “catch” children before they dive off the cliff into adulthood and corruption. He wants to push them back to the protection of innocent childhood, and out of the confusing in-between zone.
(Enjoying this mini English lesson? Check out my article on the spelling of the “T” word: travelling or traveling for a little more education action!)
Do You Love a Liminal Space or Two Now?
So what do you get now? What other liminal spaces do you see around you in your world? Have you ever noticed them before?
Now if you’ll excuse me, our train is pulling into New York City: The sparkling, pulsing, famous heart of capitalist America. Out of the wide, golden fields with their snaking rivers and liminality, and into the concrete craziness I go!
Last Updated on
Qiyin Y. says
Oh that’s so cool! In Boston there are liminal spaces, separating neighborhoods. Between the South End and Back Bay there is a stretch of park. Also between Chinatown/Copley and South End there is the highway. Does liminal spaces only apply to natural landscapes?
Lillie says
Yes, that’s very true!
No, the concept of “Liminal Space” may apply to many things, both tangible and conceptual.
Jackie Foley says
These pictures are truley amazing, and next I go to NYC, I will definatley notice the liminal spaces.
Amtooj says
I never knew Liminal spaces between major cities could be so interesting! I’ve gone to New York a lot, and never really bothered to look out the window. Now I actually want to see what is between Boston and New York. This is going to be a great experience!
Toan Dao says
I love the way you use ” Catcher in the Rye” in this article, it fits in perfectly. It must be exciting to be on the road all the time.
Mohamed Abdelrahim says
I am not the type of person that stares out the window the whole trip but after seeing these pictures I might want to on my next train ride to NY. One time in Sudan I saw a tornado while I was on a bus ride from Wad-Madani to Khortoum.
Kyle Undag says
THIS HAS GOT TO BE MY MOST FAVORITE ARTICLE SO FAR…….. HANDS DOWN! Half way through the article you got me thinking about the “liminal spaces” in my life. Not just about the stage of development I am at right now but the on-goings in between the major events in my life as well. (This one was deep Ms.Marshall lol) Sometimes when we, as human beings, move too fast towards where we want to go, we miss out on the little things aka liminal spaces. In other words this one was great!
Huabao Huang says
I love the pictures you took, it’s so pretty! It looked like golden grass. I will like to travel to these liminal places sometime, but if there’s always birds flying around… never mind. :(
Emily says
I love this post! I remember learning about liminal space when studying literature and film in school, but I would have never thought about comparing it to travel. It is fun to start paying attention to the little places in between big cities. I loved the train rides from Rome to Perugia, and then a few days later, the train ride from Perugia to Florence. Those cities themselves were amazing, but those tiny, rustic areas and towns we passed by were so charming! It’s easy to forget about those little guys.
Lesley says
There’s a quote by Charles Kuralt that goes “Thanks to the interstate highway system, you can now travel from one coast to the other and see absolutely nothing.” Sometimes I like to travel the small highways instead of interstates just so I can drive through little towns, eat in diners and meet small town people. People always want to travel to cities, but I think sometimes you can have as just an awesome time seeing the little places.
Amelia says
This article is so interesting. After reading this article I am starting to notice more liminal things. Also I love the pictures you took!
Namir says
This article really had me hooked from start to end. The main reason is because it’s a very interesting topic and it is easy to relate to and your writing is very efficient.
Kevin Armstrong says
I wonder what the people who live in these liminal places call their home.
Genesis says
Ms. Marshall, you seem so observant of your surroundings! I’ve never heard of liminal space, but judging from the pictures you’ve taken, I can see their true beauty! I can see I’m not the only one who likes to look out the window when I’m on the train. It’s nice to see that there are still some people who see the beauty in the little details in life. People who don’t see beauty in things will never enjoy life. It seems like you always enjoy life :D
Niti :) says
I’ve never heard of “liminal space” before, but I guess you learn something new every day! Those landscape pictures are gorgeous and absolutely stunning. Your descriptions are very detailed and interesting– they’re what had me engrossed in this article. :)
Amelie says
I’ve only taken Amtrak from Stamford to Boston twice and I guess I’m one of the few people who does look outside the window once in awhile. It’s actually a very pretty ride scenery wise–once you hit Rhode Island, the train goes along the water and it’s a nice change of pace. However my mother takes Amtrak every weekend commuting back and forth between Boston for the week (where she works) and back to the NY suburbs (where she and my dad still live). I’ll have to ask her if she notices these “liminal spaces” during her weekly train rides!
Daniel says
I have never heard of this word before. But it seems sophisticated, so I might find it useful in English class. I once remeber when I was driving of the red bridge to Quincy, and there was a river like swamp. It felt like a liminal space to me. If I had crossed it, it would be a new world.
Josalyn Santangelo says
This article really fascinated me. It was so simple, but elegant, just like those fields! Yes, I am very late, actually EXTREMELY late, but I really like your style of writing. The hook is my favorite! :)
Alissa says
Many of your pictures reminded me of when I was traveling to Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, Arches National Park, and a lot more sightseeing places last summer. There were many empty fields that looked vastly similar. Great memories!
Ayub says
This is an article that you can relate to because everyone that has been on a road trip out of state has seen these empty fields. Its just depressing you just remember sad stuff when you look at them I sometimes hope that time could fast-forward these depressing times.
Lillie says
Thanks for your comment, Ayub! In fact, I don’t find these fields depressing at all– I think they’re really calming and pretty! Such a sharp contrast to the crazy concrete and skyscrapers of the nearby cities.
Rachel Yee says
That’s so cool, I learned so much reading this one article! On my way to New York, I hate seeing empty fields like that, I would love to add some color!
Lillie says
Glad you learned stuff! How would you add the color, Rachel? Putting red nail polish on the reeds? :) Why can’t we just love nature the way it is??
Laura says
I never heard the term liminal spaces. I will write about that later. So nice to find someone else has thought of these things at some point, at least enough to give them a name. :) Read your post to Twitter and came to visit.
Lillie says
So glad you stopped by! Thanks for your comment, and join the gang on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AroundTheWorldL for all the action-packed updates!
Bronwen says
Also seems worth remembering that these spaces aren’t liminal to the people who occupy them. Sure, they’re periphery for someone who lives in the city, but for someone else, this IS the center.
Lillie says
100% true!