ABSTRACT
This essay argues that, as a reaction to the feeling of incompleteness, we wish to be whole. That is why we want to be a part of a particular identity. The will to be whole is frequently stated metaphorically as “being home.” However, from a Lacanian viewpoint, this lack can never be filled, and as a result, we can never fully feel at home. To that end, the paper traces the theme of the will to be whole and the failure to feel at home in the movies, songs, slogans, fictions, and other artistic and cultural pieces. What we find is the universality of the lack itself; hence, it is what unites all people. I argue that critical reflection and awareness of the universality of this lack can allow us to find a positive version of universalism based on solidarity, and a “castrated Europe” can serve as a model for this.
