Themes

Community and family

Community and family are important themes in the movie Nomadland directed by Chloé Zhao. Throughout the movie, we see Fern making close connections with the people that share her lifestyle, and we witness the support and friendship that these people exchange with each other. In this way, the nomads can be seen as a close-knit community as they become each other’s support system.

Bob Wells considers the nomads a “tribe” (00:22:40). A tribe usually means a group of people that share the same history, traditions, and cultures, and that are tightly connected. These characteristics seem to fit the nomads, as many of them have formed their own traditions – such as that of burning a cardboard van, or telling stories around the campfire – and they usually welcome and accept each other without reservation.

The nomads often need each other to survive. Even though they need to learn to be self-sufficient, as Swankie tells Fern when she discovers that Fern doesn’t have a spare tire (00:33-46-00:33:57), they also need to learn to rely on one another in certain situations to make each other’s lives easier. For example, Dave finds Fern a job at a restaurant once the camping season is over and their job at Cedar Park Camp ends. There is also the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous organized by Bob Wells annually in Quartzsite, Arizona, that provides support and offers training to those new to this lifestyle, serving also as a platform for them to meet others and exchange experiences. In addition, the nomads also exchange material goods, as they give away items they no longer need in exchange for others they might find useful. Therefore, we c...