"A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image"

Joan Didion's quote elicits an extensive exploration of the human connection to location and the powerful impact of memory and understanding. At its core, the declaration recommends that a place becomes truly meaningful and significant to an individual through the intensity of their psychological and intellectual engagement with it. This engagement is not a passive experience; it is active, intentional, and transformative.

To "claim it hardest" suggests a sense of ownership and individual accessory that surpasses mere possession. It has to do with investing oneself into a place, making it an important part of one's identity. This procedure is not limited by physical borders but is improved by the depth and eagerness of one's feelings and experiences related to the place.

The idea of "remembers it most fanatically" stresses the function of memory in shaping our relationship with places. Obsessive remembrance indicates a continuous and perhaps even compulsive reflection on past experiences, imbuing the place with personal history and significance. This remembrance serves as a lens through which one analyzes and reinterprets the essence of the place.

"Wrenching it from itself" and "forming it" highlight the transformative power of human imagination and will. Through our perceptions and actions, we have the capacity to redefine and recreate a location, imbuing it with new meaning and function that lines up with our personal story. It's an act of creative reinterpretation that allows us to see a place not just as it is, but as it might be-- reflective of our desires, dreams, and worths.

Eventually, to "enjoy it so drastically" indicates an extensive, genuine love that drives one to "remake it in his own image". This recommends a deep, personal attachment that transforms both the specific and the place, developing a special bond where the location becomes an extension of the self, reflecting one's inner essence and identity. Through love and imagination, the place transcends its physicality, ending up being an ageless part of one's psyche and soul.