Houses, Apartments, and Cabins Symbol in A Little Life

Houses symbolize security and protection. The novel opens when Willem and Jude, in their 20s and fresh out of college, move into their Lispenard Street apartment. The apartment is objectively awful—it’s impossibly small and grimy—yet Willem and Jude love it. Willem and Jude both come from disadvantaged backgrounds and regard having a place of their own, even one as lackluster as Lispenard Street, as a significant success. They also view Lispenard Street as proof that they can control their lives. Willem has come from a relatively disadvantaged upbringing in rural Wyoming, and Jude’s childhood was defined by horrific abuse and abject poverty. Yet, here they are: driven, college-educated young men who have a place to call their own. Lispenard Street specifically, then, symbolizes a person’s ability to reinvent themselves and take control of their lives and destiny.

Lispenard Street (and all the other houses they live in together) also symbolizes Jude and Willem’s evolving relationship and commitment to each other. It will be years before their relationship morphs from a close friendship to a romance. Still, the way their commitment to each other transforms Lispenard Street from a rundown and depressing hovel to a happy, meaningful place reinforces the close bond that has always been the foundation of their relationship. Many years later, when Jude and Willem have achieved great success in their respective careers, they hire Malcolm to design a house for them upstate, Lantern House. Lantern House is a visual measure of their success: it reflects their ability to transform their lives from fraught and damaged to grand and beautiful. It’s also a measure of their evolved relationship: they began as close friends, but now they have grown to become life partners.

Even before Lispenard Street, houses had a special resonance for Jude. When Jude is still living at the monastery, Brother Luke gives him a toy set of round cylinders of wood that resemble logs for his eighth birthday. Jude uses the toy logs to build miniature versions of the cabin that Brother Luke promises he and Jude will build and live in together once they run away from the monastery. But Jude’s happy future with Brother Luke in the cabin never comes to fruition. Instead, upon fleeing the monastery, Brother Luke forces Jude into sex work and sexually abuses Jude himself, weaponizing Jude’s dream of the cabin to manipulate and control Jude. So, Jude’s relationship to houses is multifaceted and complex. On the one hand, he recognizes that superficial markers of success, such as building a house or advancing in his career, aren’t always enough to counteract the enduring trauma of his past. Still, the fact that Jude, in his own words, continues to “fetishize” houses as an adult symbolizes his enduring hope that achieving financial security and forming meaningful bonds with others might still be enough to help him heal from that past and become the restored, undamaged person he longs to be.

Houses, Apartments, and Cabins Quotes in A Little Life

The A Little Life quotes below all refer to the symbol of Houses, Apartments, and Cabins. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“But Jude,” he said, quietly, “you’re in pain. We have to get you help.”

“Nothing will help,” he said, and was silent for a few moments. “I just have to wait.” His voice was whispery and faint, unfamiliar.

“What can I do?” Willem asked.

“Nothing,” Jude said. They were quiet. “But Willem—will you stay with me for a little while?”

“Of course,” he said.

Related Characters: Willem Ragnarsson (speaker), Jude St. Francis

Related Symbols: Houses, Apartments, and Cabins

Page Number and Citation: 24

Explanation and Analysis:

But now he knows for certain how true the axiom is, because he himself—his very life—has proven it. The person I was will always be the person I am, he realizes. The context may have changed […]. But fundamentally, he is the same person, a person who inspires disgust, a person meant to be hated. And in that microsecond that he finds himself suspended in the air, […] he knows that x will always equal x, no matter what he does, or how many years he moves away from the monastery, from Brother Luke, no matter how much he earns or how hard he tries to forget. It is the last thing he thinks as his shoulder cracks down upon the concrete, and the world, for an instant, jerks blessedly away from beneath him: x = x, he thinks. x = x, x = x.

Related Characters: Jude St. Francis, Brother Luke

Related Symbols: Houses, Apartments, and Cabins

Page Number and Citation: 386

Explanation and Analysis:

He was home, and home was Jude.

Related Characters: Jude St. Francis, Willem Ragnarsson

Related Symbols: Houses, Apartments, and Cabins

Page Number and Citation: 505

Explanation and Analysis:

“I’m not Hemming, Willem,” Jude hisses at him. “I’m not going to be the cripple you get to save for the one you couldn’t.”

Related Characters: Jude St. Francis (speaker), Willem Ragnarsson, Harold Stein, Andy Contractor, Hemming , Julia

Related Symbols: Jude’s Self-Harm, Houses, Apartments, and Cabins

Page Number and Citation: 599

Explanation and Analysis:

On these days, he succumbed to a sort of enchantment, a state in which his life seemed both unimprovable and, paradoxically, perfectly fixable: Of course Jude wouldn’t get worse. Of course he could be repaired. Of course Willem would be the person to repair him. Of course this was possible; of course this was probable. Days like this seemed to have no nights, and if there were no nights, there was no cutting, there was no sadness, there was nothing to dismay.

Related Characters: Jude St. Francis, Willem Ragnarsson, Malcolm Irvine, Harold Stein, Hemming , Julia

Related Symbols: Jude’s Self-Harm, Houses, Apartments, and Cabins, Jude’s Wheelchair

Page Number and Citation: 649

Explanation and Analysis:

Finally he lifts his head and sees Harold staring at him, sees that Harold is actually crying, silently, looking and looking at him. “Harold,” he says, although Andy is still talking, “release me. Release me from my promise to you. Don’t make me do this anymore. Don’t make me go on.”

Related Characters: Jude St. Francis (speaker), Willem Ragnarsson, Harold Stein, Andy Contractor

Related Symbols: Houses, Apartments, and Cabins

Page Number and Citation: 787

Explanation and Analysis:

“It’s such a beautiful house,” I said, as I always did, and as I always did, I hoped he was hearing me say that I was proud of him: for the house he built, and for the life he had built within it.

Related Characters: Harold Stein (speaker), Jude St. Francis, Willem Ragnarsson

Related Symbols: Houses, Apartments, and Cabins

Page Number and Citation: 806

Explanation and Analysis:

Houses, Apartments, and Cabins Symbol Timeline in A Little Life

The timeline below shows where the symbol Houses, Apartments, and Cabins appears in A Little Life. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Willem and Jude examine the apartment. It’s small, but they don’t have much to put in it. They tell the apartment’s... (full context)

JB and Willem reach Lispenard Street , which neither of them has heard of. At the office, Annika is normally very... (full context)

On Sunday, JB rides the train to JB’s mother’s house and thinks about how grateful he is for his family. JB’s father, an immigrant from... (full context)

Eventually, everyone else leaves, and Jude and Willem are alone together in their new apartment. The apartment isn’t much, but to Jude and Willem, it’s enough. As they talk, Willem... (full context)

...depressed when he returns to his own dwelling on the fourth floor of his parents’ house. He knows it doesn’t make sense to move—he doesn’t make a lot of money, he... (full context)

...JB’s unmade mattress and couldn’t remember how they returned to Manhattan. Willem quickly returned to Lispenard Street and took a nap, waking up with just enough time to make it to his... (full context)

...and Willem likes to push him around the property, down the hill on which their house rests to the stables where their parents work all day. Willem is Hemming’s main caretaker... (full context)

...after a week of rehearsing for a play that pays him hardly anything, returning to Lispenard Street still feels like an accomplishment. Willem’s life might not be one that his parents and... (full context)

...and four years ago, they added a Thanksgiving celebration at Jude’s friends Harold and Julia’s house in Cambridge. New Years, though, has never had an assigned host. Last year was the... (full context)

Willem and Jude take a cab back to Lispenard Street . When they arrive, Willem can see that Jude is about to clean up the... (full context)

They still live at Lispenard Street , though both of them are now able to afford a better place. Other than... (full context)

One night in March, Harold invites Jude to have dinner at his house. When Harold opens the door to greet Jude, Jude can smell pasta cooking in the... (full context)

During one dinner at Harold’s house, Jude meets Harold’s best friend, Laurence, an appellate court judge in Boston; and Laurence’s wife... (full context)

...him not to apologize—he’s giving them probably the most riveting conversation they’ve had at Harold’s house. Jude spots Harold mouthing to Laurence, “See?” Laurence nods affirmatively. Jude wonders if the dinner... (full context)

Late one night, during Jude’s second year at law school, Jude is at Harold’s house when a snowstorm hits. Jude is about to call a cab, but Harold insists that... (full context)

The next summer, Harold invites Jude to his and Julia’s beach house in Truro, on Cape Cod. He also invites Jude’s friends to join them, so Jude... (full context)

...pantry until it passes. The next time Jude is at Harold’s place, they’ve rearranged the house and put the guest bedroom on the ground floor. (full context)

One day, while they’re cleaning Harold’s house in preparation for a party for Julia’s 51st birthday, Jude finds a book of Laurence’s.... (full context)

...he’d developed many years ago. Then, a week later, on Sunday, Andy shows up at Lispenard Street . He apologizes, and Jude apologizes, too. Still, Andy’s stance hasn’t shifted—he still thinks Jude... (full context)

Finally, the pain improves enough for Jude to walk back to his apartment. He can wait until tomorrow to call Andy. Jude thinks about the New Year’s Eve... (full context)

Brother Luke runs the monastery’s garden and greenhouse. From others’ gossip, Jude learns that Brother Luke had been a rich man before he... (full context)

The next day, Jude goes to the greenhouse after he’s finished with class—he’s decided to apologize to Brother Luke. But when Jude sees... (full context)

Back in the present, Jude struggles to fit the key into the front door at Lispenard Street . He finally gets inside and sits down, and then he blacks out. When he... (full context)

...initiates a second fight between JB and Jude, which begins at a café near JB’s apartment. JB refuses to apologize, instead raving about how amazing his paintings turned out, and that... (full context)

...minus Willem, who’s in the middle of filming. When Jude arrives at Harold and Julia’s house, they’ve cleaned the house until it’s spotless—just for Jude. They don’t realize that his constant... (full context)

But JB eventually wears them down, and so the next weekend, they meet at Jude’s loft on Greene Street and then make their way to the party. They struggle to find... (full context)

Since buying his apartment last year, Willem has spent only six weeks in it—he mostly lives with Jude in... (full context)

...apologizes for putting off Malcolm’s renovations for so long (Malcolm is supposed to renovate Jude’s apartment)—he hasn’t had the money until now because he’s been paying off the apartment. (full context)

Jude considers his apartment. It’s still crazy to him that he has money, much less a space of his... (full context)

...performing in a play, Cloud 9. But Jude is so determined to get into his apartment that he collapses his wheelchair and starts to climb the stairs on foot. The pain... (full context)

...Harold can give him. Harold doesn’t understand what Jude could need money for besides an apartment. Jude doesn’t say so aloud, but Harold’s naivete about the world can be really frustrating... (full context)

One day, Richard invites Jude back to his apartment for a drink. Richard lives in a narrow building with no lobby—but it does have... (full context)

The week after Richard asks Jude to buy the apartment, Richard’s father draws up a contract for Jude to sign. When Jude tells Harold about... (full context)

Three years later, Jude has finished paying off the apartment. One day, he has an appointment with Andy. Andy enters the examination room, a “grim... (full context)

...following ADA guidelines, but Jude snapped that he didn’t want to live in “some cripple’s apartment.” (full context)

A couple weeks into Willem’s absence, Jude goes to Rhodes’s new apartment for a dinner party. Eleven guests attend the party. Jude sits next to Rhodes’s wife,... (full context)

...he can drop Jude off someplace. Jude accepts Caleb’s offer. By the time they reach Greene Street , it’s raining heavily. Caleb gets out, pops open an umbrella, and walks Jude to... (full context)

When Jude returned to Greene Street , Caleb was there. Caleb apologized for hitting Jude and made an excuse about work... (full context)

Jude arrives at Greene Street , and before he can switch on the lights, someone hits him against the swollen... (full context)

Once they’re back inside the apartment, Caleb releases Jude’s neck, and Jude collapses to the floor. Then Caleb kicks him in... (full context)

...the person he is, even as he moves up in the world and has an apartment of his own. He knows that no matter how many years pass since his time... (full context)

...because, seven years ago, he found the same bag hidden under the sink at his house in Truro. He didn’t know that Jude cut himself then, but when he found the... (full context)

Jude and Harold return to Greene Street and Jude crawls into bed. Harold follows him into the bedroom, and Jude apologizes profusely... (full context)

They have that year’s Thanksgiving at Harold’s house in New York so Jude won’t have to travel, though he’s able to walk now.... (full context)

...before he’s supposed to start his chores. Recently, he’s started spending that time in the greenhouse helping Brother Luke water the plants. When Brother Luke isn’t there, he plays with his... (full context)

Yesterday, Brother Luke told Jude to come to the greenhouse after class—he has a surprise for him. Jude arrives and finds Brother Luke in a... (full context)

...are so bad that Jude lately hasn’t had the energy to make it to the greenhouse. He’s also started avoiding Brother Luke at meals, since he's ashamed that he’s not the... (full context)

Jude resumes his daily visits to the greenhouse, and every day, Brother Luke tells Jude all about all the fun things they could... (full context)

One afternoon in early January, Jude is in the greenhouse with Brother Luke, and he can tell that Brother Luke is in one of his... (full context)

...leave in two months, right before Easter, and they’ll celebrate Jude’s ninth birthday in their cabin. Finally, the night arrives. Jude is nervous, but he trusts Brother Luke. The air is... (full context)

...Jude sits against the shower wall and waits. He closes his eyes and pictures a house where he can lie down, rest, and finally be safe. (full context)

After lessons, Brother Luke leaves to look for locations where they’ll build their cabin. He orders Jude to stay behind and not to open the door for anybody. He... (full context)

...explains that he just doesn’t have the money to buy the land to build their cabin on, and then he starts to cry. Jude offers to get a job to earn... (full context)

...asks Brother Luke how much longer it’ll be until they have enough money for their cabin, but Brother Luke never gives him a definite answer. This goes on for a few... (full context)

...talks anymore. Looking back, Jude will try to determine when, exactly, he understood that the cabin was never going to happen. One memory sticks out. He and Luke are driving to... (full context)

...Truro for 10 days, and then they return to Greene Street. Willem stays at the apartment with Jude. One of the conditions of Jude’s release was that he take a sabbatical... (full context)

...talks about their future together, but it’s always somewhere different now—he’s stopped talking about the cabin. He’s also stopped thinking of Jude as his son. Now, he tells Jude that they’ll... (full context)

...naïve, too lonely and desperate for affection to know it.” Looking back, running to the greenhouse to see Luke, who called him his “beautiful boy,” was the last moment of “uncomplicated... (full context)

Willem recalls how he’s stayed at Greene Street ever since Jude was released from the hospital following his suicide attempt. In time, he... (full context)

...graduate school friend, and they sleep together a handful of times. But he returns to Greene Street each night and keeps thinking about his feelings for Jude. Then, Willem wakes early one... (full context)

...Willem knows that Kit will be wary when Willem invites him to have lunch at Greene Street , but he does it anyway. Willem doesn’t think that his relationship with Jude is... (full context)

At Jude’s suggestion, after the initial reveal, Willem invites JB over to Greene Street so they can discuss the relationship. JB stays for dinner, and over the course of... (full context)

This Sunday, Jude and Willem discuss what they need to do for the house they’re building upstate—Malcolm is designing it. It’s the first place they’ll have created together since... (full context)

...after Willem leaves. He and Jude drive north to Garrison, where Willem and Jude’s new house will be. Malcolm and Jude reach the house, and Malcolm confers with the contractor about... (full context)

...“optimism” hides his true fears about the relationship. And sometimes he worries they’re just “playing house.” But at the end of the day, he knows that Jude is the person he... (full context)

Jude and Willem arrive at Harold and Julia’s house. Willem is exhausted and naps all day. He comes down for dinner—it’s just the four... (full context)

...and still aren’t speaking. Jude plays the piano. Willem gets his things to leave the apartment and tells Jude not to wait up. It’s the day after Thanksgiving and most places... (full context)

Willem does this. When he returns to the apartment, Jude is huddled inside a corner of the closet, and Willem joins him there. They... (full context)

...glasses and a toneless voice. Jude falls asleep again. When he awakens, he’s in a house, in a warm room with a fireplace. The man emotionlessly orders Jude to come to... (full context)

...but it’s too small. He pokes his head through the door and examines Dr. Traylor’s house. He can see that the front door has many locks on it. The house is... (full context)

...place, JB remarks, jokingly, that Jude really has it all: “The career, the money, the apartment, the man.” Willem always gets upset at what he sees as JB’s jealousy. But Jude... (full context)

...who is an acquaintance of his. It’s purely physical, and Willem always goes home to Greene Street after they are together. Tonight, as Willem gets up to leave, she pleads with him... (full context)

Willem returns to Greene Street and gets into bed with Jude. He feels guilty, even though Jude has said it’s ... (full context)

Willem has sex with a woman that night. He brings her to the flat in London that he and Jude bought recently. When they bought it, they realized that,... (full context)

Now, Willem and Jude are driving to their house upstate, which they call Lantern House. Harold and Julia join them there. It’s late July,... (full context)

...wheelchair more and more, and he’s always in pain. When Jude and Willem return to Greene Street , Jude finds that he can’t lift himself out of bed. Jude can get out... (full context)

...72 now and it’s difficult. He tells Jude he’s going to run back to the house to get Jude’s chair—he’ll be right back. (full context)

Three months after the surgery, it is Thanksgiving. This year, Jude and Willem host at Greene Street . Jude has had a harder recovery than anticipated. He got infections twice and had... (full context)

...years after Jude’s legs were amputated, and Willem and Jude are spending the holiday at Lantern House with their friends. They’ve seen so little of them lately: everyone’s busy with work. Willem... (full context)

...where Jude is waiting for him. The next day, they take a car to the Alhambra; Jude, through a client connection, has arranged for a private tour to celebrate Willem’s 50... (full context)

The barbecue was two months ago. These days, Willem spends most of his time at Lantern House in Garrison. Jude drives up every weekend. Now, Willem is at the grocery store to... (full context)

...talk about how nice a day it is. It’s only a 30-minute drive to the house, but Willem takes his time because it’s so nice out. When he crosses the final... (full context)

Jude returns to his apartment and unwraps Richard’s present. He nearly cries when he sees a bust of Willem carved... (full context)

...Thanksgiving break. Jude told of how Malcolm had built Jude and Willem a bookcase for Lispenard Street . The dimensions were wrong, though, and the edge of the bookcase extended into the... (full context)

...town for an unannounced visit. Jude is exhausted and doesn’t want to see Harold. At Greene Street , Jude watches Harold eat and realizes how old he is. He wonders how much... (full context)

...sees Malcolm, Willem, and himself. There’s one of Jude and Willem in their bedroom at Lispenard Street . There is Jude with Cigarette, and Jude, After Sickness. On another floor, Jude sees... (full context)

...made is money. The spring before Willem died, they’d had a small dinner party at Greene Street —just the four friends, plus Richard and Asian Henry Young—and Malcolm had talked about his... (full context)

Then a few weeks later, at Lantern House , Harold goes to Jude’s room to see if he wants anything from the store.... (full context)

...When they are upstate, they walk along the path that Malcolm designed. They admire the house from afar, and Harold tells Jude that it is beautiful. He hopes that Jude catches... (full context)

Jude and Harold continue walking, and Harold realizes that they’re approaching Lispenard Street: “The Worst Apartment in the World,” Harold proclaims. Jude laughs. Jude says he has good memories of the... (full context)

...the days after Jude’s death, he and Jude’s other friends go through his things at Greene Street and at Lantern House, and they cry each time they find a photo nobody has... (full context)

A Little Life

Hanya Yanagihara

Houses, Apartments, and Cabins Symbol Analysis

Houses, Apartments, and Cabins Quotes in A Little Life

Houses, Apartments, and Cabins Symbol Timeline in A Little Life