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Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in In the Dream House, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Queer Visibility
Christianity and Shame
Abuse, Trauma, and Healing
Storytelling, Responsibility, and Freedom
Summary
Analysis
Soon after Machado meets her, the woman from the Dream House asks her for a ride to the airport to pick up her girlfriend, Val. Machado agrees—she’s in the habit of giving favors to women she thinks are beautiful. Once they arrive at the airport, Machado turns away as the woman embraces her girlfriend. A few days later, their mutual friend tells Machado she thinks the woman likes her and says that the woman and her girlfriend are in an open relationship. Machado feels her heart pounding.
Machado’s favor to the woman is a kind gesture. But she’s already developing romantic feelings for the woman, and along with those feelings seems to come a subservient attitude.Machado prioritizes pleasing the woman over protecting her own feelings, which might be hurt by the sight of the woman embracing her girlfriend.
Themes
