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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
Machado describes the single “Voices Carry” by ‘Til Tuesday, whose music video depicts the band’s lead singer, Aimee Mann, enduring verbal and physical abuse from a “meathead in gold chains.” The producer of the song later revealed that the song was initially about a woman, but the record company pressured the band to change the lyrics. Still, Machado says that the song and its video construct a clear picture of abuse. On top of that, the song is catchy, and its lyrics—“Hush hush, keep it down now”—play over and over in Machado’s head.
Along with the memories of her traumatic, abusive relationship, Machado also plays host to a range of specters in the form of pop culture, like this song. Her fixation on the lyrics and music video is one of many moments that demonstrate how precisely attuned she is to narratives of abuse in media that might be considered trivial.
Themes
