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96. Traumhaus as Lipogram
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
Back at the Dream House, Machado tells the woman from the Dream House that she’ll leave her unless she goes to therapy. She goes for a while, and things seem to improve in the relationship. But after a few weeks, the woman says she’s too busy for therapy and that her therapist has told her she doesn’t need it. When Machado reminds her that she threw things at her and then forgot, the woman says Machado doesn’t understand how busy she is. Even though Machado said she’d leave the woman, she doesn’t press the issue.
This is a rare moment in which Machado successfully advocates for herself in the relationship. However, what she first lays down as an ultimatum eventually peters out into just the memory of an ultimatum, reflecting the way the woman from the Dream House tends to chip away at Machado’s resolve. Meanwhile, the woman citing her busy schedule as a reason to avoid therapy emphasizes that she prioritizes her own convenience over Machado’s safety and happiness.
Themes
