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10. Dream House as a Stranger Comes to Town
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 and the woman from the Dream House arrange to meet up at the woman’s house and watch The Brave Little Toaster. As they sit on the couch watching, the woman touches Machado’s hand. Machado, nervous, begins to share trivia about the movie. The woman kisses her. Machado goes to bed with her. The woman asks if she can take Machado’s shirt off; Machado consents. The woman continues to touch her, asking for permission each time.
Machado and the woman’s viewing material is childlike and nostalgic. Machado’s knowledge of trivia related to the film suggests that she spends a lot of time researching pieces of media and art that resonate with her, which emphasizes her analytical tendencies. In their first sexual experience, the woman seems to treat Machado with an abundance of respect.
Themes
