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
In the park, the woman from the Dream House tells Machado she’s in love with someone else. Machado is shocked. The woman tells Machado they can “get through this” and that she shouldn’t worry.
The woman seeks to control Machado’s reaction to this piece of shocking news, leaving no room for her to express emotional distress or label the woman’s behavior as unjust or unfair.