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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 feels lucky that the woman from the Dream House looks past the fact that she’s a “weird fat girl,” something most other people don’t do. Until now, she’s always wondered if people would love her if only she were thinner, and now she’s found love without having to change. Machado, reflecting years later, describes this feeling of luck as “part of the problem.”
Machado seems indebted to the woman from the Dream House, which means that there’s an imbalance of power between them. Rather than feeling like she deserves respect, Machado feels lucky if she happens to receive it—which potentially means she’ll be more likely to endure manipulation and abuse without feeling empowered enough to resist it.
Themes
