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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 used to think the phrase “safe as houses” meant that houses were safe, but now she understands it to mean that the house is a powerful place, and whoever is in charge of it has an advantage over others.
Even the word “safe” has become malicious for Machado. Being held securely within a house no longer means safety—it means that the woman from the Dream House can control her.
Themes
