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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
In the timeline of the relationship, the woman from the Dream House enjoys getting Machado to tell her what’s wrong with herself. Machado’s list of her own faults includes desiring sex and being anxious. The practice of listing her faults becomes a habit she can’t shrug off.
It's notable that, instead of simply listing what she finds inadequate about Machado, the woman gets Machado to denigrate herself. This demonstrates her coercive tendencies and the way her actions chip away at Machado’s identity from within—becoming much more toxic and difficult to escape from than an external force.
Themes
