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76. Dream House as Word Problem
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
When Machado was in college, Machado’s mom adopted a nervous dog called Greta. When the other family dog died, Greta mourned by moving piles of stuffed toys around the house. She became listless and looked as if she were dead, which worried Machado. Greta would lie on the ground and refuse to move when she took her on walks. One day, Machado opened the front door and told Greta to run, but Greta didn’t move. It was as if she didn’t realize she could be free.
Machado’s recollection of Greta seems to come out of nowhere, but it quickly becomes clear that she, as a victim of psychological abuse, identifies with the dog in not having understood that her chance to escape was right in front of her.
Themes
