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78. Dream House as Modern Art
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
One day, the woman from the Dream House asks Machado whether she should apply to Iowa again so she can move back and live with Machado. Machado feels a mix of excitement and panic. The woman reads her face and senses discomfort. She asks if Machado doesn’t want her there. Machado says that Indiana has such a great program, she’s not sure why the woman would want to leave. The woman doesn’t talk to her for the rest of the day. Eventually, Machado tells her she’d love her to come to Iowa and helps her to edit her stories for the application.
The woman responds to Machado’s less-than-enthusiastic comment with blatant silence. Her behavior doesn’t allow Machado to express herself freely or to feel completely understood, and in this way, the woman retains control over her. Eventually, it’s Machado who relents, which illustrates the power of emotional manipulation to make its victim take responsibility.
Themes
