Carmen Maria Machado’s Mother Character Analysis in In the Dream House

Machado’s mother often reminds Machado during her childhood that her personal space doesn’t actually belong to her—it’s something her parents grant her. Machado partly attributes her lack of self-advocacy in relationships to this attitude. Machado’s mother’s decision, along with Machado’s father, to remove Machado’s bedroom doorknob demonstrates how quickly and easily one’s sense of safety can vanish, and also suggests that even the people one is closest to can make one feel unsafe.

Carmen Maria Machado’s Mother Character Timeline in In the Dream House

The timeline below shows where the character Carmen Maria Machado’s Mother appears in In the Dream House. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Machado’s mother doesn’t like that Machado calls Joel by his first name and not “Pastor Jones.” Machado... (full context)

...picking up Machado’s calls. She wonders whether he’s jealous or has lost interest in her. Machado’s mother calls to tell her Joel was fired from the church because he had an affair... (full context)

...her parents divorced, it’d be her fault, and getting angry at tiny things Machado did. Machado’s mother —her aunt’s sister—tried to explain the aunt’s behavior as being a response to pain and... (full context)

...it’s special for children to have their own private rooms. When she was a child, Machado’s mother would constantly remind her that her bedroom was not her own—she was merely allowed to... (full context)

When Machado was in college, Machado’s mom adopted a nervous dog called Greta. When the other family dog died, Greta mourned by... (full context)