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Carmen Maria Machado’s Father
Debra Reid is one of the Framingham Eight, a group of women imprisoned for killing their abusive partners in the 1980s. Debra is the only one of the eight whose partner was also a woman. In interviews after the trial, Debra often referred to her dead partner as if she were still alive and could harm her. Machado often thinks of Debra’s story and its parallels to her own.
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Debra Reid Character Timeline in In the Dream House
The timeline below shows where the character Debra Reid appears in In the Dream House. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
88. Dream House as Ambiguity
...usually white women and queer women are treated in these kinds of cases. For example, Debra Reid was the only Black woman and only lesbian amongst the group of imprisoned women...
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Machado says that the abuse Debra, Annette, and Freda experienced is “far beyond” what happened to her, but it’s important for...
(full context)
89. Dream House as Undead
Machado often thinks about Debra Reid, and how when Debra’s brother brought her a dress to wear at the trial,...
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90. Dream House as Sanctuary
...she felt anxious every time she was in there. In an interview after the trial, Debra Reid said she just wanted to get her own apartment and turn her “own little...
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