Doorknobs Symbol Analysis

Doorknobs are a symbol of safety and security in In the Dream House. When Machado is a child, her parents remove her bedroom’s doorknob after she locks her door, depriving her of the privacy she craves. This moment returns to haunt her while she hides from the woman in the Dream House in the bathroom, begging that the woman won’t know how to remove the doorknob like her parents did. When she later reads about Debra Reid, who was imprisoned for killing her abusive lesbian partner, she finds that Reid also craved her own space including her “own little doorknob.” For Machado, and for Reid, the presence of the doorknob means both the choice to remain alone, and a secure barrier between oneself and danger. At the same time, though, it’s a reminder that someone with enough power or authority can easily dismantle that safety and security.