In the Dream House

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2019

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Overture-Part 1, Chapter 18

Part 1, Chapters 19-34

Part 2, Chapters 35-50

Part 2, Chapters 51-74

Part 3, Chapters 75-89

Part 3, Chapters 90-107

Part 4, Chapters 108-127

Part 5, Chapters 128-144

Key Figures

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

What narrative modes does Machado employ in In the Dream House? How do they metaphorically represent experiences of queer abuse?

Machado opens her memoir by quoting Saidiya Hartman’s theory of archival silence to contextualize her work in queering the archive. How does Machado approach her work of queering the archive? Which chapters speak most directly to that project?

What does the Dream House represent? How is it connected with Machado’s writing philosophy?