Housekeeping, Marylynne Robinson--blogpost by Cristian Mata
In lectures, there have been fruitful discussions on the relationship between a character(s) and typically a structure(s) that is considered a house. In their respective novels, the house(s) are a looming, influential force that takes on different forms. From previous novels read for class, such forms involve the house acting as a sort of battleground between classes, a constant reminder of what could have been, and a physical manifestation of family history acting as a prison. Such ways to utilize a house as a tool add nuance to how an average person sees a house. However, are such effects possible in the absence of a house? Marylynne Robinson’s Housekeeping says it is possible while providing a new perspective on how one interacts with a house via the lifestyle of a transient person.
Throughout the novel, there is a reoccurring theme of isolation. The theme is a product of Robinsons utilizing her own experience of being raised in Standpoint, Idaho, as a source of inspiration. The town of Standpoint is surrounded by three mountain ranges and a 43-mile-long lake.
Although there are roads leading to other towns, the natural elements act as a barrier, keeping its residents from contacting the world beyond the mountains. In the novel, the lake is an oppressive force. A series of tragedies, such as a train derailing into the depths of the lake and the suicide of the main characters’ mother, make the lake a source of trauma for many of the residents of the fictional town of Fingerbone. A deliberate decision of Robinson in the novel is to write about the residents of the town, including the main characters, as being chained to the town due to despair, preventing any form of mobility, whether it be physical or mental. In addition to the despair, Robinson also focuses on the impact of gender roles on relationships. Residents of the town have grown stoic, and this is where the transient lifestyle invokes a new perspective on these matters.
The definition of transient is a person who is staying for a short time. In other words, the transient is always on the move, with no form of permanent residence. Such is the character of Sylvie Fisher, the aunt of Ruth and Lucille. Her impact in the novel can be mapped by following the continuous deterioration of the house she occupies with her nieces. Initially, the house was purchased by Sylvia’s father and stayed under his ownership until his death, at which point the deed was passed on to Sylvia, his wife, then Lily and Nona Foster, her sisters-in-law, and finally Sylvie. Prior to Sylvie gaining ownership, there was a heavy focus on maintaining housekeeping. The act itself is an action typically associated with a stereotypical female gender role in which Sylvia, Lily, and Nona, to a degree, uphold this. This includes making sweet snacks, cutting hair, and maintaining the appearance of an orderly home. However, when Sylvie took over, the act of housekeeping changed. Sylvie left the household early in her life to get married, and she cut contact with the family for many years. During that time, the relationship fell through, and Sylvie bounced between places and never truly felt what a house was. This was evident when she took over, as there were occasions where the curtains caught fire while cooking, garbage would pile up, and dishes were not optimal to be eaten from. Sylvie’s actions towards housekeeping would appear negligent at first, but the lack of maintenance is something no resident of Fingerbone has done. The very act of housekeeping is to maintain and preserve the house; in an intangible sense, this would include the preservation of memories and whatever emotions are associated with them. Sylvie rejects this notion along with its gender role aspect, and by the end of the novel, she burns the house down and leaves the town with Ruth in tow. This is an achievable feat due, in part, to the lack of connection Sylvie had with the home in comparison to the other residents of the town with theirs. Rather than allow the house, along with its depressing memories, to chip away at her sanity, Sylvie causes the opposite to happen and makes the house deteriorate while freeing herself from its grasps. Such results were not possible without the influence of Ruth, who had always been a source of support for Sylvie and held similar sentiments towards the town, especially with her falling out with Lucille. Sylvie and Ruth may be houseless at the end of the novel, but they are not homeless.
Blanchet House, a nonprofit social organization in Old Town Portland, makes a distinction between the houseless and the homeless. A house is the physical structure that acts as a shelter for a person. This, of course, would be the house at the center of the novel. The site’s definition of a home is quite interesting, as it is not physical protection but more mental; a home is the community that acts as a source of support for someone. As mentioned earlier, Ruth has been by Sylvie’s side since Lucille began to distance herself from the two. Sylvie is all too familiar with and recognizes how isolating it feels. The two act as a source of comfort for each other and truly embody the saying home sweet home.
Robinson,
Marilynne. Housekeeping. New York, PICADOR, 2004
Lucus,
Madelaine. “Rituals of Housekeeping, Memories of Home: On Marilynne Robinson’s
First Novel.” Literary Hub, lithub.com/rituals-of-housekeeping-memories-of-home-on-marilynne-robinsons-first-novel/.
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