Housekeeping

Consider trains in the novel. What do they represent? Who, in the novel, is associated with trains? Why are trains an apt metaphor in this novel?

Consider the role of water in the novel. It is pervasive throughout the novel, with numerous characters dying in the lake and the flood that comes after Sylvie arrives. What does water represent? Why is it an important symbol?

Consider the role of family bonds in the novel. What characteristics unite characters of different generations? Also, consider the role of nature versus nurture. How does the novel complicate the idea of nature versus nurture when it comes to family bonds?

The novel’s very title relates to housekeeping. Consider the different home makers in the novel. Why is housekeeping important to characters such as Sylvia, Sylvie, Lucille, and Miss Royce? What does the novel say about the different forms of housekeeping?

Consider transience in the novel. Which characters have this transient spirit in them? Then consider Ruthie. What are her motivations for living a lifestyle like her aunt? Is she motivated by a fear of abandonment or an innate nature in her? Use specific evidence to support your view.

Research the main tenets of Calvinism. Which character represents these tenets most strongly? Which tenets of Calvinism are present in this character?

Robinson published this novel decades before her later novels. Read one of her later novels and compare and contrast the issues of import to the various characters in the novels.

There are numerous Biblical references in this novel. Some of the most obvious are the flood as well as that to Lot’s wife. Others are present as well. Explain some of these references, and detail their importance to the themes of the novel.