Home-Space in Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping

This article analyzes home-space in Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping (1981). In this novel, Ruth shows that the house, which was earlier peaceful and harmonious during the life of her grandmother, becomes ineffective with the coming of her aunt Sylvie. In discussing how Robinson epitomizes the meaning of dwelling as well as homelessness, I show how the characters relate to their domestic place, both physically and psychologically. I illustrate the powerful relation between the individual dweller and the space he/she inhabits. In so doing, I use the theory of genius loci or The Spirit of Place that the Norwegian architect Christian Norberg-Schulz conceptualizes in relation to the existence of place as a being. By using this theory as a way to provide a fresh look at Robinson’s novel, I discuss Housekeeping as a narrative about spatial crisis. I show how the domestic place metamorphoses from meaningfulness to meaninglessness.