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Lecture on The Dream House by Craig Higginson

Jun 3, 2024

Lecture on The Dream House by Craig Higginson

Essay Writing Tips

  • Know Your Quotations

    • Aim to memorize 20-30 quotes for your essay, not just 2-3.
    • Practice writing essays with these quotes to learn their application in various contexts.
    • Short quotes (even 3 words) are useful.
    • Incorporate about 2 quotations per paragraph.
  • Practice Essays

    • Write as many practice essays as possible, even if they aren't marked.
    • Practice writing essays on themes you're less comfortable with to avoid panic during exams.
  • Understanding Themes

    • Focus first on themes you're confident in, then move to challenging ones.
  • Reading the Book

    • Read the book fully, preferably more than once, to understand the storyline and avoid errors in your essays.

Theme of Truth and Reconciliation

Importance of Reading the Book

  • Reading the book independently helps you understand the storyline and details, ensuring accuracy in essays.

Exploring Truth in The Dream House

  • Subjectivity of Truth

    • The novel explores how truth is subjective and varies by individual perception.
    • Central event: Grace's death.
    • Different characters have their own version of events.
    • Patricia’s initial belief that Grace provoked the dog vs. Luxmart’s belief that Richard set the dog on Grace.
    • Beauty knows the underlying truth about Grace’s pregnancy and Richard’s repeated assaults.
  • Different Perceptions of Key Events

    • Grace’s Death
      • Central event with varying truths: Patricia vs. Luxmart vs. Beauty.
    • Luxmart’s First Day Fishing
      • Patricia remembers excitement; Luxmart feels coerced and remembers violence.
    • Luxmart’s Naming
      • Patricia vs. Luxmart’s narrative about his English and Zulu names.

Essay Writing on Subjectivity of Truth

  • Focus on Grace’s death and the varied perceptions.
  • If possible, include additional examples like the fishing trip or Luxmart’s naming for a comprehensive essay.

Reconciliation in The Dream House

  • Partial Reconciliation

    • Not a full reconciliation between Luxmart and Patricia, but progress is made.
    • Luxmart initially confronts Patricia with anger but leaves more at peace.
    • Both characters lie to comfort each other, indicating a step towards reconciliation.
  • Key Moments

    • Luxmart lying about keeping Patricia's roses to comfort her.
    • Both characters acknowledging some truths and beginning to heal.
    • Luxmart endeavours to heal relationships with himself, his wife, and children.
    • Patricia becomes more satisfied with herself and digs up Rachel to bring her to Durban, showing acceptance of the past.
  • Acknowledge Past for Healing

    • Important realization for Patricia to acknowledge and take ownership of the past for true reconciliation.

Quotations and Examples

  • Truth and Perception
    • "Patricia finds herself wanting more of the truth."
    • "Power lies with those who withhold their information from others."
    • "She sees the truth as a concept only children believe in, like dragons and houses made out of bread and cake."
    • "Beauty tells Patricia to find the truth for yourself."
    • "LookSmart carries gaps inside him."
    • "Sometimes a small amount of the truth is enough to satisfy a person's appetite."
    • "There is a mystery that must run through all things."
    • "LookSmart is like a boy in his heart,"
    • "Patricia endeavors to find the truth for herself."
    • "View Grace as slightly less than human."
    • "Enough of the truth to satisfy LookSmart's appetite."
    • "They remain little more to each other than a silhouette."
    • "Each of them keeps their peace."
    • "I'll keep them exactly as they are."
    • "Maybe I got it wrong."
    • "Truth must run through all things."
    • "Power lies with those who withhold information."
    • "He carries gaps inside him that he doesn't know were there."
    • "Fill gaps in LookSmart's story."
    • "Find the truth for yourself."
    • "Responsible for John's suicide in a way."
    • "Acknowledge and heal."
    • "Power of moral authority."
    • "Satisfying appetite of truth."
    • "Truth is subjective."
    • "Subjectivity essence of the novel."
    • "Luxmart fishing memories varied."
    • "Patricia finds truth subjective and multifaceted."
    • "Perceptions of events different among characters."
    • "Reconciliation partial not full."
    • "Emotional final moments separate yet connectedness."
    • "Examples of subjectivity of truth."
    • "How lies can comfort."
    • "Manages truth as a weapon versus reconciliation tool."
    • "Healing from past events."
    • "Accepting past for healing."
    • "Confronting and acknowledging the past."
    • "Two truths around events."
    • "Luxmart and different truths."
    • "Devices and events examined."
    • "Consequently holistic healing for Luxmart."
    • "Learns moral balance."
    • "Full healing acknowledging truths."
    • "Heals relationships with truth acknowledgment."
    • "Lying to comfort, Luxmart and Beauty differing truths."
    • "Relating to South African truths."
    • "Historical context of apartheid."
    • "Truth of events varied."
    • "Patricia also begins healing process."