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."