Housekeeping Discussion Test Reflection

Before today's discussion, I hadn't thought much about the role of men in "Housekeeping". However, I really liked Connor's point about Ruth's grandfather in the novel, and the significance of the fact that he built the house that was ultimately burned to the ground. Like Connor said, it's as though in burning down the house, Sylvie and Ruth show that they are not dependent on men to live in a stable environment. They leave Fingerbone and create a living for themselves (though it is still unconventional), without the aid of a male figure. When they burn the house down, "One moment I had no idea where Sylvie was, and the next moment the parlor curtains were a sheet of flames and Sylvie was kneeling in front of them, dull rose in the light with a black shadow behind her. But the curtains were consumed in moments and fell to the floor and went out. 'Damn!' Sylvie said, and we laughed, but as little as we could, because we knew it was a solemn thing to burn a house down" (Robinson 208). Sylvie and Ruth almost find an enjoyment in burning the house down, aware of the closure it contains; they are leaving behind the unwanted aspect of female-dependency in Fingerbone to wither away in the remains of the household. The burning of the house represents a finality to housekeeping: there is no longer anything to take care of.

Ruth's relationship with her grandfather is also interesting to the story. Ruth seems to envy the fact that her grandfather "escaped this world years before [she] entered it" (Robinson 3). Based on this statement, it seems as though Ruth dreads the idea of living and wishes not to. Robinson uses the word "escaped" to show Ruth's feelings of uncertainty with the idea of life; she is a part of this world, but lacks an urge to be there. Ruth also has an undeniable respect for her grandfather, which is again shown within Robinson's language. Ruth regards her grandfather as a "dutiful and industrious worker, [who was] bound to rise" (Robinson 5). Robinson uses a good amount of description and elaborate language in order to create a respectable image of Ruth's grandfather, and show Ruth's reverence towards him. Based on this level of respect, it seems contradictory that Ruth would find such joy, even humor, in burning down the foundation he built; perhaps Ruth did so in a need to feel the closure of her past. She says, "Now truly we were cast out to wander, and there was an end to housekeeping" (209). Once the house was gone, Ruth and Sylvie truly had to make an existence of their own; they could no longer rely on the foundation they were given to provide them with a stable environment. By burning the house, Ruth leaves herself with only one option: to move on. Ruth and Sylvie ultimately burn the house in order to eliminate the alternative option to leaving Fingerbone behind; their past is in ashes, and they leave knowing that they cannot return.