What is the theme in The Dead of the House by Hannah Green?

Man against nature is a major theme in the book. The ambiguous relationship between man and his environment is explored in The Dead of the House. Nathaniel Nye, Vanessa's grandfather and the idealized representation of man, is the character most associated with this thematic concern. The veteran of many canoeing expeditions through the rivers and untouched regions of Canada "before the white man found it," Nathaniel is constantly torn between his need to civilize and conquer nature and his desire to live in harmony with it.