House of Stairs | Social Sensitivity

House of Stairs Social Sensitivity

Perhaps the aspect of this novel that may be of greatest concern to some readers or parents is its portrayal of a dehumanizing and exploitative government. The violent scenes that House of Stairs illustrates reflect the consequences of actual totalitarian governments, such as those of Adolf Hitler and Josep h Stalin. Sleator obviously believes that only by understanding the potential for such evil can people hope to combat it.