The Golden House

The Golden house is where most of the novel's actions take place: in this way, the Golden house is akin to the stage for a Greek tragedy. Nero, the Golden brothers, Vasilia, and René all live in the Golden house at some point. Nero lives in the Golden house for the entire novel: in the Golden house, he learns of the death of Apu, D, and Petya; he learns that Vespian is not his son; and, at the novel's end, he dies in the house, making the house the center of his life. For Petya, the Golden house is simultaneously a place of safety and a place of entrapment, for Petya is scared of unenclosed spaces outside the Golden house. Eventually, Petya overcomes this fear, and thus breaks free of the Golden house. For Apu, the Golden house is incomplete, forcing him to return to his...