Grace’s Home

Grace lives in a small house a few blocks from the ocean in Hunts Beach, Maine. She feels a deep affection for the home she has created there for her husband and two young children. However, she herself is disturbed by her compulsion to keep the rooms sparklingly clean at all times, and she often experiences claustrophobia in the tiny kitchen where she does most of her daily chores. When the home burns down, she feels as if she has lost a small part of herself and her past along with it.

Rosie’s Home

In stark contrast to Grace’s home, Rosie’s neighboring home is overflowing with children’s toys and dirty dishes. “Gene once used the word squalor to describe the household,” and Grace is hard-pressed to defend her slovenly friend (8). However, Grace finds the clutter to be freeing. Rosie refuses to press...