The Dream House – Craig Higginson
By Kayla Henen and Shani H-H
(pg. vii)
“There are many houses we pass through during our lives.”
“Maybe it’s true that they also pass through us. Some of them
remain with us …”
“and we are able to return to them long after they are gone”
“This hill stood above our school like the promise of another
world”
(pg. ix)
“The house was a secret, a bolt hole that no teacher at school
knew about”
“it was my home away frome home”
“my imagination found a home during those years”
(pg. x)
“so this place provided me with magic”
“They were people of their time”
“increasingly uneasy in a world that was rapidly outstripping
them.”
“They provided a starting place for my imagination"
(pg. 3)
“the mist… it has filled the whole valley and invaded every
cupboard of the house.”
“cut down and cleared away, along with everything else.”
“The people who come to live here afterwards will know nothing
about any of them, and maybe it will be better that way.” Memory
“going away for a while”
“They have sold off all the live stock and equipment an packed the
little they want to keep in boxes”
“have…[reduced] the stables and farm buildings to rubble, making
fresh orange gashes across the fields”
(pg. 4)
“Richard…nothing makes much sense to him anyway.”
“Her body is an ageing and not quite trustworthy companion”
Brokenness
, “In Durban, Beauty will go for driving and English lessons. She
deserves a better job.” Ironic plaasroman
“Patricia can see herself in the large mirror near the door. It was
once attached to the wall and is speckled around the edges. There
is a crack across the reflection of her throat”
“Her body…like a pale floating lantern”
(pg. 5)
“All her life, Patricia has been accompanied by a hurricane of
dogs.”
(pg. 8)
“’You think I’m not here, but I am.’”
(pg. 10)
“The drive way of Dwaleni...has been reduced to a war zone”
“men wander about in the mist like wounded soldiers.”
(pg. 11)
“The farm…has never managed to make much profit.” Plaasroman
inverted
“…and she has developed the habit of using this vacant space to
talk freely, as one might with a priest, or – heaven forbid – some
kind of analyst.”
(pg. 12)
“My father…was a good man…one good man in my life.” Their
marriage was a disaster
(pg. 13)
“Her fear [of uBaas]… exists as the mountains around the farm
do”
“Every other shameful thing about him” Subverse plaasroman
“He will sometimes call her mother” Subverse plaasroman
“Sometimes she will find him standing in the corridor or sitting on
his bed sobbing” Subverse plaasroman
(pg. 14)
“he is the one with the power over her… never let either of them
forget it”
, “Ubaas … looking through the boxes like he will die if he stops
doing it” Looking for memories
“He is often preparing himself to leave for somewhere else”
(pg. 16)
“Patricia a spirited farmer’s wife…”
“…she fell in love with him because he was everything Richard was
not.” John
“Richard could recall only his permanent sensee of grievance”
embittered
(pg. 19)
“John has always been a difficult man.”
“…an usually clever boy…” Looksmart
“Because he’s clever…use his cleverness for the general good.”
(pg. 21)
“She was tired of him and his unspoken rules…”
“The whole of the midlands is engulfed in cloud…”
(pg. 22)
“…boxes spilling objects from the past…”
“At first the plan was to keep only those things that were of value
in good condition…”
“…Only those things that could justify their presence in the new
house”
“But who was to say what was of value and what was not?”
“It seemed there would be much more to bring than anyone had
imagined.”
“The problem of what to do with the past would have to carry on
in the future” problems of the past have to carry on to the future
(pg. 23)
“Umesis has told Beauty and Bheki that they can have one
suitcase each.”
“…She found there wasn’t much that she wanted to take.”
“…all the other things that had been handed down.”
(pg. 24)
By Kayla Henen and Shani H-H
(pg. vii)
“There are many houses we pass through during our lives.”
“Maybe it’s true that they also pass through us. Some of them
remain with us …”
“and we are able to return to them long after they are gone”
“This hill stood above our school like the promise of another
world”
(pg. ix)
“The house was a secret, a bolt hole that no teacher at school
knew about”
“it was my home away frome home”
“my imagination found a home during those years”
(pg. x)
“so this place provided me with magic”
“They were people of their time”
“increasingly uneasy in a world that was rapidly outstripping
them.”
“They provided a starting place for my imagination"
(pg. 3)
“the mist… it has filled the whole valley and invaded every
cupboard of the house.”
“cut down and cleared away, along with everything else.”
“The people who come to live here afterwards will know nothing
about any of them, and maybe it will be better that way.” Memory
“going away for a while”
“They have sold off all the live stock and equipment an packed the
little they want to keep in boxes”
“have…[reduced] the stables and farm buildings to rubble, making
fresh orange gashes across the fields”
(pg. 4)
“Richard…nothing makes much sense to him anyway.”
“Her body is an ageing and not quite trustworthy companion”
Brokenness
, “In Durban, Beauty will go for driving and English lessons. She
deserves a better job.” Ironic plaasroman
“Patricia can see herself in the large mirror near the door. It was
once attached to the wall and is speckled around the edges. There
is a crack across the reflection of her throat”
“Her body…like a pale floating lantern”
(pg. 5)
“All her life, Patricia has been accompanied by a hurricane of
dogs.”
(pg. 8)
“’You think I’m not here, but I am.’”
(pg. 10)
“The drive way of Dwaleni...has been reduced to a war zone”
“men wander about in the mist like wounded soldiers.”
(pg. 11)
“The farm…has never managed to make much profit.” Plaasroman
inverted
“…and she has developed the habit of using this vacant space to
talk freely, as one might with a priest, or – heaven forbid – some
kind of analyst.”
(pg. 12)
“My father…was a good man…one good man in my life.” Their
marriage was a disaster
(pg. 13)
“Her fear [of uBaas]… exists as the mountains around the farm
do”
“Every other shameful thing about him” Subverse plaasroman
“He will sometimes call her mother” Subverse plaasroman
“Sometimes she will find him standing in the corridor or sitting on
his bed sobbing” Subverse plaasroman
(pg. 14)
“he is the one with the power over her… never let either of them
forget it”
, “Ubaas … looking through the boxes like he will die if he stops
doing it” Looking for memories
“He is often preparing himself to leave for somewhere else”
(pg. 16)
“Patricia a spirited farmer’s wife…”
“…she fell in love with him because he was everything Richard was
not.” John
“Richard could recall only his permanent sensee of grievance”
embittered
(pg. 19)
“John has always been a difficult man.”
“…an usually clever boy…” Looksmart
“Because he’s clever…use his cleverness for the general good.”
(pg. 21)
“She was tired of him and his unspoken rules…”
“The whole of the midlands is engulfed in cloud…”
(pg. 22)
“…boxes spilling objects from the past…”
“At first the plan was to keep only those things that were of value
in good condition…”
“…Only those things that could justify their presence in the new
house”
“But who was to say what was of value and what was not?”
“It seemed there would be much more to bring than anyone had
imagined.”
“The problem of what to do with the past would have to carry on
in the future” problems of the past have to carry on to the future
(pg. 23)
“Umesis has told Beauty and Bheki that they can have one
suitcase each.”
“…She found there wasn’t much that she wanted to take.”
“…all the other things that had been handed down.”
(pg. 24)
