The Dream House
By Craig Higginson
Characters
o Richard Wiley
Cruel and heartless man.
Lacked the wherewithal to make something of the land Patricia’s father gives them. (Dwaleni
farm)
Has several affairs, some of which include farm workers.
Senile dementia easily confused by the changes to the land, not understanding that the land
has been sold to developers and that they are leaving.
Tendency to get lost and wonder the land of his ‘home’ – somewhere that he has never really
been ‘at home’ or welcome in; a home that Patricia’s father gifts to her when she announces her
pregnancy and her engagement.
Hopeless farmer. Farm only becomes somewhat successful when Patricia takes over,
overshadowing his own achievements and adding to his resentment and incompetence.
Cared for by Beauty (she’s afraid of him.)
He has often exerted his power over the farm workers as the owner of the land. We see this in
Looksmart’s version of Grace’s story, both as her rapist and her murderer.
Grace is who he was having an affair with and sets his dogs loose on murder her, while he
turned his back and immersed himself in the farm as the Baas.
When confronted with the truth of his actions, he is dismissive, showing no remorse for having
cut Grace’s life short, he seems to react as though her murder was a suitable punishment for the
child-like sin of lying.
Pg. 204- “I know all I need to know. You unleash the dog. You murdered her.”
“Oh – that.”
He turns from her and almost laughs with disappointment, and some relief, and note of
contempt.
“Is that all?”
“Christ, isn’t that enough?”
“She was – lying.”
“Oh God. Don’t you feel any remorse?”
“For what? For you? But I've never done anything to you.”
“For her, Richard. For Grace!”
“Are you mad?”
He himself has never looked madder, more dangerous and lost.
“I can't even - look at you,” she says at last.
, He turns away again. Doing her the favor of concealing his face. And when he speaks it is with
his child's voice.
“Who are you anyway? What makes you the judge? All puffed up. Looking down at me. You
putrid cunt.”
Richard spends much of the novel, the evening that Looksmart visits the farm, wondering the
grounds looking for the grave of his child, Rachel. He will never speak her name, not even in his
most lucid state, but she seems to be the one thing that makes him appear humane. He speaks
of Rachel and of Grace’s pregnancy as it, never acknowledging the humanity of the babies. This
may be further indicative of his removal from reality.
Each new replica of the house he encounters is at an earlier phase of development – and this
makes him feel that he is returning to the past, progressing back in time.
His dementia leads him to several ‘realities’ on the farm, in which he still considers himself to be
whole. He fancies himself as one of the work parties who are reforming the farm, replicating the
original farm house all over the land under Looksmart’s instruction, only to realize towards the
end of his interaction that he doesn’t belong with them and never will.
When Richard is finally confronted by Looksmart at the house, towards the final chapters of the
novel, he is not in his right mind. His arrogance prevents him from seeing any hurt he has caused
Looksmart, and as a result, he will never seek forgiveness from him – and will never receive it.
