Essay
Truth and Reconciliation - Essay
An in-depth essay on the themes of truth and reconciliation in The Dream House. It has been marked and received 100%.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
29 reviews
By: radharampershad • 7 months ago
By: lithabeshweni • 1 year ago
By: TNaidoo • 3 year ago
By: aliyahlimbada • 3 year ago
By: kkrishna96 • 3 year ago
By: jonathanprice • 3 year ago
By: ameerahomar • 3 year ago
Content preview
The Dream House EssayKate Jones
Topic 10
If there is to be reconciliation, first there must be truth.” Timothy B. Tyson
Discuss how The Dream House mediates the relationship between truth and reconciliation.
Truth and reconciliation are inextricably linked in The Dream House. It is revealed that there
must be an element of truth before reconciliation can occur, however it is not necessary for
the entire truth to be revealed. Lies, too, are able to heal. This is demonstrated as Looksmart
forces Patricia to re-evaluate the past, particularly the day of Grace’s death, and find its
truth, as Patricia learns, with Beauty’s help, the relativity of the truth, and as they discover
that lies are also helpful in bringing about reconciliation.
Initially, Patricia does not focus on the past, believing that it “doesn’t amount to much in the
end.” She accepts Richard’s explanation that Grace was “taunting the dog” and does not
ponder whether or not his words are true. Looksmart’s return, however, forces Patricia to
re-examine her role in Grace’s death. As Looksmart tells Patricia that he “saw it as murder”
and “cannot forgive” her for viewing Grace as “less than human”, she begins to acknowledge
that “sometimes a crick in the neck is exactly what the doctor orders”. To Looksmart, forcing
Patricia to confront the events of the past allows him to “witness the resurgence of his hatred
and her fear” but in the end appears to heal him too. Before returning to Dwaleni, he had
been unable to “separate” his “love and [his] fear,” which “grew together”. This had damaged
his relationships with his family and left him incapable of loving his wife fully. His discussion
about the past with Patricia, and the knowledge that - while he “will never be free” of the
past - he has been able to “hand some of his burden across to Patricia” allows him to leave
Dwaleni with the hope of forging more honest, meaningful relationships with his family.
After Looksmart forces Patricia to acknowledge the past, she begins to learn the importance
of the truth, as well as to acknowledge its subjectivity. Looksmart, although he did heal from
visiting Dwaleni, left with “gaps carried away inside him” as he did not know the full truth of
the past. Beauty, however, teaches Patricia that “sometimes, a small amount of the truth is
enough to satisfy a person’s appetite”. As Patricia learns, through Beauty, that Richard was
paying Grace for sex, “each and every time”, she finally accepts “the mystery that must run
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller kateijones. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R80,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
53022 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now