House Keeping Essay

In House Keeping by Marilynne Robinson, the author uses feminist criticism to demonstrate the social construction of a family household that goes against the patriarchal structure or norm of a household.

In the novel the main character of Ruthie is telling the story of her and her sister Lucille living at her grandma’s house in Finger bone, Idaho after her mom’s suicide. Right at the start it begins with the death of her grandfather due to a train wreck, then her mother happens to kill herself shortly after going over a cliff after dropping them off at grandma’s. The story takes place in the 1950s and early 1960s and is told from first person point of view. After both of the girls’ mother’s death, the grandma Sylvia becomes their guardian, but eventually becomes ill and dies as well. Their grandmother was prepared for her death and made sure someone would watch over Ruth and Lucille after she was gone. Nona and Miss Royce are introduced in the story and become the girls’ guardians until they no longer feel they can take care of them and send a letter to Sylvie, the girls’ eccentric and unbalanced aunt to come watch them.

Sylvie comes to watch over her nieces and then the household begins to become somewhat chaotic. Ruth bonds well with Sylvie because she is free-spirited, but Lucille, on the other hand, yearns for stability in the household. Lucille wants the household to consist of the normal family viewed in society. Lucille finds refugee in her economics teacher and decides to go live with her, leaving Ruth and Sylvie alone. Shortly, Ruth’s safety is questioned by the courts because of the way Sylvie and her are living. They are both isolated from the outside world alone and without a man as the one in charge. Eventually, Sylvie decides to leave Finger bone, Idaho and live on the road again and Ruth decides to go with her.

Throughout the novel Ruth and Lucille face several abandonments as they grow up, but still have a home in which housekeeping is done...