Essay Questions

How does the author use the post-war setting to examine the themes of memory, trauma, and displacement?

Set in the Netherlands during the early 1960s, the story takes place in a country that is still recovering from the aftermath of World War II. Much of its tension derives from the emotional scars and the disruptions caused by the war on a personal and societal level. Isabel is consumed by maintaining order in her mother’s old house, which is a reminder of a preserved and fractured past. This theme of memory is tied closely to the trauma of displacement. Isabel and her brothers were uprooted during the war, which left an indelible mark on their family dynamics. The emotional distance between them reflects the fractures within Dutch society, where people struggle to reconcile their losses with a desire to move forward. In contrast, Eva represents the present that is disrupting Isabel's carefully controlled environment. The novel interrogates how individuals cope with trauma—whether through repression, as Isabel does, or through forgetting, as Louis appears to do by keeping a distance from their family home.

In what ways does the relationship between Isabel and Eva reflect Isabel’s internal struggles with desire, control, and identity?

The relationship between Isabel and Eva is charged with both repulsion and attraction. Eva enters Isabel’s life unexpectedly through her brother Louis and becomes the object of Isabel's unspoken desires. Her free-spirited nature and disregard for propriety contrast with Isabel’s obsessive need for control. This clash exposes Isabel's internal struggles with identity, desire, and self-worth. Their interactions become increasingly loaded with tension while Isabel’s fixation on Eva blurs the lines between admiration and envy. Additionally, Eva's presence stirs up long-suppressed aspects of Isabel's personality. She represents the disruption of order and the unleashing of repressed emotions that Isabel can no longer contain. The power dynamic between the two women is fluid, oscillating between Isabel's attempts to dominate Eva and her submission to the growing obsession.

How does the narrative use domestic space and household objects to reflect the psychological landscapes of its characters?

The house symbolizes a legacy of control and preservation. Isabel's care for the house and its objects echoes her need to be rooted in the safety of tradition and familial duty. This house becomes a character in itself because it embodies Isabel’s struggles to maintain control over her life. Moreover, the china plates, which belonged to Isabel’s mother, represent Isabel’s need to safeguard the past. When Eva begins to disrupt this order, it signals an unraveling of the psychological structure Isabel has built around herself. The broken plate Isabel finds early indicates the fragility of this carefully maintained order. Moreover, the shifting dynamics within the house denote the emotional volatility between the characters. The house becomes a battleground where Isabel controls the clash with Eva’s carefree and disorderly approach to life.