The relationship between women and the home has been discussed for centuries in the realms of theory, politics, and gender equality. Additionally, one discussion that has particularly dominated the discourse surrounding architectural theory connects masculinity to the size and proportions of buildings. Because male bodies were believed to demonstrate "perfect proportionality," architects often patterned their projects after the male figure. Drawing upon the connections between gender and architecture provides the viewer with a unique perspective to analyze the relationship between Bonnie and her home.
Gilbert's narration in the film's opening scenes reveals clues about Bonnie's life before her husband's death. Bonnie was a devoted midwestern housewife. The word "housewife" epitomizes Bonnie's character, responsibilities, and actions seven years prior to when the story takes place. She spent her adulthood raising her five children, cooking, and cleaning. However, following her husband's suicide, Bonnie lost her status as "wife." Quite literally, all she could hold on to was her "house." This object remained the extent of her husband's legacy.
The infrastructure of the Grapes' home suffers due to Bonnie's weight—the floorboards are crumbling due to the pressure she places on them. In this way, we realize that Bonnie is both trapped and threatened by her home. Although she sees her house as a haven of privacy removed from the critical gaze of Endora's residents, Bonnie is restricted to solely her couch. Close shots of her bulging stomach and bloated feet make a mockery of even her slightest movements and attempts at mobilization. In this way, Bonnie's home—symbolically—fails to support her.
Inside, the house bears a dystopian legacy of a once-happy and functioning family. Bonnie, like her home, is a ghost that consistently reminds her children of their happier past. Additionally, Bonnie's appearance and attitude at the time of the story indicate how she has fully regressed. Instead of a mother, Bonnie acts like a child. She must be consistently monitored and taken care of, and she expects for her children to act as her caregivers. In these ways, Bonnie's characterization provides a critical commentary about the inhibitory expectations and identities of mothers in the Midwest during the 1980s.
