The Keepers of the House (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Shirley Ann Grau
- First Published: 1964
- Type of Plot: Mythic chronicle
- Time of Work: The 1960’s, with frequent references to earlier generations and times
- Setting: Mississippi and its environs
- Principal Characters: Abigail Howland Tolliver, William Howland, Margaret Howland, Robert, Nina, Chrissy, John Tolliver
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Mythological literature
- Subjects: 1950’s, African Americans, 1960’s, Family or family life, Magic or magicians, Racism, South or Southerners, Ghosts or apparitions, Native Americans or American Indians, Grandparents or grandchildren, Spiritualism, Remarriage, Intermarriage, Mysticism, Widows or widowers, Fire, Houses, mansions, or manors
- Locales: Mississippi
The Novel
The Keepers of the House is a compelling narrative about three generations of the Howland family and their relationships to their house and community. The story exists on several levels. On one level, it is a historical account that attempts to explain why a group of Southern men set fire to the Howland barn, threatening not only the house but also its keepers. Looked at another way, the novel is a mythic romance that recounts a love story enacted in a fallen Eden, corrupted before the players come onstage. Still another level focuses on a woman who must learn...
[The entire page is 2446 words long]
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