Marilynne Robinson’s debut novel, Housekeeping, deftly explores themes of mothering, female identity, and societal norms, proposing that liberation for women may lie in embracing the transient nature of life rather than clinging to permanence. The narrative intertwines these themes with the metaphor of water, which permeates the novel and symbolizes the fluidity of memory and the impermanence of existence. Robinson invites readers to consider how rejecting conventional "housekeeping" can lead to personal freedom and autonomy.

The Symbolism of Water

Water is a prevalent element throughout Housekeeping, serving as a central metaphor for the novel’s exploration of memory and impermanence. The lake in the town of Fingerbone, for instance, is not only a landscape feature but also a repository of family history and tragedy. It absorbs events and individuals, much like memory itself, and occasionally reveals fragments of the past, such as artifacts from the train derailment, which emerge unexpectedly. The lake’s boundaries are unreliable, echoing the elusive nature of memory, as it floods the landscape each spring, encroaching upon the Fosters’ orchard and home.

Robinson extends this metaphor through various forms of water—snow, ice, rain, mist, and frost—which continually reshape the characters’ world. The depiction of water underscores the novel’s themes by demonstrating the inability to contain or control life’s transience. This motif is further highlighted when characters, like Sylvie and Ruth, engage with the water directly, rowing across the lake or crossing the bridge to escape Fingerbone. These acts illustrate their journey towards independence and self-discovery.

The Home and Its Edges

The Foster family home stands on the periphery of Fingerbone, reinforcing the family’s connection to the fringes of society and existence. Its location at the edge of town and by the lake symbolizes the thin line between the known and the unknown, highlighting the ease with which Sylvie and Ruth can leave behind convention. The home serves as a vessel for the interplay of light and dark, reality and possibility, as seen through its windows, which act as both mirrors and barriers to the outside world.

Sylvie’s unconventional approach to housekeeping, involving open doors and windows, blurs the line between indoors and outdoors, suggesting a fluidity between inner and outer worlds. When the house eventually burns, the shattering of windows marks a dramatic break from domestic norms and an escape from societal constraints. In contrast, Lucille’s decision to leave for a more conventional life, moving in with her home economics teacher, represents a choice to adhere to societal expectations of maintaining a traditional home environment.

The Significance of Names

Names in Housekeeping carry significant weight, offering insights into the characters and their roles. Ruth and Lucille’s experiences with a series of "Foster" mothers underscore the transient nature of their upbringing, until they each make independent choices: Ruth towards drifting and Lucille towards conformity. Sylvie’s last name, Fisher, aligns her with the theme of water and drifting, as well as a redemptive quality akin to Christ, as she ultimately guides Ruth.

Helen’s name evokes the mythical Helen of Troy, with her marriage to Reginald Stone suggesting a fate tied to the depths, as she metaphorically sinks beneath the lake. Ruth’s name, introduced with Melvillian directness, holds biblical connotations, pointing to themes of loyalty and devotion. Lucille’s unshortened name reflects her eventual embrace of traditional paths, while Sylvie’s name, with its sylvan and ethereal implications, aligns her with the untamed and natural world. Even the town’s name, Fingerbone, hints at its marginal status and the fragility of what it holds.