Dollhouse of the Mind

Agnes Nantista

20 October 2015

(34) “It began as a little girl’s houseplay, but as her desires changed, so did the play. Quiet, private and completely secret. . .First a playroom (where the silence was softer), then a refuge (from her brothers’ fright), soon the place became the point. In the bower, closed off from the hurt of the hurt world, Denver’s imagination produced its own hunger and its own food, which she badly needed because loneliness wore her out. Wore her out. Veiled and protected by the live green walls, she felt ripe and clear, and salvation was as easy as a wish.”

After Paul D’s arrival at 124, Denver feels as if her mother is being taken away from her, and retreats to a secluded room formed by bushes in the nearby woods to recuperate and collect her thoughts. Denver had come here frequently throughout her life as a means to escape from whatever troubles she faces at home. Denver’s id manifests itself in this room in its instinct to flee from stress.

As if the room represents Denver’s state of mind, it transforms with her. We see that it is at “first a playroom,” presumably when she was a small child, “where the silence was softer.” She would hide away there for fun playing house by herself. Both then and now, Denver experiences silence; at first it was the calming, “softer” silence, but now after having experienced the loss of her family members, it is more of an isolating and lonely silence. This was before she took notice of the way other people in the community treated her family--when her mindset was still that of a relatively worry-free child. The place later transforms into a “refuge,” or safe place from whatever disquiet her brothers would cause her in fear of their haunted house. Eventually, Denver begin going to the enclosure for the sake of being there, no longer calling it a playhouse or hideaway, but rather “the point.” It is now a place for Denver to spend time with herself, to spend time in the manifestation of her inner mind. Additionally, the repetition and emphasis put on the phrase, “wore her out,” illustrates how deeply affected Denver is by her loneliness and stress--so much so that her id is craving sanctuary.

The description of the enclosure itself also relates to being inside a womb. The author’s use of the word “bower” means that the place is shaded and dark, a safe place to hide. Furthermore, it’s connotation is that of pleasantness, in contrast with the stress she feels at home. A womb is a sanctuary for infants that provides nourishment and protection, and this wooded room acts in this way for Denver. We also see that the place is “veiled,” meaning nobody can see in and Denver does not have to see out--a true seclusion from her problems.

Another part that relates to gaining nourishment is when Denver “felt ripe and clear.” This alludes to fruit ripening and symbolizes her mind becoming clear. The “live green walls” act as the walls of a womb that rejuvenate her mind, the fruit. And perhaps being back at the house makes the fruit begin to rot, her mindset degenerate. Denver’s “imagination produc[ing] its own hunger and own food,” relates to photosynthesis. The existence of green plant life in the area that console her further supports this claim. Denver feels drained, or “hungry” for solace, and her time spent relaxing and thinking in the enclosure is what sates that hunger.

By representing the enclosure in the woods as Denver’s mind, the author provides readers with a better understanding of Denver’s emotional needs and how she attempts to meet those needs.  Many times, people find a place to go to whenever they need to clear their thoughts and reflect. The setting of Denver’s sanctuary emphasizes a need to recuperate in safety.