Death and decay are some of the themes that seem to pervade the novel The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty. Gunty has even said that staged the world with the idea that most of the characters “already believed they were dead”. Many of the characters either have a close relationship with death or are often described in ways that make them feel disconnected. Not only is town of Vacca Vale described as first on the list of “’Top Ten Dying Cities’” (Gunty 128) but many of its residents act in unusual ways that accentuate this statement. Each of the main characters (namely Blandine and Moses) have rather overt connections with death, but even the minor characters do as well. Joan is one of the few characters whose employment is explained, and she happens to work for a company that plans funerals and writes obituaries. Even a character like the priest who presides over St. Jadwiga comments on his desire to escape from his life saying, “the collar is starting to choke me… It’s going to be hell getting free of this collar” (198). His explicit use of “hell” is particularly striking given his role as a priest and because of the other references made to mystics throughout the novel.
More specifically in the main characters, we see this repeated theme that suggests the characters are already dead best through Blandine. She is obsessed with the idea of “exiting her body” (1 Gunty) as it comes up at the start of several chapters throughout the novel, and she is given the idea by other mystics who had experienced great pain in their deaths in the past. In addition, Blandine is described as a bizarre and alien (58), as well as having “inhuman qualities” and being “cold and faraway. Otherworldly. Astral” (102). This diction is what helps underscore Blandine’s connection to death and the afterlife. Similarly, one of the first things Blandine says in the book is directed at Joan when she asks, “do you believe in an afterlife?” (25). Blandine also compares her physical body to the entire town of Vacca Vale, which relates back to the idea of death when you consider that it was labeled a dying city. This helps show that Blandine also views herself as dying. This theme of death is accentuated by the very end of the book, when Blandine has finally “exited her body” and she speaks to Joan in the hospital and in response to Joan stating that she was awake, Blandine says, “I am… Are you?” (396). This line suggests that Blandine’s spiritual awakening (similar to those of the mystics) is a sign that she is the only one in the town that is no longer dead.
I agree that Gunty's "The Rabbit Hutch" really makes you think about the heavy themes of death and decay. I totally agree with the idea that most of the characters in the book already feel like they're dead. It gives the story this eerie vibe, like everyone's just waiting for something to happen. Describing Vacca Vale as one of the "Top Ten Dying Cities" sets the stage for the whole story. It's like the town itself is reflecting the characters' feeling that something's about to end. This label isn't just a random detail; it's a crucial part of the story, making us feel like the town is on the edge of something major. It's like a collective sense of doom. The characters in the story, especially the main ones like Blandine and Moses, are deeply influenced by this idea of death. Blandine's constant talk about "exiting her body" shows her desire to go beyond the physical world, influenced by mystics who've suffered in their own deaths. She's definitely a weird character, always described as "cold and otherworldly" and almost alien-like. It's like she's on a different plane of existence, which is a powerful way to show her connection to death. Then there’s Joan with her job monitoring obituaries and the priest talking about death and hell that highlights how the theme of death is messing with everyone's lives in the town. As we read on, we see Blandine's quest for a spiritual awakening become a central theme. Her desire to "exit her body" is similar to the mystics who found enlightenment through their suffering. She's obsessed with it, and when she asks Joan about the afterlife, it's like she's searching for answers to the big questions about life and death. The ending, where Blandine speaks to Joan, suggests that she's found some sort of spiritual awakening, something beyond the death-haunted town. I think this book and your response really highlight how, that even when things seem dark and decaying, there can still be moments of awakening and insight.
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