Human Connection vs Narcissism

 

“...everything affects everyone”: Tess Gunty’s The Rabbit Hutch explores how a community of out-of-touch and seemingly distant residents can teach readers about the importance of human connection (Gunty 49).

Elsie Blitz was a celebrity much loved by one of the Rabbit Hutch residents (Hope, the mother who feared her baby’s eyes). When she died, her self-written online obituary was monitored by Joan, another resident. The relevance of connection is explored in the words written by Blitz herself. Even just regarding her and her death, the reader can see how two separate individuals are both affected by her - Joan is affected at work, and Hope is affected personally. Elsie's statement supports this idea: “...we are interconnected and interdependent, no matter how fiercely narcissism reigns” (Gunty 47). In the context of the apartment complex, this highlights that no matter how much in solitude the residents of the Rabbit Hutch are, they are still connected in some way, shape, or form. While these connections are primarily seen at the novel's end, they are developed throughout. Gunty highlights narcissism and connectedness as opposing forces, yet based on this novel, I believe one cannot exist without the other.

The Rabbit Hutch exists in the Vacca Vale community, a beat-down Indiana town depicted as desolate and rundown. This isolating environment contributes to the “fierce reign” or narcissism of certain characters, such as Joan. When Blandine is stabbed, she hears suspicious onesies but chooses to act in her self-interest and not intervene or check to see if her neighbor is all right. However, when she finds out what truly happened, she is overcome with guilt and visits Blandine, her strange teenage neighbor, in the hospital. Her narcissistic acts leading to a closer connection emphasizes the point that even in the worst situations, there is a balance between humans acting as community and activating their interest - and the setting of Vacca Vale is an ideal example to explore this idea, as the reader can see what diverse people from all walks of life can create (violent or not), after establishing mutual connections.