63 pages • 2 hours read
Kate MortonThe Lake House
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Mother-Daughter Relationships
Mother-daughter relationships are a crucial theme throughout the novel. Three mothers feature prominently in this book: Constance deShiel, Eleanor’s mother; Eleanor, mother of Deborah, Alice, Clementine, and Theo/Bertie; and Sadie Sparrow, whose daughter Charlotte Sutherland/Esther was surrendered for adoption. There is also the Nancy-Maggie-Caitlyn triad. Motherhood is not an easy thing for any of these characters, and each one handles motherhood differently.
Constance is a very hands-off mother. She is described as “a cold, distant figure who’d never liked [Eleanor]” (86). Constance herself referred to her daughter as a “little stranger” (169). Needless to say, their relationship was very strained. In fact, there was even an aspect of Constance’s behavior that Eleanor abhorred: Constance was promiscuous and repeatedly cheated on Eleanor’s father. As a daughter, Eleanor is still respectful and caring, allowing Constance to live with her and Anthony at Loeanneth. It is interesting to note that Eleanor ends up committing the same “sin” of infidelity with Ben (87).
On the other hand, before Anthony’s problems with PTSD, Eleanor was the antithesis to her mother in the way she loved and treated her daughters. For Eleanor, being a mother was a joy. Her love for her children causes Eleanor to sacrifice herself for their happiness by taking on the Mother alter ego. This alter ego accomplishes precisely what it was designed to do; according to Alice’s descriptions of Eleanor early in the novel, Eleanor’s maternal characteristics parallel Constance’s. Perhaps Eleanor adopted the Mother mask so easily and efficiently because she had the perfect example while growing up.
Sadie Sparrow and Charlotte Sutherland have a strained relationship due to Charlotte’s adoption. Sadie was too young to care for her daughter and surrendered her to others because she wanted her daughter to have better opportunities to grow and develop than what she could provide. However, the biological aspect of motherhood creates a pull greater than Charlotte can resist. She wants desperately to know Sadie. Love, fear, and regret are tightly interwoven in their relationship.
Lastly, there are the relationships between Nancy and her daughter Maggie, and Maggie and her daughter Caitlyn. It is Nancy’s strong, undying love for her daughter that keeps her fighting to find her daughter’s killer even when the authorities write Maggie off as a mother who abandoned her daughter. Nancy’s love for Maggie and Maggie’s love for Caitlyn not only drive Nancy’s belief in Maggie, but Sadie’s as well. When it is discovered that Maggie was indeed murdered, the fact that Maggie had fought so hard to obtain custody of Caitlyn provides yet another example of just what a mother will do for her daughter.
Destructive Nature of War on the Individual
If it weren’t for Anthony’s terrible experiences during World War I, the novel’s central mystery would not have taken place. However, the devastating effects of war on the individual are not relegated to Anthony alone. In the book’s opening chapters, Adam, a war veteran, is mentioned. Some like him “come back [home from the war] with all the laughter hollowed out of ‘em” (11). It is out of pity and camaraderie that Anthony keeps Adam employed. It is suggested that if it weren’t for Anthony, Adam would most likely not have any employment at all. Then there is Howard, who is so overcome by the dreadfulness of war that he wants to desert; because he is caught, he is sentenced to death. His death scars Anthony so deeply that Eleanor fears for Theo’s safety. However, the devastation doesn’t end there: Clemmie’s plane is shot down, and Ben dies somewhere in France.
In a memorable line, Anthony states, “If a man cannot be useful to his country, he is better dead” (276). This raises the question of why a man fights. Anthony pays for his sense of duty in many ways: he suffers shell shock and survivor’s guilt, and has arguably become a threat to his family’s happiness and safety. One wonders who has it worse: the ones who die or the ones who survive?
The Nature of Love (Polyamory)
Love is a strong theme throughout the novel. Readers are first introduced to Alice’s adolescent crush on Ben and then to the love story between Anthony and Eleanor. However, no romantic relationship is given such attention as the one between Eleanor and Ben. What’s most noticeable about their relationship, aside from the fact that they conceive a baby together, is that Eleanor openly admits to continually loving Anthony while simultaneously loving Ben. Neither man can provide Eleanor with everything she needs. Furthermore, readers are reminded that Constance was a woman of many affairs, and that because of those affairs, she lost the respect of her daughter (even though Eleanor engages in similar behavior). Eleanor and Ben’s relationship has serious repercussion that raises this question: Can a person truly love more than one person at the same time, and if so, what price must one pay for living a polyamorous life?
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