This is the house that Luke built

Browne, Violet (2019) This is the house that Luke built. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This Is the House that Luke Built is an exploration of grief and its aftermath, with underlying themes of love, aging, memory, sacrifice, and reconciliation. The story is set in Newfoundland and spans the twenty-five years following the death of a fisherman, Luke, and the resulting grief and how it impacts his wife Rose and daughter Emily, as well as Rose’s other children and family. It will explore the premise that love never dies, through annual visits between Rose and Luke, in the house that Luke was building for Rose when he died, and raise questions about the assumption that unending love is only good. As the story moves around in time, reflecting the disjointed nature that Rose’s life has taken on, we watch as she reconciles herself, not only to her own grief, but to the damage it has inflicted on Emily. In recognizing herself in Emily’s longing for her father, Rose realizes the impact, not just of Luke’s death, but of her own grief. Ultimately, Rose’s love for Emily—and her wish to spare her daughter the inheritance of the burden of mourning—forces Rose to come to terms with her grief and its aftermath and, finally, to let go.

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