To Set Our House In Order Analysis

To Set Our House in Order Krisel Escobilla

Viewing the world in a child’s eyes is as interesting as the world itself. “To Set Our House in Order” written by Margaret Laurence is a short story that mainly focuses on Vanessa’s ten year-old self and her realizations about the people around her when she is temporarily left in the care of her grandmother due to unfortunate circumstances. There she uncovers the truth of the past which made her understand the adults’ action and reservations, drawing her into a conclusion that “whatever God loves in this world, it is certainly not order.”

The pregnancy of Beth, Vanessa’s mother, reflects disarray in their household. Beth’s labour is “two weeks before the expected time” which is against order

For example, she believes that her father Ewen is the best doctor in town and questions him as to why he is not the one attending to Beth, and that she feels “something sinister about it.” Ewen then says that “doctors never attend members of their own family.” Her father’s words, as strange as it may seem, actually make sense but it also means something unspoken. Vanessa, realizing what it is finds comfort in her father’s arms. Ewen tells her half- heartedly that her mother will be fine even though he does not really know if it is actually the case. Again, her father’s encouragement and “difficult smile which adults seek to conceal pain from children” is an example of the world’s imperfection that other kids in Vanessa’s age will not fully comprehend yet.

Vanessa’s discovery about Grandmother MacLeod’s past disappointments, and broken dreams is one of the reasons on how she arrives to her conclusion about how life is not orderly. By spending time with her, she notices something that she is unaware of before--the things that her grandmother went through that made her who she is