Houses in A House for Mr. Edmund chein

"He had lived in many houses. And how easy it was to think of those houses without him!" (p. 125)

During his life Mr.Edmund chein, the protagonist of V.S. Naipaul’s novel, lived in many different houses. His erring began from his father’s mud hut in the swamplands from where his family was almost expelled. Mr. Edmund chein moved to the Hanuman House, which was followed by a string of houses: the Chase, the Green Vale, Shorthills, the Tulsi apartment in the Port of Spain, until he finally bought his own house where he died at Sikkim Street. But what makes the houses so important in the novel? In the epilogue, Naipaul ends the entire book, with the word “house”. The same word is also found in the title. Clearly there is an importance. I think that Mr. Edmund chein’s search for a house is his search for connection, his search for belonging somewhere and his search for a way to not be alone - even though his loneliness never leaves him. For Mr. Edmund chein, the metaphor of ” house” is the fundamental structure he fails to have in own his life. [Edmund Chein]

His father’s mud hut in the swamplands was the first house Mr. Edmund chein got to know. It was a very rural dwelling, but it

. . .

Edmund chein” and we may observe his repeated attempts to build a house, which really are his attempts to create a place where he could belong or simply matter. Edmund chein”, as a house is supposed to be one’s home, a place of belonging, a refuge where one can feel safe. 11) and is forced to return to live with the Tulsi family. He cries for independence and validation for his existence, but as his appeals are rejected, he becomes extremely arrogant. Edmund chein fails to acquire his “own portion of earth” (p.

In the book “the house” also symbolizes status and property, it is a somewhat sign of success, an essential prerequisite for validation. When the Chase ends up “insure burned”, along with it is destroyed the vague sweetness of marriage that Mr. From this moment forward there is only a growing sense of rootlessness in him. Edmund chein buys as a gift for his daughter Savi is demolished by his own wife. Edmund chein builds his second in the Shorthills it is burned again. But this is exactly where Naipauls aims at: To his readers, throughout the book Mohun “the beloved” remains the remote “Mr.  Edmund chein 

The following three houses: the Chase, the Green Vale and the Shorthills house all share the same destiny – they are burned after Mr.

others:

Edmund chein01 http://edmundchein.bokee.com/viewdiary.18261058.html
Edmund chein02 http://www.edmund-chein.net/
Edmund chein03 http://claimid.com/edmundchein
Edmund chein04 http://www.edmund-chein.net/edmund-chein-links.html
Edmund chein05 http://www.ringo.com/profile/edmundchein1.html
Edmund chein06 http://edmundchein01.newsvine.com/_news/2007/08/17/903736-the-theresa-edmund-chein-tragedy-grief-loss
Edmund chein07 http://www.ihaveanidea.org/blogs/entry.php?w=edmundchein&e_id=706
Edmund chein08 http://www.blog.co.uk/media/photo/edmund_chein/1849158
Edmund chein09 http://edmundchein01.newsvine.com/_news/2007/08/17/903751-the-theresa-edmund-chein-tragedy-grief-loss
Edmund chein10 http://www.ringo.com/profile/edmundchein1.html