Out of the Basement-An Analysis of Willa’s Spatial Practice in Linden Hills

Abstract

In Gloria Naylor’s allusive novel Linden Hills, the basement with a morgue is a dominant image as “the space of representation†to discipline the wives of the Nedeeds. As a representative, Willa, the last wife, manages to go upstairs and out of the basement to burn the house. Based on Lefebvre’s theory of “spatial triadâ€, this paper aims at the discussion of Willa’s “spatial practiceâ€, with a special focus on Willa’s three steps to challenge and transcend the sexual “representation of spaceâ€.