Is Housekeeping a pessimistic novel?.
In my point of view, Housekeeping is a pessimistic novel. It is a novel written by Marilyn Robinson to inform us the poverty and the suffering of the world. As other people have argued, housekeeping is not a pessimistic novel as the negative things often turn into positive things. Although sometimes a negative thing can turn into a positive thing, we are not reading the novel for "the fun of it". It is only forced to realize that there is still beauty in the world when people have experienced or have seen the horrors in the world and have suffered in pain. It could also be read as that for every optimistic result, there are always pessimistic circumstances. Having many pessimistic scenes has made the novel pessimistic and positive things don't necessarily make it better. Many unfortunates have happened in Housekeeping and have often made it depressing for the reader to read. I have to admit; it is the first book that I have ever read that contains so many deaths and sad separations. To be honest, the question "Is Housekeeping a pessimistic novel" cannot be answered correctly. Other students have done an outstanding job with tremendous effects to analyze this question. This is just my point of view.
The following is a list of things, which I find pessimistic. I have made points and quotes under each title and have explained "the society's view on transients" in detail. .
-How Grandfather and Helen's escaped from this world.
*It is sad to see that the world is so unfriendly. Instead of leaving this world, Robinson has purposely described their deaths as "escaped from this world".
* "Edmund Foster who escaped this world years before I entered." Ruth views her world as a prison.
-Grandma's death, Nona and Lily's farewell.
*More death in the family leaving Ruth and Lucille to Sylvie.
-Ruth finding the world beautiful.
*Discovered the beauty as she has suffered pain and loss.