Vulnerable Amalgamation of Loneliness And Spirituality: An Analysis Of 'The Rabbit Hutch' By Tess Gunty

Abstract

The provocative tale of spiritual freedom from bodily entrapment, as portrayed in Tess Gunty's debut novel, The Rabit Hutch, is a modern masterpiece. Set in the post-industrial context, the decaying city of Vacca Vale city in Indiana is struggling to deal with the impacts of withdrawal of Zorn Automobile Company. The novel presents glimpses of the lives of people residing in an affordable apartment called La Lapinière or, mostly known as the Rabbit Hutch. Gunty uses her versatile narrative technique here through utilising different styles such as the use of epistles, black and white pictures, along with obituary comments to closely knit the stories. The desire of the central protagonist, Blandine Watkins for achieving spiritual freedom through dreaming for a bodily escape shows the intent of the novelist to sketch spirituality as the method of freeing oneself from worldly suffering. The subplots of different situations of people living in different apartments helped in connecting the larger view for changing scenario due to withdrawal of the automobile company. The theme of loneliness and worldly misery is portrayed through the life of Blandine while indicating her belief on the Catholic mystics to escape from this entrapment. The novel beautifully sketches the journey of the characters from loneliness to spirituality based on imaginary prediction while handling the real-life issues and political unrest encountered by the habitants.