60 pages • 2 hours read
B.A. ParisBehind Closed Doors
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Dehydration
Molly the dog dies of dehydration when Jack locks her in the basement. He leaves her with enough water for a few days, but not enough to survive the three weeks that they are away in Thailand. When Grace is locked in the small bedroom upstairs, she mentions that at least she has a bathroom with a sink so that she doesn’t die of dehydration. In the end, Grace gets her revenge by leaving Jack to die in the basement room just like Jack left Molly. When Jack wakes up from being drugged, he has no food or water and is locked in, eventually succumbing to dehydration.
Yellow and Red
The color yellow is Millie’s favorite. It symbolizes innocence, happiness, loyalty and love—four qualities and virtues that Millie herself displays. Red is the color that Grace uses for the painting she creates before she finds out that Jack is crazy. She kisses the canvas while wearing various shades of lipstick. Jack takes this painting and puts it above the fireplace, effectively taunting Grace for being so wrong about him. It is also the color that Jack chooses to paint the basement room where Millie will actually live. Red represents oppression, fear, and violence, and is closely tied to Jack’s secret life.
The Rest of the House Versus the Basement
The house represents that perfect outer shell of Jack and Grace’s existence. It is what Jack shows to the world, including his friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, as well as to Millie (though she sees through it). The basement is symbolic of his secret desires and fantasies that he can only express in private.
Molly the Dog
Jack kills Molly to show Grace how far he can go and to show her what could happen to her or Millie if she misbehaves. Molly’s name also sounds very close to Millie’s. The innocent puppy is reminiscent of Millie, and it is a warning to Grace that she better be on her best behavior. The way that Molly dies—of dehydration in the basement—becomes one of Grace’s motivations for locking Jack there and leaving him to die.
George Clooney
George Clooney, who Millie calls “Jorj Koony,” becomes a stand-in for Jack. When Millie wants to call Jack a bad man, she says, “I like Jack…don’t like Jorj Koony” (164-65). That way, Jack doesn’t know that she is referring to him, but Grace does. George Clooney represents the smooth, handsome persona that Jack presents to the world. However, whereas George Clooney is likely a good person, Jack is a monster.
