@article{ART003373021},
author={Yeo Eun Hye},
title={The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole},
journal={Journal of Modern English Drama},
issn={1226-3397},
year={2026},
volume={39},
number={2},
pages={59-77}
TY - JOUR
AU - Yeo Eun Hye
TI - The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole
JO - Journal of Modern English Drama
PY - 2026
VL - 39
IS - 2
PB - 한국현대영미드라마학회
SP - 59
EP - 77
SN - 1226-3397
AB - David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole (2006) explores the emotional and relational consequences of losing a child through the experiences of Becca and Howie, a married couple whose four-year-old son, Danny, dies in a car accident. This study examines the significance of the home as a spatial representation of loss and memory and traces the transformation of its meaning throughout the play. Following Danny’s death, their home, once associated with familial intimacy, happiness and well-being, becomes a painful reminder of his absence and loss. Becca and Howie respond to the loss in markedly different ways: Becca attempts to distance herself from Danny’s memory by removing his belongings and considering selling the house, whereas Howie seeks to preserve his connection with his son by keeping Danny’s possessions and repeatedly watching recordings of him. Their divergent responses to loss intensify their emotional distance and turn the home into a space of conflict and isolation. The meaning of the home, however, begins to change when Becca encounters Jason, the teenager responsible for Danny’s death. Through Jason’s story of parallel universes, Becca develops a different perspective on Danny’s absence and gradually becomes able to acknowledge his memory without being overwhelmed by the pain it evokes. This shift also contributes to a renewed understanding of her relationship with Howie. The home consequently moves beyond its earlier function as a site of grief and conflict and becomes a space in which memory and the possibility of continuing life can coexist. By examining these spatial transformations, Rabbit Hole presents the home not merely as a physical setting but as a dynamic space in which loss is remembered and gradually incorporated into the lives of those who remain.
KW - David Lindsay-Abaire;Rabbit Hole;loss;home;space
DO -
UR -
ER -
Yeo Eun Hye. (2026). The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole. Journal of Modern English Drama, 39(2), 59-77.
Yeo Eun Hye. 2026, "The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole", Journal of Modern English Drama, vol.39, no.2 pp.59-77.
Yeo Eun Hye "The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole" Journal of Modern English Drama 39.2 pp.59-77 (2026) : 59.
Yeo Eun Hye. The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole. 2026; 39(2), 59-77.
Yeo Eun Hye. "The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole" Journal of Modern English Drama 39, no.2 (2026) : 59-77.
Yeo Eun Hye. The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole. Journal of Modern English Drama, 39(2), 59-77.
Yeo Eun Hye. The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole. Journal of Modern English Drama. 2026; 39(2) 59-77.
Yeo Eun Hye. The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole. 2026; 39(2), 59-77.
Yeo Eun Hye. "The Home as a Space of Loss and Memory in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole" Journal of Modern English Drama 39, no.2 (2026) : 59-77.
