The Smell Of Other People's Houses

The olfactory imagery is central as the motif of smell permeates the novel and features in the title. The use of smell connects to the characters’ memories and effectively conveys their emotions to the reader, reinforcing thematic elements and a sense of place in the narrative. The motif creates a common trait among the protagonists and emphasizes their heightened perception of and connection with their environment as well as their understanding of themselves and others.

Often, smell connects to the characters’ childhood memories. Ruth recalls her mother’s smell, a sign of her vivid memory of her and the fact that she always misses her: “She smelled like marshy muskeg after a hard rain, and even with blood in her hair, she was beautiful” (1). Smell also conveys a distinction between the familiar and the unfamiliar when Ruth moves to her grandmother’s, underscoring her alienation: “Birch Park smelled like an old person’s house, something I’d never noticed when we only visited, which hadn’t been very often” (4). Smell also connects to Hank’s memories of his father. He and his brothers still sense the smell of “Old Spice.” their father’s aftershave while they are on the ferry, a sign that for them his presence is still “alive.”

Smell makes Alyce relive her childhood emotions. The smell of “diesel” on her father’s boat is “the smell of her childhood” and indicates her formative experience at sea (47). For Alyce, smell also is a means of understanding others, such as during her meeting with Hank. Alyce saved the life of Hank’s brother, and their lives connect forever as Hank feels familiar to her: “He smells like miles and miles of mud-soaked road, mingled with sweat and a hint of lavender; beneath it all is the familiar musty smell of a boat” (209). Through smell, Alyce relates to Hank’s character and experiences. Smell also conveys Dora’s troubling emotions that oscillate between her positive and negative experiences. For instance, the smell of blueberries is a vivid memory of her best friend, Dumpling, as she recalls a day when they picked blueberries together just in between fall and winter. This smell indicates the transformative effect of Dumpling’s accident on Dora, which she relates to the changing seasons: “It was a bumper crop and a perfect fall day, when everything smells ripe, like it’s just about to turn and it’s rushing to do so before winter” (187). The smell of alcohol is particularly traumatic for Dora as it reminds her of her father and the abuse she experienced.