63 pages 2 hours read

Freida McFadden

The Housemaid is Watching

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Symbols & Motifs

The Small Room Under the Stairs

The small room beneath the stairs in both the Accardis’ house and the Lowells’ house symbolizes the secrets that lurk on Locust Street, thus developing themes of The Danger of Family Secrets, Trust and Deception in Relationships, and Appearance Versus Reality in Suburban Communities. The small room in the Accardis’ house first appears obliquely: Millie hears a scraping noise in the night. Millie describes the noise as “horrible” and “terrible,” which foreshadows the depth of the evil that took place in the Lowells’ room. The noise alerts Millie that something is wrong with the house and the neighborhood, though she cannot identify where the sound comes from or what it means for her family.

When the room in the Accardis’ house is revealed, Millie realizes that Nico has been keeping secrets from her and using the room as his clubhouse. This is only the first of the secrets, however, and the most innocuous. Using the clubhouse is not indicative of Nico’s trauma on its own, but his use of the clubhouse in the middle of the night is unusual and a sign of the impact of the trauma on Nico’s psyche, which he keeps secret from his family.

Related Titles

By Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

Never Lie

Freida McFadden

Never Lie

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

One by One

Freida McFadden

One by One

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

The Boyfriend

Freida McFadden

The Boyfriend

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

The Coworker

Freida McFadden

The Coworker

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

The Housemaid

Freida McFadden

The Housemaid

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

The Housemaid's Secret

Freida McFadden

The Housemaid's Secret

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

The Inmate

Freida McFadden

The Inmate

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

The Locked Door

Freida McFadden

The Locked Door

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

The Perfect Son

Freida McFadden

The Perfect Son

Freida McFadden

Study Guide

logo

The Teacher

Freida McFadden

The Teacher

Freida McFadden