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House Purchases, Ghostly Residences, and the Corrupted Ideal of the American Dream Transforming into a Gloomy Reality

In approximately fifteen years ago, upon moving into a residence in the Chicagoland region, I was apprised that the property had undergone foreclosure several years earlier during economic downturn. The dwelling had been left in a dilapidated condition, as evidenced by the absence of banisters.

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In the Chicagoland region, some fifteen years past, our family settled into a house that had been...
In the Chicagoland region, some fifteen years past, our family settled into a house that had been foreclosed years prior, during a economic recession's darkest phase. Upon entering, I was made aware that the house was in shambles, with missing banisters...

House Purchases, Ghostly Residences, and the Corrupted Ideal of the American Dream Transforming into a Gloomy Reality

Fifteen years ago, my family and I moved into a new house in the Chicagoland area. Upon settling in, I was informed that the house had been foreclosed during the depths of a recession. The property, abandoned for some time, bore signs of neglect: splintered banisters, broken windowpanes. Neighbors whispered of its spooky past, claiming it had been deserted so long that local children believed it to be haunted.

When writing my novel, The Manor of Dreams, I developed a fascination with the residences of the Gilded Age. This prosperous period in America during the late 19th century was characterized by technological advancements and the acquisition of valuable resources. The opulent houses of the era, including Italianate, Beaux-Arts, and Queen Anne Gothic styles, were symbols of wealth, most typically built by tycoons in copper, railroad, gun, and news media industries. While these grandiose homes now stand as hollow shells, emptied either by renovation into museums or neglect, they once teemed with excess.

The home represents a shelter, a sanctuary from life's uncertain hazards. Originating as a privilege in the 19th century, owning a home provided a platform for cultivating a private and family life. However, owning a home was, unfortunately, a right denied or taken away from historically marginalized communities such as Black, Chinese, and Native American groups. Women, for example, were not legally allowed to own property in most states until 1900, and equal access to credit was not guaranteed until the 1970s. To this day, homes not only serve as practical investments but also as emblems of personal identity and history. The achievement of homeownership signifies a lifelong goal reached, a symbol of status.

The allure of the haunted house is rooted in the fear of a place initially perceived as a refuge transforming into a center of fear and horror. Remnants of this trope can be found in novels such as Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's "Mexican Gothic." The characters in these stories are drawn to a home with promising potential, only to find themselves trapped in a web of dread. They choose to endure the unknown rather than leaving early, taking an unnecessary risk that jeopardizes their wellbeing.

In The Manor of Dreams, Chinese actress Vivian Yin moves into a dilapidated California Gilded Age mansion with aspirations of renovating it for her family. Though she uncovers the home's compromised history—built on railroad wealth that exploited Chinese labor—she remains determined to reclaim this symbol of success for her family. Her misguided confidence leads to devastating consequences, demonstrating the deceptive allure of the haunted house and the persistent human belief that circumstances can be changed through heart, hard work, and the American Dream.

Home ownership as an American ideal has evolved over time, from being an inaccessible privilege for marginalized communities to a slowly attainable right. Though significant progress has been made, barriers still persist in ensuring equitable access to home ownership for all.

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  • Avid Reader Press
  • Christine Li
  • Haunted Houses, Home Ownership, Psychological Thrillers
  • Simon and Schuster
  • The Manor of Dreams
  1. In her psychological thriller, The Manor of Dreams, Christine Li weaves together narratives of home ownership and haunted houses, exploring the allure of a compromised past and the human struggle to reclaim a symbol of success.
  2. As a lifestyle choice, home ownership serves as more than just a practical investment – it also represents personal identity and history, often embodying the American Dream, yet remaining inaccessible to historically marginalized communities even today.

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