58 pages • 1 hour read
House Rules
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The Steinberg Christmas Cards
When Jacob is upset after his argument with Jess, he soothes himself by reading through his collection of Christmas cards from the Steinberg family. Jacob has saved every single card from the Steinbergs, and he often calms himself by reading their letters in order from oldest to most recent. He follows along with the Steinbergs through their yearly graduations, weddings, and promotions, and he imagines that their Christmas cards are addressed to him. Jacob finds comfort in pretending that he is friends with the Steinbergs, and they want to tell him about their lives.
Jacob’s collection of Christmas cards symbolizes his longing for friendship. Just as the Steinbergs don’t know him—and therefore do not intend to include him in their lives—so Jacob feels unseen and excluded by his peers. Although he yearns to connect with others, he doesn’t know how. Friction in his relationship with Jess highlights the difficulty of making and maintaining friendships, so Jacob seeks comfort through his imaginary relationship with the Steinbergs. The Steinbergs can never let him down because reading their Christmas cards removes his discomfort with in-person interaction.
Family Homes and Houses
Theo has a habit of breaking into houses and exploring the trappings of other families’ lives. He goes through refrigerators, reads people’s mail, flicks through TV watchlists, and makes himself sandwiches from other people’s groceries. Although he occasionally steals small objects such as Jess’s pink iPod, theft is not his primary motivation. Instead, Theo feels addicted to the emotional warmth of other people’s homes.
He studies other families by looking at what they watch, what they eat, and what they enjoy on a daily basis and uses these clues to imagine a home that is happier than his own. When he eats a sandwich at another family’s kitchen table, he imagines Thanksgiving dinners filled with peace and laughter. When he explores a man’s home office, he pretends that this office belongs to his father and imagines a father who is proud of him and takes an interest in his life.
Theo’s habit of sneaking into other family’s lives symbolizes his longing for a happy home, for a life without Jacob, and a family that has not been destroyed by Jacob’s condition.
Jess’s Pink iPod
Throughout the story, Jess Ogilvy’s pink iPod is a symbol that represents Jacob’s connection to Jess. The iPod often features in Jacob’s memories of Jess because, like Jess, the iPod is bright and cheerful. After staging the crime scene at Jess’s house, Jacob hides the iPod in his bedroom. Jacob finds comfort in this reminder of Jess’s friendship but he also hides the iPod to protect Theo.
Because Theo attempted to steal the iPod from Jess’s home, his fingerprints are on it, and Jacob knows that this piece of forensic evidence could implicate Theo in Jess’s death. When Jacob later presents the iPod to Theo as a birthday gift, it symbolizes brotherly love and Jacob’s commitment to protecting Theo.
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