We Used to Live Here

Content Warning: This section contains graphic depictions of violence and presents mental health conditions through a stereotyped and exaggerated lens.

Although perception and reality are connected concepts, they’re distinct in that perception can often be skewed, manipulated, and influenced by factors imperceptible to the conscious mind. Reality, in the context of the story, isn’t set in stone either but is the concrete world that exists around Eve. What Eve perceives as her reality is mainly the creation of her conscience and inner dialogue but also receives input from Charlie, Shylo, and especially Thomas.

Eve’s inner voice, which she calls Mo, often pushes her toward a perception of a terrifying and at times exaggerated reality. Mo isn’t a voice of reason but rather of fear and paranoia. Eve’s anxiety often alters her perception, as the novel clarifies through one document’s discussion of pareidolia, in which people see familiar shapes or abstractions in objects like clouds or trees. Eve notices fine details in the people and things around her, and her perception is always in such a heightened state that she calls her reliability into question, leading readers to do the same.