The Arrangement

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and emotional abuse.

The house and porch function as a powerful symbol of the deadly contradiction between domestic perfection and moral corruption that defines Peter and Ainsley’s marriage, contributing to the theme of The Performance of Domestic Normalcy as Survival. Modglin uses this architectural foundation to represent how the couple’s relationship is literally built upon buried secrets and violence. When Peter observes that “[they] live at the scene of the crime” (125), he articulates the central irony that their family home—traditionally a symbol of safety and love—has become the repository for their darkest acts. The porch serves as both the literal burial ground for Stefan’s and Illiana’s bodies and the metaphorical stage where Peter and Ainsley perform normalcy for their children and community.

The symbol gains complexity through Modglin’s emphasis on maintenance and renovation. Peter’s obsessive cleaning of the porch and their decision to pour concrete over the burial site represent their desperate attempts to create a stable foundation for their family out of violence and deception. The concrete patio becomes a permanent monument to their shared guilt, yet it also enables them to host family gatherings above Stefan’s grave.