The Intruder

Casey’s cabin in the woods is a symbol of isolation. It is located in rural New Hampshire. Casey only has one neighbor, Lee Traynor, who lives roughly five minutes away. She is surrounded by forest with no ready access to the town beyond. The cabin itself is in disrepair—its roof promising to “collapse and kill [Casey]” (1) at any moment. She sees the tenuous roof as “an apt metaphor for the rest of my life” (1).

The cabin symbolizes Casey’s profound alienation. Ever since she was a young girl, she has been on her own. She didn’t know her father for the first 13 years of her life and lived with her abusive mother, who had a mental illness. Casey’s home life was defined by fear and violence, causing her to self-isolate from her peers. She feared that reaching out to others would expose the dire nature of her circumstances. Although decades have passed since she killed Desiree in a fire, Casey remains entirely alone. She does not have friends, her father is dead, and she is out of a job. Her “off the grid” life in the cabin represents how removed she is from society and any form of community.