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If domestic work gives Constance influence, why does Charles’s arrival make the kitchen and family property feel contested? The novel links care with duty, affection and control, while his claim to “Father's chair” suggests that male authority can enter through familiar spaces. Is the sisters’ protected home a refuge from social expectations, or another way those expectations keep them confined?
Social expectations cast women as guardians of domestic order, so Constance remains near home while Merricat handles shopping. Their care creates control, yet Charles’s "Father's chair" signals a claim to authority, making the home a battleground over choice, loyalty and power.
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