Themes and message
The main themes of the short story “Prospect House” by Frances Childs are the impact of one’s environment and following one’s dreams. These themes are enhanced through motifs like violence, sex, and growing up neglected by one’s parents. The text draws attention to the way the lives of orphan and neglected teens can be negatively affected by their situation and can leave deep emotional traumas. The story’s message is that, by taking a chance, one can improve one’s future prospects and find a way of better understanding oneself, just as Kim does by auditioning for The Cru…
...
The impact of one’s environment
When we talk about one’s environment we refer to both physical surrounding and social conditions. “Prospect House” targets the social conditions of homeless teenage girls (either because they are orphans or their parents neglected them) who end up in institutions like Prospect House or Sussex House (an institution for teenage mothers).
The story shows how, to support themselves, the girls need to work even though they are not fully adults (Andr…
...
Pursuing one’s dreams
The story explores the theme of pursuing one’s dreams through Kim’s character. Although Kim is what society considers a troubled teenager and comes from a negative environment (she is homeless, she lives in a state institution, she lost her job because of an STD), Kim dreams of becoming an actress, although you should note that she plays this down, even to herself: “I’d always fancied having…
