Importance of Hawley Family Home

The home is on Elm Street, within walking distance of everything, and this is where all of Ethan's true treasures reside: his wife and children, his books, his family's heirlooms. Almost every chapter in the book begins with Ethan snuggled warmly in his bed at home and ends with his crawling into bed and contemplating the events of the day. All important decisions are made in the home, and at the end, it is this security and warmth that he rejects, going to his secret place to sort things out. By leaving the light and warmth of his home, he is symbolically choosing darkness and the end of his own life.