House of Stairs by William Sleator
"House of Stairs" by William Sleator is a compelling science-fiction novel that explores the psychological and moral challenges faced by five adolescents trapped in a disorienting environment filled with interlocking stairs and devoid of any means of escape or communication with the outside world. Set in a stark and oppressive atmosphere, the story focuses on the characters' varied responses to their predicament, reflecting broader themes of human nature under crisis. The orphans, each with a background in state institutions and little connection to family, are driven primarily by their need for food, which is provided through a capricious machine that requires them to perform in a synchronized manner.
As they adapt to their harsh reality, tensions rise when their efforts to appease the machine begin to fail, ultimately revealing the cruelty and violence that emerge in their struggle for survival. The narrative culminates in a shocking revelation that the orphans are subjects of a behavioral experiment, casting a critical light on the manipulations of authority figures and societal expectations. Throughout the novel, Sleator delves into the journey of self-discovery and the quest for autonomy that defines adolescence, illustrating how these young individuals must navigate their moral choices in a world dominated by adult control and indifference. "House of Stairs" serves as a poignant commentary on the complexities of growing up and the inherent challenges of confronting oppressive systems while seeking individual identity.
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Subject Terms
House of Stairs by William Sleator
First published: 1974
Type of work: Science fiction
Themes: Coming-of-age, friendship, and social issues
Time of work: The near future
Recommended Ages: 13-15
Locale: A maze of interlocking staircases in a scientific laboratory
Principal Characters:
Peter , a sickly, passive follower who retreats into trancesLola , a freethinking, independent, sometimes bitter lonerBlossom Pilkington , an obese, selfish manipulatorAbigail , a pretty, naive listener, incapable of following her instinctsOliver , a handsome, athletic leader, accustomed to having his way
The Story
House of Stairs is a classic science-fiction story of adolescents thrown in an alien world of interlocking stairs, with no exit and no means of communicating with the outside world. This tale portrays human nature reacting to prolonged crisis. The bizarre setting is the framework for this test of character. Nothing but the essentials are provided. Water comes from an open toilet. No plants, no entertainment, no sign of the outside world can be seen. Each character comes from state institutions, with little or no memory of families. Each has been thrown into the planned horror of the uncaring state.
Because the orphans have been carefully chosen, each reacts differently. Peter immediately retreats into interior trances. Lola, the independent explorer, searches for answers away from the group. Blossom uses any means available to satisfy her gluttonous hunger. Abigail, refusing to face her insecurity, succumbs to naive reliance on the group; Oliver falls into superficial optimism and refuses to confront the stark moral issues. The center of their existence is finding food. A machine furnishes this but only when the orphans react appropriately. Muted, indecipherable voices signal when the machine is active. Then the five begin a manipulated dance where each follows the other in choreographed order. The capricious machine follows no rational pattern no matter how the orphans respond.
Despite their differences, the five learn to dance as a unit. Soon they have adapted to the demands of their environment. The story reaches a crisis when the dance no longer produces a response. Tempers flare, and each reacts against the other. When the machine produces food after the group openly reveals hatred, Lola realizes that the rules have been changed. Now only cruelty and violence will produce results. Eventually, she and Peter refuse to submit to the machine’s demands. They retreat to the far reaches of the stairs and prepare to starve. The others learn to manipulate any sign of vulnerability and quickly slip into a cruel barbarism based on mistrust. Soon, as emotions are suppressed, they see one another simply as objects.
As Lola and Peter grow weaker, they must choose between death and rejoining the barbaric game. Reluctantly, they move down the stairs to the machine. At this point, the adult world intervenes. The orphans learn they are the subjects in a behavioralist experiment. Dr. Lawrence, the scientist in charge, reveals video screens that have recorded the orphans’ behavior. He announces bitterly that Peter and Lola have caused the experiment to fail. His ultimate goal, to provide scientific conditioning for all human communities, has met a dead end. The more immediate goal, to produce unthinking “machines” capable of running prison camps and carrying out the cruel needs of the state, has produced three candidates out of five subjects. In the end, the three “successful” orphans are left to continue the experiment. Lola and Peter rejoice in their victory over the system and the machine.
Context
House of Stairs, like other William Sleator novels, portrays adolescents growing to maturity in a complex world. Typically, they face the unknown without the help of adults. In their relative isolation they discover mysteries that threaten to destroy them. To survive, they must transcend what they have been taught and develop their own paths. In Fingers (1983), two brothers combine talents to produce music inspired by a dead composer. To escape the manipulation of greedy parents, they must strike out on their own. In Singularity (1985), two brothers spend a vacation on a lonely Midwestern farm. Soon they discover an outbuilding, where time moves quickly and passages to another universe are possible. One brother, Harry, develops the courage to explore the room and learn valuable truths about both the universe and himself. In Interstellar Pig (1984), an adolescent and his parents vacation in an ancient beach house. While his superficial parents putter, Barney gets to know his exotic neighbors. When he discovers that they are aliens from other worlds, he must use all of his wits to defeat them. In House of Stairs, parents have been replaced by institutions. To survive, the orphans must fight the manipulations of adults and develop individual autonomy. In each of these novels, adolescents discover inner strength as they face the unknown.
Each Sleator novel suggests that the bizarre lies just beyond the surface of even the most mundane worlds. Each suggests that adolescent maturity grows out of independent self-discovery and confrontation with the outside world. Adolescents face dilemmas that lie beyond adult complacency. These mysteries must ultimately be conquered through ingeniousness and courage of convictions. Insight is produced when characters pry apart the obvious to find deeper truths. Often lasting relationships with siblings or peers are developed as characters discover self-autonomy.
House of Stairs most graphically portrays Sleator’s themes. Few other adolescent novels depict the perils of conforming so starkly. The setting emphasizes the immediate moral decisions that they face. In House of Stairs, the orphans must face the consequences of these decisions. The power of the novel grows out of its sharpness of focus, its subtle refusal to make these choices easy or final. Yet Sleator suggests that adolescent energy and determination are necessary to combat the manipulations of a complacent adult world.