In Washington Square, the Sloper house quickly emerges as a significant motif. Its presence—and what that imposing, constant presence means—is deeply intertwined with the novel's central themes of privilege and confinement and its concurrent character dynamics. In the book, the house frequently serves as a backdrop to key interactions and confrontations. It's almost like a character, acting as a silent observer of the relationships evolving within the house itself.
Positioned in a prosperous and elegant New York neighborhood, the Sloper residence is more than just a physical structure; it symbolizes societal status, familial legacy, and the confines of 19th-century expectations. Catherine Sloper's life is overshadowed by this imposing edifice. Rather than being freeing, the wealth and influence that come with being a daughter of this household actually define and constrain her.
The Sloper house becomes emblematic of Catherine's perceived imprisonment, both emotionally and socially. Her father, Dr. Sloper, views the house as a tangible representation of the familial legacy that he believes is Catherine's duty to uphold by marrying appropriately. Thus, both the house itself and the idea of the house become an arena of power dynamics. This becomes painfully clear when Morris Townsend enters the scene as a potential husband for Catherine. Dr. Sloper's suspicions regarding Morris's motivations are deeply tied to the younger man's potential inheritance of the house. This, along with many of Morris's own choices, leads readers to question whether the house—and its location in Washington Square—might actually be Catherine's primary appeal to Mr. Townsend.
Moreover, as Catherine matures and grapples with her feelings, the house transforms along with her. At the beginning of the novel, it's a privileged and sheltered space of childhood naivety. As Catherine gains maturity, though, it morphs into the stage where her battles for autonomy and recognition play out. The house is everywhere in the text, even when characters aren't physically inside it.
Through the recurring motif of Catherine's “fancy-work” sewing project, the narrative brings her journey full circle, from the innocence of girlhood to the weight of adulthood. At the end of the book, James writes that:
Catherine, meanwhile, in the parlour, picking up her morsel of fancy-work, had seated herself with it again—for life, as it were.
Catherine's return in the novel’s final lines to the “fancy-work” she began as a child represents a tragic regression to her earlier state of naive hopefulness and idle pastime. Catherine's sewing project is initially introduced as a simple, almost childlike task. It symbolizes her naivety, innocence, and sheltered upbringing within a confined social environment. This childish endeavor reflects the restrictions and limitations placed on women of her time. It’s purely decorative, distracting, and frivolous, pointing to her confined role in a patriarchal society.
By the novel's conclusion, Catherine's return to sewing marks a tragic full circle. Despite the heartbreak and turmoil she has endured, she finds solace or perhaps resignation in this familiar (yet ultimately fruitless) task. She isn’t picking it up again because it’s a useful project, but rather because it’s the work of children and old maids. It's not merely a return to innocence but a poignant symbol of unfulfilled aspirations and an acknowledgement of her failure to break free. This sewing project, once a symbol of innocence, becomes an emblem of disillusionment. Having become an "old maid" she's gone back to a state of girlhood "for life, as it were."
However, the motif of "fancy-work" also carries feminist undertones, offering a subtle commentary on the role of women in 19th-century American society. Catherine's persistent return to her sewing could also be read as a critique of societal constraints on women's roles and ambitions. It highlights the struggles faced by women in asserting their individuality and defying societal norms. Despite all her maturity and experiences—and despite being forced back into the role she played as a young girl—Catherine persists in making something beautiful.
