“But still, you know how it is when you’re missing a loved one. You try to turn every stranger into the person you were hoping for.”

This quote addresses the power of hope and belief. The Whitshanks want Denny as a loving part of the family, and so despite his avoiding them, they imagine even strangers are this missing loved one based on a few similarities.

“So ‘this house’ really meant ‘this family,’ it seemed. The two were one and the same.” 

The Whitshanks are inextricably tied to their house. For their patriarch, Junior Whitshank, the house represents class and quality, thus making the house a reflection of trait he wants his family to emulate: quality and steadfastness.

‘“—but that’s nothing compared to what happens when a house is left on its own. It’s like the heart goes out of it.’” 

The Whitshank patriarch, Junior, manipulated the house’s previous owners to obtain it. He, along with his kin, treat the house as if it’s a living, breathing member of the family. When they suffer, the house suffers, and vice versa.