Starling House is the most complex symbol in the novel, for it means different things to each of the people that surround and inhabit it. To the citizens of Eden, it is a representation of otherness. Located far from the road on what is considered to be “Starling land” rather than “Gravely land,” Starling House remains largely invisible most of Eden’s inhabitants, none of whom have been inside its gates or to its door. The legends and rumors associated with the house lead the people of Eden to believe it to be a place of evil. Overwhelmed by the sense of the unknown that surrounds the secluded house, the townspeople know only that approaching it too closely is dangerous. However, when Opal asks why she should not go to the house, no one can give her a fact-based reason; instead, they can only offer rumors, legends, and their own speculations about the one place in town that is beyond their reach.

Yet hidden beneath the house’s widespread reputation of doom likes a more intimate connection with a select few, for the house magically calls to certain people who see it in their dreams and feel compelled to come and see it in person.