The Smell Of Other People's Houses

The Smell of Other People’s Houses is set in early 1970s Alaska. Hitchcock traces the historical events that shaped the protagonists’ lives, exploring how their social context defines their coming-of-age journey. Alaska’s annexation to the United States—a turning point in the narrative—was a moment of major change. Alaska remained a territory until 1958 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act, officially making Alaska the 49th state in 1959. Hitchcock highlights the fundamental presence of Indigenous tribes in Alaska and their definitive role in its history, as well as the tension surrounding Alaska’s statehood.

An early Russian colony, Alaska was acquired by the United States in 1867. Discussion about its statehood commenced in the early 20th century, but Alaska’s isolation, sparse population, and unstable economy stalled the plans. During World War II, Alaska became of strategic importance to the US government, as Japanese Americans and nationals were forcibly removed to concentration camps inland, and the Japanese invaded Alaska in 1943. In 1945, the US transferred weaponry through Cold Bay in the Soviet Union and trained Soviet troops, expecting the Soviet Union's participation in the war against Japan. Alaska’s growing significance increased efforts for its annexation. While the protagonists’ experiences in the novel begin during and after Alaska’s statehood, the period leading up to this major event defined their familial histories through shifting outsider occupations.

Hitchcock illuminates the community’s opposition to statehood and their concerns about land rights and environmental preservation. The struggle between land conservation and industrial development continued throughout the 20th century. By 1958, local working-class citizens were skeptical about the consequences of centralized government policies on their sustenance, believing they would limit their hunting and fishing rights. Alaskans and the federal government negotiated on issues like Indigenous land claims, the establishment of national parks, and noncommercial fishing, especially by Indigenous tribes. In the story, Ruth’s father had worked with the Indigenous community, including Dumpling’s father, indicating interracial alliances between white and Indigenous peoples regarding the protection of the Alaskan land. A major conflict between conservation activists and oil companies occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s regarding oil transportation through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Despite their different family experiences, all characters consider statehood a turning point in their lives.

Hitchcock also explores the impact of natural disasters on the protagonists. In 1964, a major earthquake known as the Good Friday earthquake devastated Southcentral Alaska, killing 139 people. Like Hank’s father in the novel, most victims were drowned by the tsunamis that followed. Through Ruth’s narration, Hitchcock also includes the experience of flooding in Fairbanks, destroying properties and homes. Those events describe the harsh rural Alaskan environment and highlight the characters’ connection to the setting.

Even though the novel does not offer a thorough exploration of Indigenous traditions, the portrayals of Dora, Dumpling, and their families give insight into the struggles and survival of Indigenous people in Alaska. Major Indigenous groups include Aleuts, Inupiat, Yupik, Athabascan, and the Coastal Tlingit and Haida. Indigenous Alaskans are diverse cultural groups that have historically sustained themselves through traditional fishing and hunting practices. Despite the experience of colonization and the long impact of cultural genocide that plagued their communities, Indigenous peoples in the 20th century were still fighting for their land. Since the 1960s and 1970s—the setting of Hitchcock’s novel— Indigenous sovereignty in Alaska has been fostered, although the need for further progress remains. The 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act settled historical issues and Indigenous land claims by transferring millions of acres of land to Indigenous regional corporations and shareholders.