The Orphanage by the Lake

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of rape and emotional abuse.

In The Orphanage by the Lake, not everything is as it seems. Those who appear suspicious or strange are vindicated as uninvolved in the crime of Mia’s kidnapping, while others who seem kind and charitable are revealed to be the culprits. This dynamic characterizes the core theme of appearance versus reality. This theme highlights how even savvy individuals like Hazel Cho can be manipulated into trusting the wrong people.

Over the course of Hazel’s investigation into Mia’s disappearance, she develops suspicions into many characters based on her initial impressions of them and her interpretations of their behavior. For instance, she takes an instant dislike to the headmaster, Dr. Thomas Mackenzie, because of his odd, old-fashioned preferences in his running of Saint Agnes, his dour demeanor, and his impeding of the investigation into Mia’s disappearance by Hazel and the police. She persists in her suspicions of him even when those who know Dr. Mackenzie counsel her against this stance. When she presents her suspicions to Madeline, Madeline objects strongly, stating, “He’s done more for those little girls in a year than most of us will do in a lifetime” (111).