Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived In The Castle
Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco on December 14, 1916. Jackson spent most of her childhood in Burlingame, California where she began writing poetry and short stories. Jackson attended Syracuse University in 1973, and during this year she published her first short story “Janice.” During her time spent at Syracuse University she met her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman. Jackson and Hyman together founded a literary magazine known as “Spectre.” Both Jackson and Hyman graduated from Syracuse University in 1940 and moved to New York City (Allen). In 1948, Jackson’s first novel “The Road Through The Wall” was published and that same year The New Yorker published Jackson’s iconic story “The Lottery.” In 1951, Jackson …show more content…
The story is told through “Merricat Blackwood” who lives with her older sister Constance and their ailing Uncle Julian. The three live in a large house in isolation from the nearby village (McKillip). Constance never leaves the home and cares for the ailing uncle who writes obsessively for his memoir. Through his writing events of the past are unveiling, including what happened to the remainder of the Blackwood family. Both Blackwood parents and the younger brother were murdered. Constance was accused and then acquitted of the crime and now the family is ostracized. Merricat is the families only contact with the outside world. An estranged cousin comes to visit, Charles, and begins to woo Constance in order to steal the family money. Angered by Charles, Merricat shoves his smoldering pipe into a wastebasket full of paper which sets fire to the home. The home is damaged by the fire and the villagers that resented the Blackwoods and threw rocks which shattered the windows and almost attacking the sisters, forcing Constance and Merricat to flee. Uncle Julian is killed in the fire and Constance and Merricat flee to the woods where Constance finds out Merricat murdered the family. The two return to the home and begin their lives anew in the house
Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco on December 14, 1916. Jackson spent most of her childhood in Burlingame, California where she began writing poetry and short stories. Jackson attended Syracuse University in 1973, and during this year she published her first short story “Janice.” During her time spent at Syracuse University she met her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman. Jackson and Hyman together founded a literary magazine known as “Spectre.” Both Jackson and Hyman graduated from Syracuse University in 1940 and moved to New York City (Allen). In 1948, Jackson’s first novel “The Road Through The Wall” was published and that same year The New Yorker published Jackson’s iconic story “The Lottery.” In 1951, Jackson …show more content…
The story is told through “Merricat Blackwood” who lives with her older sister Constance and their ailing Uncle Julian. The three live in a large house in isolation from the nearby village (McKillip). Constance never leaves the home and cares for the ailing uncle who writes obsessively for his memoir. Through his writing events of the past are unveiling, including what happened to the remainder of the Blackwood family. Both Blackwood parents and the younger brother were murdered. Constance was accused and then acquitted of the crime and now the family is ostracized. Merricat is the families only contact with the outside world. An estranged cousin comes to visit, Charles, and begins to woo Constance in order to steal the family money. Angered by Charles, Merricat shoves his smoldering pipe into a wastebasket full of paper which sets fire to the home. The home is damaged by the fire and the villagers that resented the Blackwoods and threw rocks which shattered the windows and almost attacking the sisters, forcing Constance and Merricat to flee. Uncle Julian is killed in the fire and Constance and Merricat flee to the woods where Constance finds out Merricat murdered the family. The two return to the home and begin their lives anew in the house