Analysis Of Hill House In 'This Way Out Or Dead End'

The inhabitants of Hill House try to escape the absolute reality that is present in their environment. The inhabitants avoid the absolute and construct their own reality and avoid their fears in the presence of the horror. As a group of individuals, Eleanor, Doctor Montague, Theodora, and Luke try and rationalize the supernatural events and familiarizing themselves with Hill House. In Chapter Four, the group decides to explore Hill House and try and map out the House: “‘I want to be sure that I have seen every inch of this house. No more lying there wondering what is over my head or under me”... ‘Little signs’, Luke suggested. ‘Arrows pointing reading This Way Out’ ‘Or Dead End’ Eleanor said.”. By familiarizing themselves with an unfamiliar environment, the group tries to avoid the uncanny feeling.

The Uncanny is the class of terrifying that leads back to something long known to an individual, and is frightening due to its unfamiliarity (Freud, 2). Furthermore, the Uncanny are the irrational beliefs of humanity’s past that is masked under civility and civilized skepticism. By trying to familiarize themselves with their surroundings, the group tries to construct a reality that reject the uncanny. However, the group is rendered unable to escape the absolute reality of Hill House. Their perspective on their subjective reality could not be materialized in the absolute reality of Hill House due to the distortions of the House. The group finds themselves unable to trust their own senses and themselves, which instills the absolute reality of loneliness. The effect of this creates the over-accentuation of the psychical reality that creates the Uncanny effect (Freud, page 13). The installation of the absolute reality of loneliness creates the Uncanny effect, and the avoidance of the Uncanny by the group further enhances the