Miss Strangeworth In The Possibility Of Evil By Shirley Jackson

The short story “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson was published on December 18, 1965. It was first published in the Saturday Evening Post. The protagonist is Miss Strangeworth. She has a multi-faceted personality that is revealed through her actions and doings, what the narrator says about her, and how other characters interact with her. Miss Strangeworth’s multi-faceted personality is revealed through her actions. When Miss Strangeworth was talking to the Crane family, Helen Crane explains how the baby is just slow, but Miss Strangeworth mentions how “All babies are different. Some of them just develop much more quickly than others” (3). This shows how Miss Strangeworth is trying to help and explain how it's completely normal that the baby is developing and she is doing this in a way that is kind and compassionate. However, with her multi-faceted personality, also believes that the Crane baby will grow up

The narrator explains how Miss Strangeworth loves it when tourist stop and see and smell her roses. The roses also represent tradition that is passed down generation starting with her grandmother. When the narrator mentions how she has never spent more than a day out of town, shows how much she cares about her home and roses. Another example of the author revealing Miss Strangeworth’s multi-faceted personality is when the author describes how “Miss Strangeworth liked writing her letters” (4). This shows how while she can be quite kind and compassionate, she also finds fun of sending letters to everyone in the town of their “imperfect” lives. Although the narrator describes Miss Strangeworth’s multi-faceted personality, it is also revealed through how she interacts with other