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The Haunting Of Hill House By Shirley Jackson

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The title of my chosen book is “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson. The genre of this book is psychological horror fiction. The setting of this novel starts in Dr. John Montague’s house. In hope of increasing his knowledge about parapsychology, he sent letters to specific people about exploring a haunted house that he had rented. He picks two people, Eleanor Vance and Theodora. Later on, Luke Sanderson and more people join the group. Eleanor Vance is the main character of the story and arrives first at Hill House. She meets the caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, who are not very fond of the house, and later on meets her new friend, Theodora. She is quickly drawn to her for her friendly and open personality. The group explores horrifying …show more content…

John Montague renting Hill House and sending invitation letters to the soon-to-be participants. This is the exposition because it begins the story and leads up to the rising action. The rising action of this book is the strange events that pop up after the group explores parts of the house. These events include bloody words on the walls stating, “HELP ELEANOR COME HOME.” There are also many noises that Eleanor hears and describes it to be a screechy haunted voice, however, the group seems to be undisturbed. She concludes that no one can hear the sounds except her and that she is connected to Hill House in some way. Furthermore, there is something that appears to be messing with her head and actions, making her seem insane. As a result, the group decides to single her out due to their suspicions of Eleanor. This is the climax of the story since it led right to the falling action of Eleanor completely losing her mind and all sense of control. Worried, Dr. Montague and the others figure that it would be best for her to leave the house right away. Eleanor cries and refuses to say she has nowhere to go and she is a part of the house, physically and mentally. This leads to the resolution and the final part of the story in which Eleanor accepts her destiny to leave the house yet pities the group in thinking that they can get past Hill House’s desires to keep her. Right after, she crashes into an oak tree and takes her own life. However, right before, she wonders why no one is stopping or helping her. After these traumatic incidents, everyone goes back to their life. Dr. Montague shares his findings with his other colleagues but they don’t take him seriously. In the novel, there are several conflicts. Man vs. Man would represent Eleanor vs. the group during the time they were avoiding her for their sanity. Man vs. Nature would represent Eleanor vs. the nature of her mind. Shortly after the strange occurrences took place, Eleanor

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Eleanor was finally able to do whatever she desires. Dr. Montague then sends an invitation to Eleanor with step by step directions leading her to Hill House. The death of her mother and the directions were actually invitations to Eleanors freedom. The author mentions a car in the novel that symbolizes her freedom. With the car, Eleanor had a choice to go to Hill House.

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Betty is described as a foil to Norma's character; the complete opposite of how Norma is portrayed. Similarly so in the Haunting of Hill House there is an un-ascribed love triangle between the main character Eleanor, Theodor and Luke. Eleanor displays a love hate relationship towards Theo throughout the novel, which could relate to a repressed sexual desire she may have for her.

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Shirley focuses a large part of the introduction of the house on describing its odd design and initial impressions. Dr. Montague describes the house as being on a “slight slant… that may be why the doors slam shut” and notes how “every angle is slightly wrong” (Jackson 77). This causes an uneasy feeling for the reader as they question the effect this will have on the characters throughout the novel. Also, Eleanor’s initial impressions of the house cause her to hesitate and question whether she has made the correct decision.

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For instance, she uses phrases like "something unspeakable" and "a presence too horrible to be endured" to create a sense of impending doom (Jackson 42). Additionally, Jackson's use of an unreliable narrator, Eleanor Vance, adds to the psychological impact of the novel, as readers question the validity of her perceptions and experiences. By leveraging the power of suggestion and her distinctive approach, Jackson creates a deeply unsettling and psychologically resonant reading experience for her audience. In conclusion, Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" is a timeless novel that employs psychological horror through the skillful portrayal of characters' vulnerabilities, the blurring of reality and imagination, and the innovative use of horror elements to create a deeply resonating narrative. Jackson's power of suggestion leaves readers uncertain about the nature of events, blurring the line between the supernatural and the psychological.

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As Arthur experiences various paranormal situations he starts to regret his decision of staying at Eel Marsh house for the night, and even going there at all. Arthur starts to wonder how Mrs. Drablow had endured “day after day, night after night of isolation” (p.82) when he had had “enough of solitude” (p.82) after just one night. The repetition of the word “day” and “night” helps the reader understand how long this period of time might have been for Alice Drablow and helps them empathize with her despite not knowing her. Unlike when he first saw it, the isolation of the house makes him feel “insignificant” (p.85). The vocabulary combined with the long sentences Hill used to describe the marsh makes the reader feel small and powerless against such a vast landscape.

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When the doors are shut, which is almost always the case in Hill House, the guests inside cannot understand themselves or the house itself. This leads to a sense of fear overcoming the reader. One last piece of symbolism is the cup of stars, “...insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again…” (Jackson 15). The cup of stars represents Eleanor wanting to be her own person and getting everything she wants.

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The place being far off from the community or other house specifies and cut her off from the community. For Mary, she never had a real home, her home is only a summer home. She states “I’ve never felt it was my home. It was wrong from the start. Everything was done in the cheapest way.”

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