We Have Always Lived In The Castle By Shirley Jackson

In the book We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962) by Shirley Jackson, the Blackwoods are known to be a high class but reclusive family that has lived in the village for multiple generations, and to be a major part the community before the tragedy of losing most of the family to poison struck that made them go into hiding in the safety of their house. Although this could be deducted as an act of protection, being closed into the mansion for so long after such a traumatic event could cause multiple mental illnesses from the Blackwoods, which would only increase the hostility and suspicious feelings from the villagers, most likely directed towards Mary Katherine, the youngest daughter, since it was been portrayed in the book that she

However, since the villagers have never been really fond of the Blackwoods, they see Mary Katherine as a representative of the Blackwoods, and would tyrannize her for it because she is away from her home, and therefore vulnerable. Therefore, if she were to go into the village permanently, the villagers would use Mary Katherine as a scapegoat for their unbridled hatred towards the Blackwoods, causing more chaos. For example, “ ‘Mary Katherine,’ Stella said, coming down inside the counter to where I was sitting, ‘you go along home. Just get up off that stool and go along home. There won't be any peace around here until you go’ "(Jackson 6). Therefore, there is peace within the village when the Blackwoods are not present. This means that if Mary Katherine has to visit the village indefinitely, the villagers would be unsettled, and would most likely bully Mary Katherine unmercifully, causing unnecessary chaos within the

Although some may say that Mary Katherine could learn to be around other people over time, asserting her into big social situations without warning could harm her. Using quantitative evidence, eLibrary Science claims, “Many simple phobias can be treated effectively using a form of behavior therapy, such as desensitization. During treatment, a therapist gives you support while you are safely and gradually exposed to the object or situation that you fear” (“Phobias”). While this is true, the concept of desensitization only works if one is “gradually” exposed to their fear. However, if Mary Katherine were to be thrust into social situations by being around all of the villagers at once, she could become overwhelmed and possibly traumatized, causing her to never want to come out in public again and thus, her mental health would be worsened. Therefore, it would be unwise to subdue Mary Katherine to an abundance of the villagers when she can’t even handle a