We Have Always Lived in

the Castle
By Shirley Jackson
Ashley Jamison. English 10 Green.
3.21.16

Quotes
Never can tell whatll grow on Blackwood land (4).
I never went farther than the edge of the woods, and Constance went
only as far as the vegetable garden (58).
Theme of isolation

Novella Overview
In We Have Always Lived in the Castle, an engaging horror story, Shirley
Jackson incorporates the theme of isolation when the Blackwood family
rarely leaves their estate. She created many other famous horror oriented
pieces in her past. The small details of this story become the scariest part,
rather than larger events within the novella. Although the specific area of
horror becomes difficult to locate, the story undoubtedly appears terrifying.
The details of the Blackwood familys isolated life and thoughts arrive in the
story. Hints of odd past actions from the Blackwood family develope,
creating the horror element. Since their past caused everyone in the town to
joke and hide from them, the Blackwoods prefer to stay away from the town
and alone in their castle all day. Troubles arise when others enter or exit the
castle.

Interpretive Artifact
Movie trailer:

Author Background & Historical Connections

Shirley Hardie Jackson
Born: December 14, 1916 in San Francisco, California
Died: August 8, 1965 in North Bennington, Vermont
Awards: Edgar Award for best Short Story (for The Possibility of Evil)
Jackson withdrew from the University of Rochester and spent a year at
home writing poetry and short stories
Her year of free time alone might have aided her knowledge on how being
alone and different feels (which she incorporates in her writing)

Novella Reflection
I liked this novella, because of the vivid detail of the Blackwell
families thoughts and actions. Even though it appeared weird and scary
at times, I found the story very interested to read it. Due to the
relatable theme of isolation in the novella, I understood what the
characters went through. The Blackwell family intentionally isolated
themselves to avoid the community. Since the novella remained in first
person throughout, I followed Mary Katherines thoughts while reading
very easily. After reading the novella, I learned the possibility of some
horror stories lacking very obvious scary events.

Novella Rating
9 out of 10 Grocery Lists!
Overall, I really enjoyed the interesting, yet haunting, elements of this
novella. I discovered how the book became more engaging while I read.
I liked the scary details that occur throughout the story. At times the
novella portrayed simplicity, but it quickly picked back up with alluring
events. I named my scale rating system grocery lists, because Mary
only went to the town when she bought groceries or traveled to the
library.

Work Cited
Wilson, Michael T.. "'Absolute Reality' And The Role Of The Ineffable In Shirley Jackson's The Haunting Of Hill House." Journal Of
Popular Culture 48.1 (2015): 114-123. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
Silver, Marisa. "Is It Real? On Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived In The Castle." Southern Review 49.4 (2013): 665-667.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
Bonikowski, Wyatt1. "'Only One Antagonist': The Demon Lover And The Feminine Experience In The Work Of Shirley Jackson."
Gothic Studies 15.2 (2013): 66-88. Humanities Source. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
Hague, Angela. "A Faithful Anatomy Of Our Times." Frontiers: A Journal Of Women Studies 26.2 (2005): 73-96. SocINDEX with Full
Text. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.