We Have Always Lived in the Castle Journal Prompts

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson journal prompts (pagination based on Penguin 1984 edition, green window cover)

At least one paragraph per. THINK through the prompts. Quality over quantity.

1. Page 21 -  “And you can tell your sister from me…” Whom do you trust in this story? How does Merricat feel? How do the villagers feel? LIST 5 clues we have gotten that might hint to a larger history between the villagers and the Blackwood family. 

2. Page 53 – “I’m leaving.” What do you think happened? Is Uncle Julian telling the truth? Why or Why not? What questions do you have about the crime? 

3. Page 57 – GENRE 1. What kind (type, structure) of story or narrative is this? (If we had a blonde girl, running in the forest, being chased by a killer… hmm. It isn’t a Disney movie, right? Horror/slasher film). What category of story would you classify it as? Briefly explain your answer. 

4. Page 78 – “We’ll always be here together…” What is your opinion on Merricat? Be specific and give some evidence from the story to support your thoughts. 

5. Page 107 – GENRE 2. What kind of narrative is this? Clues? Evidence? 

6. Page 161 – “Yes…the way I did before.” Hold up! GENRE 3. What kind of story is this? What are your reactions to plot developments in Chapter 8. 

7. Page 191 – “I love you, Constance.” Think about how inside and outside work in this novel. What is the outside world like? What is the inner world of the house like? Does this disturb you at all? Why or why not? What are your reactions about Merricat and Constance’s reaction and coping strategies to what happened in Chapter 8? 

8. Page 214 - “We are so happy.” GENRE 4. What kind of story is this? (By the way – this book DOES have an ending. You need to understand genre in order to figure out the ending.) What do you think will become of Merricat and Constance 5,10, 15 years down the road? How does this link to what kind (genre) of story that the novel leaves off at? (THINK. It isn’t an easy question. You might not be “right” but you might surprise yourself with your intuitive literary genius.) 

9. What do you think the title of the novel means? We Have Always Lived in the Castle. It must mean something! What were your first impressions/associations of the title before even opening the book?

Upon reading "All She Said Was Yes"

"All She Said Was Yes", Just And Ordinary Day

     It started with a curious title in the book room at school, and a name that kept popping up in the curriculum, although I had never heard mention of anyone teaching the novel. We Have Always Lived in the Castle. A slim unassuming little novel with an author that to many is a one-hit-wonder, Shirley Jackson of "The Lottery" fame. I had read and taught "The Lottery" (perhaps more on that later), but knew little about Jackson.
     I took Castle home and devoured it in one sitting.
     For the brief few years when I taught Freshman English, the Castle unit was my favorite. How quickly the unhinged, paranoid fusion of magic and teen angst cuts to the quick of the b.s. of social veneers. How quickly Merricat throws you into a world of fractured logic that tests your training as a reader, to follow, to understand, to sort out fact from fiction.
     Of course, like any good English major, I turned towards research. Other than some NYT book reviews, an obit, at the time, there was a shocking paucity of published critique on Jackson. How could this be? I hit WorldCat, finding many of her books to be out of print. I tracked down a copy of the play version of We Have Always Lived in the Castle (perhaps more on that later), read whatever novels I could get my hands on, and I stewed.
     I have been a silent fan-girl of Jackson's for a little over a decade, a high school lit teacher Cassandra whispering about what Jackson's rightful place in American letters should be. So many teases and glimmers of hope have surfaced that the day of recognition would come. A new edition of We Have Always Lived in the Castle a few years back (albeit woefully pandering to YA cover). Stalled pre-production on a film adaptation (I am curious to see it, and have optimism the unusual narrative can create an opportunity for greatness in the right hands). The odd blog post or review here and there.
    But my Google Alert on We Have Always Lived in the Castle reveal that I am not alone in my affection for Jackson, or my indignation at her absence in the culture at large. Over the past year, my how things have changed. A slew of titles unavailable for decades are still being rolled out as we speak. A Library of America anthology (which means teaching a class on her is easier than ever). Articles and interviews in major media. Her time is coming.
     I was reading and annotating "All She Said Was Yes" to give to my students this evening as an example of narrative that relies on allusion. (More on that later). I kept thinking to myself, had I gone into academia, Jackson would be my focus. There is so much still unsaid about her writing. I have the newly reprinted books on my shelf. I have a role to play in raising the discourse about her work. And my commentary, however researched or anecdotal it might be, might be of use to other readers, students, or teachers, who want to approach her work.
     So thank you, Mr. Mustillo, for being the fierce and keen reader that brought Castle into our curriculum. And Jackson into my literary consciousness.