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We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Life in Shirley Jackson’s (Out)Castle

Summary

This introduction argues that Shirley Jackson writes about “everyday evil,” not simple horror, and presents We Have Always Lived in the Castle as her masterpiece. It links Merricat and Constance to persecution, class pride, and fear, showing how the house becomes both shelter and trap.

Key Events

  1. Merricat introduces herself, says she lives with Constance, and admits that she would rather have been a werewolf than herself.
  2. Merricat says she dislikes washing, dogs, and noise, then reveals that everyone else in the Blackwood family is dead.
  3. Merricat explains that the Blackwoods keep their things in order, building their house around “stable possessions” that steady it against the world.
  4. Merricat says Fridays and Tuesdays force her into the village for books and food because Constance stays in the garden and Uncle Julian cannot go.

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