Archive · 27 Oct 2025
Shirley Jackson's 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' Explored
In Shirley Jackson's novel, Merricat and her sister Constance live in a world where everyone thinks they poisoned their family.
The sisters are isolated in their home.
The villagers constantly gossip and taunt them.
A greedy relative arrives hoping to take their wealth, and a fire breaks out.
Merricat wishes for a happy life away from the village.
The story examines the close bond between the sisters and the terrible effects of fear and persecution.
Merricat and Constance Blackwood live in a home isolated from the village.
The villagers suspect Constance of poisoning her family.
Merricat fiercely protects her family from outsiders.
A relative named Charles appears, seeking to exploit the family.
A fire destroys the Blackwood home, intensifying their isolation.
- Who
- Merricat and Constance Blackwood, and their uncle.
- What
- A family deals with the aftermath of a poisoning, facing hostility and further tragedy.
- When
- The events take place after the poisoning of the Blackwood family.
- Where
- The family home and the surrounding village.
- Why
- To explore themes of family, isolation, and the effects of community ostracization.
- Author
- Shirley Jackson
- Main Characters
- Merricat and Constance Blackwood, Uncle Julian, Charles
- Setting
- Family home, village
- Protagonist's Interest
- 15th-century Duke Richard Plantagenet
- Plot
- A family facing ostracism and tragedy
- Themes
- Family bonds, isolation, fear