Miss Strangeworth In The Possibility Of Evil By Shirley Jackson

“She knew everyone in town, of course; she was fond of telling strangers -- tourists who sometimes passed through the town and stopped to admire Miss Strangeworth’s roses -- that she had never spent more than a day outside this town in all her long life.” Miss Strangeworth, the main character in “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson, is the main source of conflict in this story. “The Possibility of Evil” shows how much of a difference one person can make. “The Possibility of Evil” should be read every year in this 9th grade class. For example, Miss Strangeworth needs the town to be exactly as she wants it, in a uniform way, which adds to the whole of the story. For instance, she claims that she is the one that is running the town. She has this idea because she thinks her grandfather created the town. In fact, Miss Strangeworth is very protective over her roses. “Miss Strangeworth never gave away any of her roses, although the tourists often asked her. The roses belonged on Pleasant Street, and it bothered Miss Strangeworth to think of people wanting to carry them away, to take them into strange towns and strange streets.” Miss Strangeworth is this way about her roses because they have a

Specifically, descriptive words enhance the effect of imagery. “The sun was shining, the air was fresh and clear after the night’s heavy rain, and everything in Miss Strangeworth’s little town looked washed and bright.” The words fresh and clear create a sense of life in the story, by describing what is happening in more detail. Again, the descriptive words of imagery creates a visual representation. It makes an image appear by making the words appeal to your senses. Furthermore, the imagery makes the story more interesting. Imagery is a way that sets the scene or mood. It also shows how the characters view the world. Nonetheless, imagery amplifies the quality of “The Possibility of