The Theme Of Fear In Shirley Jackson's The Haunting Of Hill House

Fear brings forth a certain atmosphere which compels us to act upon it. The era in which the book was published allows us to see how common these fears were. Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is an excellent portrayal of how fear controls the human mind by using the characters as examples. In the book Eleanor, Theodora, Luke, and Dr. Montague have all been influenced by fear in the story, whether it be the fear of love, the unknown, family, rejection, expression, or loneliness. These different types of fear plagued their minds causing their actions to reflect upon them. Jackson explores the theme of fear in The Haunting of Hill House by creating a cast of characters that in turn are manipulated by the inner workings of their minds and the

The sunlight being her adult responsibilities including social interaction; causing Eleanor to become shy and reclusive due to this ‘sun light’. The fear of responsibility had always haunted Eleanor’s past, which is later revealed in the story when she feels accountable for her mother’s death. This eventually leading to her fear of loneliness and rejection they become present when she arrives at Hill House. However her journey begins after stealing her sister’s car to venture off to Hill House where she will meet the rest of the cast and what haunts them.

During their stay at Hill house it is shown how the characters are being tormented by Hill House, and unfortunately the despair of their own minds. Both Eleanor and Theodora have experienced some sort of supernatural phenomena in the past that qualified them to take part in Dr. Montague’s experiment. Though this regrettably means they are bringing mentally vulnerable girls (Cleveland) who are more susceptible to the wicked nature of the house, rendering their minds more likely to see manifestations of their dreadful design. In Theodora’s case she is depicted a free spirit with no need for