Machine Made of Wood and Women: House as System and Symbol in Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle

UNCA Author/Contributor (non-UNCA co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Jarred Worley (Creator)
Institution
University of North Carolina Asheville (UNCA )
Web Site: http://library.unca.edu/
Advisor
Deborah James

Abstract: In We Have Always Lived in the Castle, a pair of sisters take care of their family mansion, following a rigorous schedule of cleaning, cooking, and running errands. Through an examination of the novel, and critiques of both Shirley Jackson and her book, this paper considers the role of the mansion in We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Is it a "female” space, an environment in which females can exert power and influence, or a male vehicle, built from privilege and haunted with generations of traditional heteropatriarchal upkeep, serving the oppression of women?

Additional Information

Publication
Other
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
Shirley Jackson, gender roles,

Email this document to