51 pages 1 hour read

Shirley Jackson

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1962

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Introduction

Teacher Introduction

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

  • Genre: Fiction; suspense/thriller; contemporary gothic horror
  • Originally Published: 1962
  • Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 920L; grades 9-12; college/adult
  • Structure/Length: 10 chapters; approx. 146 pages; approx. 5 hours, 30 minutes on audio
  • Protagonist and Central Conflict: Eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine Blackwood (“Merricat”) lives with her sister Constance and Uncle Julian in the family estate. When a potential heir to the family fortune comes to visit, Merricat’s peculiarities—and the fate of the rest of the family—are gradually revealed.
  • Potential Sensitivity Issues: Mental health concerns; agoraphobia; obsessive-compulsive disorder; witchcraft; murder

Shirley Jackson, Author

  • Bio: Born in 1916 in San Francisco, California; died in 1965; attended Syracuse University; later moved permanently to Vermont; pursued writing while raising four children; novelist, memoirist, and short story writer; horror stories and settings known for their atmospheric suspense and psychological depth
  • Other Works: The Bird’s Nest (1954); The Haunting of Hill House (1959); Dark Tales (short story collection; 2017)
  • Awards: Named to Time magazine’s “Ten Best Novels” list (1962)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

  • Womanhood and Domesticity
  • Misunderstood Genius
  • Small-Town Class Relationships

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

  • Develop an understanding of the social context, including women’s issues that influence the novel’s plot, characterization, and themes.
  • Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections to the text’s theme of Small-Town Class Relationships.

Related Titles

By Shirley Jackson