The Importance Of Family In The Haunting Of Hill House

After living in her world of darkness, Eleanor accepts Dr. Montague’s invitation to study the effects of paranormal activity within Hill House on people for a summer. Although Eleanor’s feeling is conflicted by the death of her mother, she is extremely contented with the fact that she is freed from her imprisoned life. It is time for self-discovery. As she approaches Hill House, she excitedly imagines a different her with a different family, in which she would meet many great people and would be enjoying her simple life. Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House incorporates the idea of family into a haunted house. Hill House targets characters who have great desires and weak points. Eleanor, who fits into the description of whom Hill House …show more content…
During the middle of the night, a dog-like animal catches Dr. Montague’s and Luke’s attention and they follow it out into the garden. At the same time, Eleanor and Theodora stay in the room and hear loud banging at the door as if a monster is going to “eat them” (98). Dr. Montague states, “When Luke and I are called outside, and you two are kept imprisoned inside, doesn’t it begin to seem that the intention is, somehow, to separate us?” (99). Hill House purposely separates the ladies from the men and traps and psychologically damages the ladies. The purpose of a house is to provide warmth and security for family member and to allow them to reconnect with one another. However, a haunted house defeats the purpose of a house because it separates family members instead of uniting …show more content…
Mrs. Montague and Arthur communicate with ghosts and spirits through a planchette. The spirit, which is apparently speaking up for Eleanor, repeats the word “home” and “lost”. Arthur says, “Like a word, and use it over and over, just for the sound it,” (142). The spirit in Hill House knows that Eleanor loves the word “home” because that is what she desperately desires. She is still waiting for a rightful home and family. Eleanor is also lost in the world because she does not know her true self and where she wants to go in life. Furthermore, when Arthur asks the spirit if she is suffering, she gives no answer. Mrs. Montague says, “Sometimes they dislike admitting to pain; it tends to discourage those of us left behind, you know,” (142). Eleanor is suffering inside; however, she acts strong externally and hides her internal conflicts from her peers. She is still trying to create a family and find a home where she can comfortably be her true