Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco, California on December 14, 1916. Jackson began to write poetry in her teenage years and developed from there. Around the age of 16 her family moved west and she began to write up to 1000 words daily. In 1951 Jackson began to incorporate gothic style writing into her short stories and novels. Many of her short stories have been converted to dramas because of their unexpected story lines. Years after publication, Jackson’s stories are still considered some of the greatest works in American literature. Throughout Shirley Jackson’s short stories “The Lottery”, “The Possibility of Evil”, and “Charles”, there are grim plot twists at the end of the stories that make the reader realize the real meaning of the story.
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In all of the short stories mentioned, each of them have their own plot twist. Whether it is a town that holds a “sacrifice” every year, or a child that has fantasies about other children Jackson captivated the reader and shields their eyes until the last bit of writing. A well written novel, “A Study of Short Fiction”, by Joan Hall states, “you will be gripped by a fascination that will not let the reader go until the final showing of revelation” (Hall 3). The stories give hints to the reader, such as names, places, and symbols, but the reader is so caught up in the story that these hints are overlooked until the finale.
“The Possibility of Evil” is one of Jackson’s grim ending stories. The story begins with Mrs. Strangeworth, the head person of the town, as she strolls through the town that she knows all about. As the story progresses Mrs. Strangeworth begins her daily routine by sending out letters that are harassing in nature to fight the “evil” in society. She is however shielding the reality that is her
In all of the short stories mentioned, each of them have their own plot twist. Whether it is a town that holds a “sacrifice” every year, or a child that has fantasies about other children Jackson captivated the reader and shields their eyes until the last bit of writing. A well written novel, “A Study of Short Fiction”, by Joan Hall states, “you will be gripped by a fascination that will not let the reader go until the final showing of revelation” (Hall 3). The stories give hints to the reader, such as names, places, and symbols, but the reader is so caught up in the story that these hints are overlooked until the finale.
“The Possibility of Evil” is one of Jackson’s grim ending stories. The story begins with Mrs. Strangeworth, the head person of the town, as she strolls through the town that she knows all about. As the story progresses Mrs. Strangeworth begins her daily routine by sending out letters that are harassing in nature to fight the “evil” in society. She is however shielding the reality that is her