Shirley Jackson's 'The Possibility Of Evil'

Shirley Jackson’s “ The Possibility of Evil “ is a fictional short story. First, we see everything seems normal in the small town Miss Strangeworth lives in. Later on though, we see Miss Strangeworth writes evil anonymous letters to people in the town, exposing them of their rumored “ bad deeds “. In the end though, someone gets back at Miss Strangeworth and destroys her prized roses. The issue in the story is that everyone can be evil, proven by how nice Miss Strangeworth acts, but is actually evil. The main theme from this short story is that everyone is capable of evil.
Miss Strangeworth does not seem evil at first, but she does seem a little over interested in people’s business. Shirley Jackson writes, “ Miss Strangeworth noticed that …show more content…
Appearance does not matter, people may be very different than what they seem. Shirley jackson writes, “ Harsh, perhaps, at first, but wickedness was never easily banished, and a clean heart was a scoured heart. She washed her soft old face and brushed her teeth, still sound in spite of her seventy-one years, and dressed herself carefully in her sweet, soft clothes and buttoned shoes. ” This quote tells what Miss Strangeworth was dong when she woke up from her nap. The author uses words like soft, old, carefully, and sweet to prove the point even more that appearance doesn’t matter. Even a sweet, little old lady can be evil. Another quote that proves this point is, “ Her hand did not shake as she opened the envelope and unfolded the sheet of green paper inside. She began to cry silently for the wickedness of the world when she read the words: LOOK OUT AT WHAT USED TO BE YOUR ROSES “ ( Jackson ). What this means is that Miss Strangeworth cried for the wickedness in the world, once she realizes her roses have been destroyed.The roses are a symbol for Miss Strangeworth. Shirley Jackson talks all throughout the story about how much pride Miss Strangeworth takes in her roses. The roses make her so happy, and she feels like they are a staple in her little town. The roses prove the point of anyone is capable of evil; the roses are so beautiful and pretty, but they have thorns and can cut you. Both these quotes tie in together by proving the point that everyone is capable of evil. Appearance doesn’t matter, things can be pretty or seem nice, but can actually cause evil or great harm. Looks can be very