Character Analysis: The Haunting Of Hill House

In William Shakespeare's play, Henry VI, Part 1, he wrote, “Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind” (Henry VI, Part 1, William Shakespeare). While originally describing the suspicions of an imprisoned king, the meaning of this quote has adapted and can be applied to many situations in storytelling today. In The Haunting of Hill House, Eleanor’s mind is heavy with the guilt of her past, and leads her to suspicion and paranoia. Eleanor is a broken woman, brought up in a dysfunctional family and forced to take care of her ailing mother, a woman who she hated. She is constantly berated by her sister, a woman who she hates even more. When her mother dies, she decides to clutch her newfound independence. She joins a group of people to investigate a supposedly haunted mansion …show more content…
While being a powerful thread for storytelling, this kind of irrationality and distrust can be seen in every walk of life all over the world. To some, fear can be a great asset, and to many it is something that takes control of their very lives. Eleanor and the story of The Haunting of Hill House is but a microcosm for many issues plaguing humanity not only today, but for thousands of years. Distrust and fear is a likely cause for the political climate in the United States. When logic is disposed of, minds are malleable. These malleable minds are often taken advantage of, whether it be by an ancient and haunted house in a story, or a powerful politician in the White House. Just as Eleanor’s mind is infected by the past situations she was often put in, so can anyone’s mind be infected by the places and people around them. The often unreasonable hatred and distrust this creates will be a problem that will haunt the world forever, but only if people let it take hold of them, like a phantom possessing the