The Haunting Of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House

• Genre: Fiction; Gothic horror/suspense
• Originally Published: 1959
• Reading Level/Interest: Grades 9-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 9 chapters; approx. 208 pages; approx. 7 hours, 27 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Thirty-two-year-old Eleanor Vance, occult expert Dr. Montague, and two other acquaintances experience supernatural phenomena and personal reckonings with the past at Hill House, an abandoned, foreboding property.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Suicide; mental illness

Shirley Jackson, Author

• Bio: 1916-1965; born in San Francisco, CA; 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); We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962); Dark Tales (short story collection; 2017)
• Awards: National Book Award (finalist; 1960)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Futility of Human Nature
• The Fragility of Identity
• Imagination and the Dangers of the Human Mind

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

• Develop an understanding of the characteristics of Gothic literature; analyze the ways setting and plot in The Haunting of Hill House exemplify a Gothic story.
• Read/study short, paired texts and other resources to deepen understanding of themes related to Human Nature, Identity, and Dangers of the Human Mind.
• Prepare and present a mind map displaying the way that Eleanor’s sense of belonging plays a key factor in her relationship with the house.

Analyze textual elements such as atmospheric detail, characters as mirrors, and family relationships and construct essay responses connecting these elements to the novel's themes.