We have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Just…
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We have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Just finished this and it’s definitely one of my favorite things i’ve read. Merricat is a unique character for sure.
There’s a lot of interpretations out there trying to explain her (and Constance’s) actions. I personally agree with the idea that she comes from a family with mental illness (primarily OCD, and maybe autism) and her behavior is a result of said mental illness being not only ignored but reinforced.
I think there’s some evidence that the Father, John Blackwood, and the Mother, (forget her name) were a severely paranoid couple.
For example, the mother doesn’t want people cutting through the property to get to the bus stop, and the father keeps all his money in a safe instead of the banks. There’s more examples too.
We also see Uncle Julian and his ‘papers’ and talk about not wanting his wife to eat too much sausage and plenty of other odd beliefs/habits.
It makes sense that Merricat (who I think is autistic along with Uncle Julian) and Constance (especially after what happens) would become so paranoid and obsessive.
The only thing I don’t fully understand is where Merricats apathy/sociopathic behavior comes from. I like to think she did feel guilty about poisoning the family (maybe didn’t realize the weight of her actions or only wanted them to be hurt/suffer a bit), but 6 years of isolation and torment from the villagers later produced the sociopathic unreliable narrator we witness.
If anyone has any insight please share.
#entertainment
source
Just finished this and it’s definitely one of my favorite things i’ve read. Merricat is a unique character for sure.
There’s a lot of interpretations out there trying to explain her (and Constance’s) actions. I personally agree with the idea that she comes from a family with mental illness (primarily OCD, and maybe autism) and her behavior is a result of said mental illness being not only ignored but reinforced.
I think there’s some evidence that the Father, John Blackwood, and the Mother, (forget her name) were a severely paranoid couple.
For example, the mother doesn’t want people cutting through the property to get to the bus stop, and the father keeps all his money in a safe instead of the banks. There’s more examples too.
We also see Uncle Julian and his ‘papers’ and talk about not wanting his wife to eat too much sausage and plenty of other odd beliefs/habits.
It makes sense that Merricat (who I think is autistic along with Uncle Julian) and Constance (especially after what happens) would become so paranoid and obsessive.
The only thing I don’t fully understand is where Merricats apathy/sociopathic behavior comes from. I like to think she did feel guilty about poisoning the family (maybe didn’t realize the weight of her actions or only wanted them to be hurt/suffer a bit), but 6 years of isolation and torment from the villagers later produced the sociopathic unreliable narrator we witness.
If anyone has any insight please share.
#entertainment
source
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