In 'The Haunting of Hill House', Dr. Montague is a key character. He's the one who initiates the exploration of the haunted Hill House. Theodora is also an important character in that story. She has some psychic abilities and is involved in the strange events that unfold in the house. These characters all play crucial roles in creating the atmosphere of horror and mystery in Shirley Jackson's stories.
Well, in 'The Lottery', the other villagers are also important characters in a way. They are the ones who participate in the lottery and carry out the cruel act. In 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle', Merricat Blackwood is a main character. She's a bit of an outcast, living in an old house with her sister and uncle. She has her own secrets and a strange relationship with the outside world.
In 'The Lottery', Tessie Hutchinson is a main character. She's the one who ends up being the victim of the lottery. In 'The Haunting of Hill House', Eleanor Vance is a central figure. She's a rather fragile and lonely woman who is drawn into the mysteries of Hill House.
Often, there are ordinary people like housewives, small - town residents, or children. For example, in 'The Lottery', we have villagers who seem like normal, everyday people at first glance. They represent the average person who can be caught up in something very strange and horrifying.
In 'The Lottery', Tessie Hutchinson is a main character. She's the one who gets singled out during the lottery. In 'The Possibility of Evil', Miss Strangeworth is a central figure. She's an old woman who has a dark side despite her seemingly proper exterior.
The main characters vary. In 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle', Merricat is a key character. She has a rather odd and complex personality, and she's living in a situation full of secrets and unease. There are also often characters who represent the society or the group in her stories, like the townspeople in 'The Lottery', who together create the oppressive and scary atmosphere through their collective actions.
There's Mr. Summers, who is in charge of the lottery. Tessie Hutchinson is also a main character as she becomes the central figure in the lottery's outcome.
One common theme is the sense of the uncanny. In her stories, ordinary situations often take a disturbing turn. For example, in 'The Lottery', a seemingly normal village has a brutal and archaic lottery system. Another theme is the power of society and tradition over the individual. The villagers in 'The Lottery' blindly follow the tradition without really questioning its morality. Also, the theme of isolation is present. Characters often find themselves alone against strange and menacing forces, like in some of her other works where a character might be in a big, old house with something strange lurking about.
Maybe she was fascinated by the darker side of human nature and wanted to explore it through her writing.
One common theme is the sense of unease within the ordinary. In her stories, she often takes everyday settings like a small town or a family home and fills them with a lurking dread. For example, in 'The Lottery', the seemingly idyllic village has a disturbing annual ritual. Another theme is the power of the unknown. Jackson leaves many elements ambiguous, making the readers' imagination run wild and increasing the sense of horror. Also, the breakdown of social norms is a theme. Characters may act in ways that violate what we consider normal social behavior, which is both shocking and terrifying.
Shirley Jackson creates horror by playing with the psychological state of her characters. In 'The Haunting of Hill House', she makes the characters' fears and insecurities palpable, and then adds the unknown elements of the haunted house. The readers can feel the horror through the characters' experiences. Also, she uses the setting effectively. The small - town setting in 'The Lottery' which seems so normal at first, but then reveals its dark side.
One of her most famous horror stories is 'The Lottery'. In this story, a small town has an annual lottery, but the 'prize' is a brutal stoning, which is a shockingly dark twist. Another is 'The Haunting of Hill House'. It's about a group of people exploring a haunted house with a lot of psychological horror elements.
Shirley Jackson creates suspense by withholding information. In 'The Haunting of Hill House', she doesn't immediately tell the readers what exactly is haunting the house. She gives small hints and strange occurrences, which keeps the readers guessing. Also, her use of unreliable narrators, like in some of her other stories, adds to the suspense. We are never quite sure if what the narrator is telling us is the whole truth or if there are hidden secrets they are unaware of or deliberately hiding.