The Haunting of Hill House Lesson Plan

The Haunting of Hill House is Shirley Jackson’s most popular novel. It has a reputation for being the archetypal haunted house story. The novel is much more than a haunted house story though. It is written in the Gothic tradition and critiques society’s treatment of women, explores the realm of the supernatural, uncovers the potential consequences of untreated psychological trauma, and remarks that family and home are complex and often oppressive and disappointing. Jackson positioned the story of Hill House within the space of a scientific experiment. Dr. Montague is an anthropologist who wants to use Hill House as the site of a qualitative experiment His scientific method is no match...