The Haunting of Hill House

None of the characters in The Haunting of Hill House come from a traditional family, showing Shirley Jackson’s ability to twist the idea of family in her writing. Even the original owners of Hill House, the Crains, had warped family interaction. The father created a book for his daughter to “educate and enlighten” her about the world. He seemed to have good intentions, yet this book was much too graphic for a young child. This distorted parenting technique is reflected in the way he built his home; everything is a little bit crooked. Mr. Montague seems to come from a possibly “normal” family but when we meet his wife and Arthur, there is a definite strain in his relationship with Mrs. Montague and uneasiness with Arthur. Arthur and the doctor’s wife have a strong connection and easily agree upon their “fact collecting” strategies which are strongly at odds with Dr. Montague’s techniques. This disjoint is a symbol of the gap that the couple has in their family. The crookedness of Hill House seems to draw in people originating in nontraditional homes.