The Haunting of Hill House

In “The Haunting of Hill House” the house that the group inhabits is described as being almost alive in several passages. In Doctor Montague’s retelling of the history of the house he even goes as far as saying that the house does not like its occupants leaving. The house almost seems to represent the psyche of a human and in particular its creator, Hugh Crain.  Homes more generally represent a safe place where a person is supposed to feel at ease because of its familiarity. However, as other stories we have read like “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Little Room” suggest, homes can easily become prisons. And in this way it really does seem like homes are representative of the human psyche in these stories. The protagonists of each story seem isolated in their own minds and the houses within them also seem devoid of life. Imagine if the Hill House, instead of having four people in it, had hundreds all talking and interacting. While, the architecture of the house would still seem strange it would not have the same effect as it does with all the rooms being empty. The same goes for one’s mind. If a person is in solitary confinement they can easily go insane from spending too much time in their own head. Without the reassurance from others we begin to question our own views because on our own any idea can be convinced to be valid. If a large group of people agree on a similar perception it is much more difficult for an individual in the group to feel insane. Thus, much of the fear in these houses comes from the fact that they are quite empty, which allows its occupants’ imaginations to run wild.