The Inanimate Torturer

The Hill House exists as a nonliving entity designed to carry out certain functions. It is simply a house from the surface, but what lies within surpasses all of what is natural and understandable. As a house, the Hill House is expected offer protection and shelter, functioning as a building for human habitation. Structurally, the it serves its purpose, but it takes on an addition roll that is beyond comprehension: it acts a possessor.  

Within this novel, the house itself acts as the paranormal entity, directly possessing its inhabitants and consuming their sanity. The Hill House seems to recognize Eleanor's vulnerability throughout her stay, as it purposefully surfaces sensitive aspects of her past through direct communication with her. The house targets her weaknesses in order to consume her, making her apart of itself. When forced to leave, the severity of Eleanor's attachment to the house is made abundantly clear, for she sacrifices her life to preserve the connection between them.

Throughout her life, Eleanor existed independently, never feeling a sense of belonging or that her presence was desired. When Eleanor makes the conscious decision to drive into the tree, she solidifies her connection to the house, the first thing that she has ever belonged to. The house sought her out amongst the group of people, specifically choosing to communicate and possess her. The house desired Eleanor's presence, and because this was the very first instance where Eleanor was desired, she could not help but want to stay. The desperation that Eleanor experienced throughout her life is reflected through her decision to kill herself. Through this act, it is shown that Eleanor values this sense of belonging more than living, for living unwanted is no life at all.