Jackson, though common and motherly looking, used fear and terror to catch hold of her readers. She once said in an unsent letter to Howard Nemerov, “...I have always loved to use fear, to take it and comprehend it and make it work and consolidate a situation where I was afraid and take it whole and work from there...I delight in what I fear.” This came from a mother of four children. I believe her writing was tightly connected to her family life. Influences from her mother, father, and husband
For instance, she was the daughter of an upwardly mobile suburban mother to whom appearance and social acceptance were everything. Jackson struggled to both fulfill and deny her restrictive upbringing. Because of this daily family conflict she often had fierce visions of dissociation and madness, alienation and withdrawal, cruelty and terror. She reflected this in some of her writings.
She met a wonderful man to whom she became wed. His name was Stanley Hyman, a Jewish intellectual whom encouraged her rebellion. He also encouraged her to become an eccentric iconoclast who smoked too much, ate too much, and quaffed prescription drugs--uppers and downers--on a daily basis. In “The Lottery”, a woman finally attempts to rebel against the seemingly normal stoning when she is chosen to be stoned. This may be connected to Jackson’s rebellion against her parents encouraged by her husband. The woman’s rebellion in “ The Lottery”, ends in her death. This could be representful of Jackson’s involvement with drugs, smoking, and food due to her encouraging husband.
In “An Ordinary Day With Peanuts”, a couple switches the roles of playing good and evil or vice versa. There roles switch from day to day. This could be connected to her early involvement with her parents. Her mother and father both played roles. Her father played the role of the stereo typical fifties father. He did nothing but bring home the bacon so to speak. Jackson’s parents tryed to make her act the same way as they did. Distant, socially acceptable, and above all appearance was most important.
As you can see, Jackson’s life obviously connected heavily to her writings. Her parents and husband played large roles in her emotional stresses which she sought to take out on paper. She did a damn good job.
Shirley Jackson Reports
John's Shirley Jackson Report
Jenny's Shirley Jackson Report
Brian's Shirley Jackson Report
Jayson's Shirley Jackson Report
Bonnie's Shirley Jackson Report
Tausha's Shirley Jackson Report
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