In Shirley Jackson’s ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle,’ the author tells the story of a family living in a grand old isolated estate from the eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine’s perspective. Mary Katherine also was known as Merricat who is the younger sister to Constance portrays the alienation and isolation that the family of three faces. The author uses various elements and scenarios to represent isolation in the book such as the moon and the family living alone in a secluded house. Despite the challenges Merricat, Constance, and their uncle underwent, the two girls never lost hope of leading a life they had control over. Given the circumstances surrounding the death of the rest of the family and the segregation they were compelled to face by the community, it is thus no surprise that the three characters chose to isolate themselves from the world. Therefore, isolation causes detachment from one’s environment and consequently imparting naivety amongst individuals.
Mary Katherine, Constance, and their uncle lived in an isolated ancient house away from the community following the murder of the rest of the family. The uncle who was rendered handicapped by arsenic has become dependent on the girls to help him go about daily life chores (Jackson, 1962). In the book, Jackson takes a particular focus on Marricat as she uses the character to display the torments that the family has gone through and the changes the two girls make to improve their lives. Merricat is a disturbed girl who upheld superstitious beliefs. Mary Katherine revealed a rather strong character that had unusual thoughts and hobbies. For instance, the narrator likes going into town to purchase their weekly supplies although she witnessed the town’s hostility (Jackson, 1962). On her way to buy the goods, Merricat would run into her peers who would make fun of her. Instead of reciprocating the attitude, Mary Katherine would close her eyes and imagine those making fun of her dead.
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Constance and Mary Katherine have with time disengaged themselves and entirely there detached from the society. The two were forced to accept the death of their family who was poisoned. Jackson (1962) explains that in the midst of all the confusion, Constance chose to overcome her fears and began interacting with the world. Although she still had feared, isolation had pushed her to the brink of a breakdown. Merricat, on the other hand, seemed frightened by the idea of interacting with the world again. Her hatred for the village for what they did to her family is still evident as she plots to kill all the villagers. Mari Katherine, as opposed to Constance, seemed to be more at peace with the isolation from the world.
Mary Katherine soon developed neurotic tendencies which began to manifest in terrifying ways. Other than admitting to enjoying burning everyone in the village, Merricat also intended to obtain complete possession of her older sister (Jackson, 1962). Merricat acknowledges that the barrier between Constance and her is that her sister had begun embracing the world. Katherine presumed that isolation would be the key to achieving her maniacal goals. Isolation from the real world may cause an individual to dwell on fantasies and imaginations which will in time develop into a dangerous obsession (Jackson, 1962). Isolation triggers the most creative part of the brain which may cause the manifestation of mental illness as portrayed by Katherine. Merricat wanted to take her sister to the moon where no one will bother or interfere with his or her lives. Jackson reveals Merricat’s thoughts about Charles Blackwood, “Already the house smelled of him, of his pipe and his shaving lotion, and the noise of him echoed in the rooms all day long; his pipe was sometimes on the kitchen table, and his gloves or his tobacco pouch or his constant boxes of matches were scattered through our rooms.” The author uses the moon symbolically to show the perfect life of the narrator, Mary Katherine. Ideally, Mary Katherine despised the thought of having to share Constance with anyone else.
The story thus reveals the dangers in isolation as seen through the eyes and brain of the narrator whose mental health is seen to deteriorate. Mary Katherine felt safe and comfortable within the house and wanted the Constance to appreciate the same. Merricat devoted to ending Constance need for affection and interaction to the point of planning for the deaths of the villagers (Jackson, 1962). In the book, the author introduces two characters namely Helen Clarke and Charles Blackwood whom both came to the house with the intention of removing both Katherine and Constance from the isolation of their home. Charles Blackwood presented himself as a suitor to Constance and immediately noticed the way Katherine behaved. Blackwood was quick to raise the issue and was soon reprimanding Katherine for her behavior which gave Katherine a suffocated feeling. Jackson (1962) elaborates, “. I was held tight, wound round with wire, I could not breathe, and I had to run. I threw the sweater on the floor and went out the door and down to the creek where I always went.” Charles Blackwood soon became the voice of reason in the house, a change that Merricat loathed.
Isolation, therefore, is a significant contributor to the various psychopathic behaviors in people. Mental illness is not caused by isolation but rather triggered. In Shirley Jackson’s ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle, the reader is given the first personal encounter through the life of Merricat who felt that the world intended to separate her from her elder sister, Constance. Isolation created defiance for rules and norms as demonstrated with the relationship between Merricat and Charles Blackwood. The isolation of the two sisters caused both of them to detest patriarchal rules and found it difficult to conform to the regulations of the world systems. As a result, the sisters opted to cut any connections with the world entirely at the end of the book. Thus, Constance and Katherine opted to watch the chaos of the outside world from afar while deciding not to adhere to the rules and social norms. Isolation thus induces a form of uncivilized mindset to the sisters which impair their judgment and general perception of the world.
Reference
Jackson, S. (1962). We Have Always Lived in the Castle .
