The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: Day 19
Chapter 9, Part 2 - end
“Eleanor has to go back the way she came,” Dr. Montague insists, as if by doing so she will undo a magic charm.
I’ve read this novel at least half a dozen times, but tears still come to my eyes at the ending. The novel concludes with the same lines it opened with, showing that Eleanor’s fantasies of unity go unfulfilled. Just as Jackson’s hope that marriage would bring an end to her own loneliness turned out to be in vain, there will be no communion for Eleanor among the ghosts of Hill House. Whatever walks there still walks alone.
For those of you who have seen the Mike Flanagan “adaptation” of the novel, I’m curious about your thoughts on the way he chose to end it, which is… quite a departure.
Journeys end in lovers meeting, and now we’ve reached the end of our journey. It’s been such a pleasure to be in dialogue with all of you over the last few weeks! I hope you’ll join Brigid Hughes and me on the live Zoom Monday evening.
Join us on Monday, October 30 for a virtual discussion of The Haunting of Hill House with Ruth Franklin.
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Thanks so much to all of you for reading along and commenting with such enthusiasm! I benefited from so many of your insights. Looking forward to meeting in person those who can make it to the Zoom chat tomorrow!
What struck me on this reading is how Mrs M is right there, insisting on sense--Arthur drives her, yes, please! And the core group dismisses her to their immediate and lasting regret.
I suppose Hill House is the definition of a hungry ghost, one that lures w whatever the weakest desires, in Eleanor's case, community, presses on the others to alienate and eject her, and voila, the house has another woman to add to its mix, which is a lonely, single, malevolent, entity.
(Rather like Marion Crane in Psycho, who grabs the money and runs, hoping for freedom but meeting w another hungry ghost.)