nist, Elizabeth Richmond, a somber, bland woman who is convinced she is responsible for hermother's death, invents alternate personas as a result of being unable to deal with guilt. With the help of a psychiatristand an eccentric aunt, Elizabeth gradually regains control of her psyche. The novel is generally regarded as Jackson'swittiest novel since it was lauded for its comic yet compassionate treatment of mental disorder. In 1956, Jackson'snon-fiction prose, "The Witchcraft of Salem Village", was published. It's a simple, chilling account of the witchcrafttrials of 1692 and 93' when, because of testimony given by a group of little girls, twenty persons were executed aswitches and others died in jail. "The Sundial", published in 1958, is an apocalyptic and satirical novel that centers uponeleven boorish people who believe that the end of the world is near. Seeking sanctuary in a sprawling gothic estate, theyburn the books in the library, irrationally stock the shelves with canned olives and galoshes, play cards, and bickerendlessly. At the end of the novel, the group is still waiting for Armageddon. A gothic manor again plays a crucial rolein "The Haunting of Hill House"(1959). This work concerns an experimental psychic study held at Hill House, an eerieedifice that is presumed to be haunted. Research participants include Eleanor Vance, a timid, repressed woman withastonishing psychic powers. The other people brought to Hill House are confident and self-centered and soon alienateEleanor form the only environment in which she was ever comfortable. Jackson's last novel, "We Have Always Livedin the Castle"(1962) combines many of her most vital concerns-psychology, isolation, and evil-with a curiosity in blackmagic. "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" is the story of two sisters victimized by their small New England villagebecause of the unsolved mass murder of their family. Although neighbors believe the murder was committed byConstance,...
