For me half the horror is never getting a clear understanding of what is happening (and if anything is even happening at all); it's the same kind of horror we get from Gilman in The Yellow Wallpaper.
Yes! Jackson is all about the slithery liminal, that place where you look up and go Oh God what the hell is going on and do I even want to know. Gaslighting would fit right into that!
I love the idea of Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Montague in cahoots with each other; there's that scene where Eleanor (and maybe Theo, too; not sure) overhears Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Montague having a normal people conversation
Aren't they going on about how nice it is that Luke and Theo are such nice young people and so suited for each other? LOL. It's like suddenly we're in a different book altogether. Mrs Dudley is usually just passed off as a figure of fun, but who cooks is always important in Jackson, especially if they're good at it. And of course the D links her to the infamous Mrs Danvers in Rebecca.
-- Did you ever read Stephen King's writing about Hill House in Danse Macabre? That was wayy back before she got any serious academic attention at all. He was pretty good.
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Yes! Jackson is all about the slithery liminal, that place where you look up and go Oh God what the hell is going on and do I even want to know. Gaslighting would fit right into that!
I love the idea of Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Montague in cahoots with each other; there's that scene where Eleanor (and maybe Theo, too; not sure) overhears Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Montague having a normal people conversation
Aren't they going on about how nice it is that Luke and Theo are such nice young people and so suited for each other? LOL. It's like suddenly we're in a different book altogether. Mrs Dudley is usually just passed off as a figure of fun, but who cooks is always important in Jackson, especially if they're good at it. And of course the D links her to the infamous Mrs Danvers in Rebecca.
-- Did you ever read Stephen King's writing about Hill House in Danse Macabre? That was wayy back before she got any serious academic attention at all. He was pretty good.