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Abstract

We Have Always Lived in the Castle tells the story of two sisters, Merricat and Constance Blackwood, who have been brought up by a wealthy family, most of whose members are now deceased. The family always isolated itself from the village, as evidenced by their gated mansion. In Shirley Jackson's gothic novel, the villagers' greed, jealousy, and patriarchal social structures cause Merricat and Constance to be perceived as a threat to the villagers' egos, as the sisters challenge their ideologies with their matriarchal structure, one that keeps their riches in the hands of women who live comfortably secluded from the villagers. After the mysterious deaths of Merricat and Constance's family, the villagers use their `fear' of the Blackwoods to deem them monstrous and to justify their collective hatred; they also attempt to gain control over their independent family structure. Ultimately, though, the villagers are unable to assume power over the Blackwood girls as their matriarchy is not based on their material wealth but on their defiance of social norms. Their power lies in their self-isolation, rejection of conformity and male control, and self-sufficiency.

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