"First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a haunting; Theodora, his light-hearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a chilling encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering powers - and soon it will choose one of them to make its own". - Citation is provided below!

Join us in reading the iconic classic horror novel, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. While the novel is the basis for a recent popular Netflix series, it is important to note that the novel is significantly different than the television series. In this course, we will explore Hill House as it presents its fascinating spirits, mysteries, and evils to its four suspecting but, certainly unprepared, guests. When deciding whether or not this is a novel that is a good fit for students, it is important to note that this is a horror novel and as such can be intense at times. It is designed to scare and shock. Please see the parental guidance below for more details. If this seems like a novel that is a good fit, then students will love the surprises found in each room of the mansion. The characters are pleasantly engaging and the house has its own sense of charm. But evil lurks within its walls. As the guests seek to find the source of the disturbances that frequent the building, we will work to discover our own understanding of what happens in Hill House.

As we read the novel, students will discuss the reading itself through reading comprehension questions; analysis questions focused on character development, symbolism, allusion, and more; debate questions centered around opinions, arguments, and interpretations of the novel; and through examining the cultural, historical, and genre-related significance that The Haunting of Hill House has created! Below is a schedule of topics that we will cover as we read. Please note that while we will talk about these topics, our conversation and student interests and needs will drive the order of our week. If you have questions, please let me know!

Weekly Schedule:
Week One: Introduction
     - Introduction to the Novel
     - Introduction to the Author
     - Introduction to Genres
          - Horror, Gothic, Supernatural
     - Controversies of Horror Stories
Week Two: Chapters 1 - 2
     - First Impressions of the Novel
     - Impressions and Interpretations of Hill House
     - The Four Guests
     - The Setting: Connections to Fear
     - Elements of the Horror, Gothic, and Supernatural
Week Three: Chapters 3 - 4
     - The Origins of Hill House
     - Laughter, Smiles, and Other Innocuous Things
          - Why do simple things terrify?
     - Literary Device Focus:
          - Foreshadowing, Connotation, Denotation, Allusion
     - Equilibrium and Balance
     - Mapping the House
     - Character Development and Analysis
Week Four: Chapters 5 - 6
     - Symbolism of Good and Evil
     - Perceptions, Assumptions, and Evidence
     - Art Analysis (Paintings Featured in the Novel)
     - Epigraphs and Epitaphs
     - Emotions of Horror, Gothic, and Supernatural Stories
Week Five: Chapters 7 - 9 (The End)
     - The Introduction of Two Unexpected Characters
     - Character Development with New Characters Introduced
     - Tools and Terms of the Paranormal and Paranormal Investigations
     - What do people want from one another?
     - Music and Its Use in Scary Stories
     - The House Claims Its Own
     - Interpretation of the Ending 
     - Optional: (If Students Have Seen the Netflix Series)
          - Comparing the Novel to the Television Show
Citation:
          Jackson, Shirley. The Haunting of Hill House. New York, Penguin Books, 1959.