The VCE English guide to ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ for Year 12s
Published in 1962, VCE English selected Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle as a prime example of Gothic fiction, blending the psychological horror with social commentary. The novel centres on two sisters, Merricat and Constance Blackwood, who live in isolation following a mysterious family tragedy (a mystery for you, the reader, to solve). With its eerie tone, Gothic atmosphere and unsettling characters, Jackson’s work delves into themes of trauma, social isolation, the complex dynamics of family, and more.
This blog explores Shirley Jackson’s Gothic novel ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ through the lens of a VCE English tutor. As a literature fan, tutor and gothic horror enjoyer, I found this novel to be a pleasant, spooky, meaningful read. I really enjoyed discussing it with my students, so I’d love to share a slice of my insights with you.
Here’s what the blog will go through:
- Summary & Context
- Essential Themes
- Symbol Analysis
If you want more, take a look at my 37-page We Have Always Lived in the Castle Study Guide which is just the more detailed, more SAC and exam-oriented version of what I’ve learnt & what I tutor. Call it ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ notes, ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ study guide, or simply ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ resources, it’s written by a tutor (LaunaTutors specifically) and designed to help you understand this nuanced text.
Here’s a thank-you discount for checking my blog out: CASTLEBLOG5
Scroll to the bottom for more free & paid resources.
What is it about?
‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ is a gothic novel written by Shirley Jackson. Embedded with all the key markers of gothics, and a layer of uniquely feminine horror, the story centres around two sisters’ survival - reflecting the core fears of being a woman in the 1950s US.
With a distinct sense of isolation, claustrophobia and distrust of outsiders, the book forces us into rigid lines the sisters have set for themselves for safety. We, as readers, can only hope for their escape - although we (and they themselves) are not quite sure what that could be in a patriarchal, cruel society.
Despite the haunting atmosphere and plotline, there are glimmers of humanity that peek through the pages. Jackson may have a dark perspective on society, but as an audience we may speculate that she still believes in the good of people. More so, the duality each human being possesses within themselves.
Essential themes
When writing in your VCE English SACs and exams, we all know it’s important to reference themes. Think of a theme like a thread that connects several different points of the story, a red string in a detective’s pin board.
Here are some themes that I tend to focus on in ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’. I highly recommend you create your notes under these titles, so that your ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ notes are beautifully organised for ease of study by the time you reach your exams. Here’s some descriptions that you can model your notes after.
- Gothic - If you do a little research into Gothic literature, you’ll see exactly how Jackson’s novel is a prime example of this genre. To elevate your notes, research & link it to the concept of ‘female gothic’, an exploration of uniquely female fears in horror. (Or you can read it in-depth in my Castle study guide!)
- Family - Ask yourself, throughout this story, how does their family dynamic shape the sisters and their personalities?
- Trauma & Neglect - The core of ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ is how the sisters grow and become due to their trauma.
- Class Divide - There is a distinct feel of class divide through the novel. Try to divide the class lines, and how the inter- and intra- group interacts are.
- Human Nature - Every story is about human nature. In this one, the underlying message may be that human nature is complex. Both good and bad coexist, both greed and generosity. Ask yourself which characters demonstrate the dichotomy of human nature the most.
- Gender Roles - Set in 1950s USA, you can bet that Shirley Jackson has laid her feelings about gender roles & patriarchy into the story.
- Witchcraft - I love the spooky element of witchcraft (such as The Crucible and Year of Wonders). It typically represents female power, or collective societal fear of the unknown. Aaah! Burn her, she’s a witch!
- Isolation - How does isolation affect the sisters? Did they choose it, or was it done to them? Was it inevitable, or a result of their own choices?
Note: If you want my in-depth analysis & evidence for these themes, they’re all wrapped neatly into my Castle study guide.
Symbol analysis
You absolutely should reference symbols and motifs when it comes to VCE English, especially We Have Always Lived in the Castle which is rich in symbolism.
Symbol/motif analysis is simply another literary device used to convey meaning, often elevating the message through its literal characteristics and associated characteristics. It creates subtext, rather than stating everything obviously to the audience. Here’s an example I lifted straight out of my study guide.
The most obvious symbol is the Blackwood mother’s pearls. It acts as a symbol of the role and responsibilities of women. The pearls are a luxurious piece of jewellery, but the burden weighs heavy once you start to wear the necklace.
Once Constance dons the pearls, she begins to take on these responsibilities she previously never had - in contrast with Charles taking on John Blackwood’s cuff links, watch, and other clothing articles. You can talk about how John Blackwood’s “gold cuff links” and other belongings, represent the generational cruelty/misogyny the male Blackwoods passed down to each other.
Wearing someone else’s belongings represents the passing on of particular social expectations. Similar to how families pass on their expectations and trauma.
Other symbols analysed in the study guide:
- The Manor / Haunted House
- Preserves
- Spider & Sugar Bowl
- Werewolf
- Colours
- Moon
- Food
Want more?
Does 37-pages of a tutor-written We Have Always Lived in the Castle Study Guide sound good to you? After working with a group of students, I’ve created We Have Always Lived in the Castle resources that are easily digestible by Year 12s, who may struggle with unpacking this dark and haunting gothic novel. It’s essentially 37 pages of the notes you saw above, but for way more in-depth analysis on themes, characters, symbols, motifs and language.
It includes two sections.
Section 1 -- Evidence and Analysis
There is a lot of information stored in the study guide that will allow you to weave evidence/analysis in essays.
- Context & setting
- Chapter summaries
- Themes -- Gothic, Family, Trauma & Neglect, Class divide, Human Nature, Gender Roles, Witchcraft, Isolation
- Language -- Title, Unreliable narrator, Foreshadowing, Repetition, Names
- Symbols & motifs -- Mother's pearls, The Manor, Preserves, Spider/Sugar bowl, Werewolf, Colours, Moon, Food
- Characters -- Merricat Blackwood, Constance Blackwood, Charles Blackwood, Uncle Julian, other characters
Section 2 -- Essay Writing
Here is essay writing advice for each section to give you ideas.
- How I write essays
- Paragraph writing
- Practice essay prompts
You can access it here >> https://launatutors.com/b/we-have-always-lived-in-the-castle-study-guide
Plus... Here’s a thank you discount for checking out this blog, so you can ace your We Have Always Lived in the Castle SACs and exams: CASTLEBLOG5.
Other (Free) Relevant Resources
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle Practice Essay Prompts
- Text Response Preparation Checklist + explanation video
- Paragraph Marking Checklist
If you have any questions regarding this Castle blog, the study guide or the other free resources, feel free to email me directly and we'll get in touch launatutors@gmail.com 💌
About the author
My name's Launa, also known as LaunaTutors! I've been tutoring since 2020, and have worked with over 100 students for hundreds of hours. I've done workshops that sold over 200+ tickets and created several resources, paid & free. If you're curious about what people have to say, head over to my testimonials section of the site. I taught VCE English We Have Always Lived in the Castle for a group of students in 2024, and so I've created these We Have Always Lived in the Castle resources for all high schoolers to access and enjoy.
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