Shirley Jackson’s Constant Battle of Self Satisfaction

Noted by Darryl Hattenhauer, Shirley Jackson, an American gothic author, was ranked among Americas most highly regarded fiction writers during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s (1). Jackson argued that â€Å"a good story must engage its reader, persuade him that he wants to belong in the story for as long as it lasts† and if the author fails to provide such experience then they can consider their work a failure (Hall 113). The idea of authors providing an experience of enjoyment, made Jackson a successful writer. She also believed that if an author is asked where their ideas come from they would simply â€Å"find [themselves] telling over, in some detail, the story of [their] life† (Hall 117). Jackson’s continuous refusal to agree with her mother’s†¦show more content†¦Mr. Summers is hesitant and even asks Mrs. Dunbar, â€Å"Dont you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?† Here Mr. Summers, even though not specifically stated, implies that a w omen was not capable of picking out a ticket for the family, it’s a man’s job to carry out such task. As the lottery continued, Mr. Summers didn’t hesitate when Watson, a young boy, was going to draw for his mother and himself. He was complimented rather than questioned by Mr. Summers as he stated, â€Å"Glad to see your mothers got a man to do it.† Again, emphasizing the idea that it was more appropriate for a man to do this job even if that man was a young inexperienced boy. Influenced by the refusal of how woman should portray themselves, Jackson’s stories included many women references that began with the disagreements of her mother’s beliefs regarding the typical woman. The repeated struggle against depression influenced many of Jackson’s stories. Since childhood, Jackson suffered from anxiety about her personal appearance leading her to believe she was an outcast. Though depression must have been a tough challenge, the benefit of her isolation was the skill she mastered of being a writer. Isolating herself in 1936, â€Å"Jackson withdrew from the university and spent the next year at home† in which during that period â€Å"she became a meticulous and disciplined writer† (Shirley Hardie Jackson par 1). As Jackson aged, her