The Haunting of Hill House Review

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a Gothic Fiction novel about 4 people, Eleanor Vance, Theodora, Luke and Dr. John Montague, who uncover the Hauntings of Hill House, a large mansion. Throughout the novel, the characters experience fear of the unknown. The main character Eleanor is found dealing with her past childhood traumas. Several times in the novel, Eleanor is known for mentioning her mother in lots of her conversation, which was someone Eleanor had unspoken tragic memories with. Eleanor’s stay at Hill House was a life lesson for myself. I loved every single piece of the novel. The Haunting of Hill House was terrifying and after reading a chapter I found myself double checking my surroundings and almost putting myself in the protagonist’s shoes. I began to see all of the tragedies of my past and present as something that should be faced and addressed, not ran away from. For example, how Eleanor reacted with pure fear when she first saw the library or the tower for that matter. I felt a connection with the novel at that point and that was the deciding factor for this novel to become one of my favorites. I did happen to dislike the relationship between Dr. Montague and the other characters. Dr. Montague seemed a little too impersonal and he seemed as if he knew information that he said he did not know, taking away from his overall character. For example, every time Eleanor or Theodora entered a room he was always one step ahead of everyone. Although, he was supposed to be the leader, he didn’t seem very genuine. I recommend this novel to a junior or senior in High School. The Haunting of Hill House was a great novel, though the message is something that younger audiences may not be able to fully grasp or understand. Overall, The Haunting Of Hill House was an amazing thriller!

Reading Journal Day 12/Today’s Lesson

2/12/19


Today’s Lesson
Reflection:

Today I learned the difference between commentary and analysis within an essay. Analysis within and essay is breaking down the underlying meaning of a word, phrase  or sentence in a literary work. Commentary in an essay is basically one’s feelings toward on a topic and elaborated on simply as if they were having a conversation with the reader through the paper. In an essay, confusing analysis and commentary can confuse the reader making it difficult for them to understand how the writer is trying to convey the meaning of the work as a whole.


Day 12:

Today was amazing. I had a productive day at school. Once I got home I dedicated my evening to planning for which College I finally decide to go to. I ate almost too many snacks and listened to my favorite music. I am starting to enjoy my senior year of high school and I’m very excited to make many more memories

Reading Journal Day 11/ The Color Purple

2/11/19


Letter 68 (page 178)
Reflection:
This letter was short, yet monumental in the novel because of the deep meaning behind the brief dialogue. Shug told Celie that she was coming to Tennessee with her and basically leaving everything she had behind. This letter was monumental because Celie was finally starting to understand things that she never understood in her lifetime so far. Though, this major change in Celie’s life was very important to her growth in to the end of the novel. It makes me appreciate everything I have and understand the purpose of change and how it can be beneficial.



Day 11:

My day today was boring. It was not very productive, but fortunately I have remained faithful to my daily schedule balancing school and sleep. I have been preparing for my audition for the school of music at Azusa Pacific University and it has been time consuming, but it is all worth it! Success takes patience and dedication, and that is a big part of my life. Today I learned that I need to be more confident in everything I do. I am intelligent and talented, but I have to be confident when I take part in certain programs or activities.

Reading Journal Day 10/ The Color Purple

2/10/19


Letter 56 (pages 134-137)
Reflection:

This chapter stood out to me primarily because of how Nettie was self aware. Nettie became more educated as she traveled and became more exposed to a life she never knew existed. Nettie knew the importance of priorities and though, not explicitly stated, she did, in fact, remain true to herself. Despite everything she saw, all the people, she met, and how all of those things made her feel, she remained humble first. When she did things she did them in order of importance and that was common of her people in that time. In contemporary society, prioritizing is seen much differently. She also said how ignorant she was once she began to learn all that she knew nothing about, and that is weird because Nettie was considered very intelligent among many, but the world is made up of hierarchy that is constantly changing. This chapter was amazing because there were many valuable life lessons that were not focused on very much but were extremely significant.


Day 10:

My weekend was peaceful. I spent my weekend at home for the first time in a while. Typically, I’m at a friends house or out contributing to my community because I’m involved in so many extra curricular programs that focus on making contributions. Reading this weekend has changed my perspective on the knowledge I have and makes me feel that all the times i begin to feel like school is overrated, I realize how important it is to broaden your knowledge at any expense. I have taken time this weekend to care for myself and pay extra attention to my needs. I always learn something and I enjoy learning and it’s a large part of who I am. This weekend was different.

Reading Journal Day 9/ The Color Purple

2/8/19


Reflection:
So far In the novel, all the characters are growing and developing. It had been revealed that Nettie is in fact living and has been writing Celie for some time and Celie is just now finding out. Why? It is humbling to have had the opportunity of reading this book right now because it serves as a source for important life lessons that I don’t have to learn first hand. What will Celie’s Reaction be to reading these letters? We’re they kept from her all this time?


Day 9:

My day was productive and exhausting. I have been working efficiently and I am still on this new schedule, sleeping and waking up on time and just being punctual. It is very rewarding to see how being on time really makes me feel better. I have straight A’s and one B right now and graduation is creeping up on me. I’m excited to go out in to the real world and be someone of importance, but that does take time and patience, which I have to teach myself.

Reading Journal Day 8/ The Color Purple

2/5/19


Letter 43 (pages 102-103)
Reflection:
This letter, amongst the others, was special in its own way. Celie and Sofia have gotten much closer and the last thing Celie mentioned, was that she hadn’t heard Sofia giggle the way that she did, in three years. It seems that life can be overwhelming and it can get a hold of us all at some time, and we as a people can forget to enjoy the little things when everything in life seems so difficult. This time in particular it was someone noticing someone else’s moment of happiness, but either way having that brought to attention is very important. Without having joy even for short periods of time, we can lose a sense of who we are and it’s beautiful that the author was able to capture that in the most simple yet effective way.


Day 8:

My day today was okay, but very tiring. So, now that I am on a particular schedule that I’ve fell in to, I’ve been doing things around the same time every day. This makes me happy because I have been getting so many things done every single day all in the same time frame. I feel much more organized and productive than I have at any point in my life since I started high school. Fortunately, I know when to rest but that can be a little difficult when trying to accomplish so much in one day. So, today I was a very sleepy but productive. My day was okay.

Reading Journal Day 7/ The Color Purple

2/4/19


Reflection:
So far in the novel, Shug Avery and Celie are becoming much closer and it seems almost as if Celie is in love with Shug. Celie feels like Shug is a queen and treats her as such and in return for wonderful care taking, Shug educates Celie on the same things Sofia and Nettie tried to tell her about, but because it comes from someone Celie is infatuated with, it’s valued a little more and taken into consideration. Shug also helps Celie to explore herself and be more in touch with her body and that it’s normal. Celie is developing as a character and it’s amazing. Her writings to god are starting to become more complex and it helps with understanding the novel as a whole. Now while Celie is developing, more issues arise and Sofia is faced with the reality of racism and white Supremacy. When Sofia was beaten and arrested, she said that she functions in jail by trying to be like Celie. Which is weak minded and submissive to the requirements of the white man. The book is getting better page by page and the value of history is expressed clearly in her writing.


Day 7:

My day today was good, in most ways similar to other good days. I am happy because I am falling into a particular schedule and I’m staying in sync with my energy. I woke up feeling great and I did everything in good time and I accomplished a lot. My day was productive