📚 Part 1: Shirley Jackson Biography

1. Based on the presentation, list three key biographical facts about Shirley Jackson that influenced her Gothic writing style:

2. Which historical period did Jackson write in, and how did this context shape her themes?

Pre-World War I - themes of optimism and progress

Post-World War II - themes of anxiety and cultural shifts

Victorian era - themes of industrialisation

Great Depression - themes of economic hardship

3. Fill in the blanks about Jackson's most famous works:

Shirley Jackson is best known for her short story "___________" and her novel "___________ _____ _______ ______ __ ___ ______".

🏰 Part 2: Gothic Elements in Jackson's Work

4. Identify the Gothic characteristics present in Jackson's writing. Check all that apply:

Psychological suspense

Domestic terror

Family secrets

Isolation and alienation

The uncanny

Romantic love stories

Comedy and humour

5. Match the Gothic motifs with their examples from Jackson's biographical context:

1. Isolation

2. Family dynamics

3. Social anxiety

4. Domestic spaces

A. Jackson's complex relationship with neighbours

B. Her focus on household settings as sites of terror

C. Her own experiences of being an outsider

D. Her personal family relationships and tensions

📖 Part 3: Textual Analysis - "We Have Always Lived in the Castle"

6. From the excerpts you read, identify examples of Gothic imagery or atmosphere. Provide specific quotes and explain their effect:

7. Note any unusual character behaviour or mood you observed in the excerpts:

8. What questions or predictions do you have based on the text excerpts?

🔍 Part 4: Critical Analysis and Synthesis

9. How do the themes in Jackson's work reflect post-war anxieties and cultural shifts? Provide specific examples:

10. Compare Jackson's Gothic style with traditional Gothic literature. What makes her approach unique?

She focuses on external supernatural threats rather than psychological horror

She emphasises domestic settings and everyday situations turned sinister

She avoids themes of isolation and family dysfunction

She writes primarily about historical rather than contemporary settings

11. Group Discussion Summary: Record 2-3 key insights from your group discussion about how Jackson's biography and Gothic elements intersect:

💭 Part 5: Reflection and Exit Task

12. In what ways does Shirley Jackson's personal context shape her Gothic narratives? Consider her life experiences, historical period, and social environment:

13. Extension Task: How might Jackson's American Gothic style relate to broader cultural anxieties of her time? What contemporary issues might modern Gothic writers explore?