Daemon Lover
Which two dresses does the narrator decide between? (Need both for points)
1. A blue silk dress
2. A print dress (ruffled)
When was The Lottery and Other Short Stories published (the decade is acceptable)
At the start of the story, what is Clara's husband focused on?
Practicalities - money, her medication
What is realism?
A genre of writing that aims to portray a truthful depiction of the lives of ordinary people
Why is Mrs Winning's name ironic?
It suggests she is a 'winner' but she chooses to lose a friend to maintain social status.
How old is the narrator? What is her age on her drivers license? (Need both for points)
1. 34
2. 30
Which two cities (or regions) did Jackson and her husband move between? (need both for points)
- Vermont, New England
- New York City,
What is post-modernism? What beliefs does it involve?
- A literary period after World War two.
- It involves questioning simple truths, offering skepticism and criticism of human's capacity for progress and reason.
Where does Mrs Winning live and why is this important (need both for points)?
- At the 'top of the hill'
- This suggests her superior social status
What does the title "Daemon Lover" and the character "James Harris" make reference to?
An old English folklore spoke about a man named James Harris who would enthrall women to elope with him, only for them to realise along the way he was the devil in disguise, taking them to Hell.
How was Shirley Jackson treated by the close knit community in Vermont, New England?
• Jackson and her husband were resented, ostracised and excluded
• They faced anti-Semitism from their more conventional Christian neighbours.
What does the "run" in Clara's "stockings" foreshadow?
Her fraying identity
Name two features of post-modernism (need both for points)
• Unreliable narrators
• Anxiety and the search for meaning
• Irony
• Satire
Why do "no flowers" grow "around the Winning house"? (Need two ideas for points)
- Symbolic of moral decay and darkness.
- They can't move past outdated perspective about race.
The narrator is laughed at repeatedly, while men look at her "smiling" - why is this important?
- It suggested that lonely women are mocked or ridiculed.
- Reflects societal attitudes at the time where women were not infantalised or disrespected
How was Jackson treated by her husband and mother (must comment on both for points)?
- Jackson’s husband had many extramarital affairs
- He was emotionally and financially abusive.
- Her mother was dissatisfied with Jackson’s choices
- She was critical of her weight and appearance
What are the "toothache" and "extraction" symbolic of? (need both for points)
- Toothache - decay / stagnation in Clara's life or marriage
- Extraction - dissolution of her identity (as female / housewife)
• Insular and claustrophobic settings
• Melding of reality and illusion
• Bleak in its message
When Mrs McLane and Mrs Winings first encounter Billy Jones - what does each say to him? Direct quotes for points.
Mrs McLane: "Young man - will you come here a minute please"
Mrs Winnings: "Billy Jones! Come here at once!"
Fill in the gap: "No matter how often or how firmly she knocked _____________________"
"No matter how often or how firmly she knocked no one ever came to the door."
How did Jackson feel about the societal expectations of women in the 1940s? Provide one example of this view from one of the stories we have read. (need both for points)
- Jackson felt frustration, entrapment, and critical rebellion toward 1940s societal expectations for women.
- eg. The protagonist's obsession with clothing, make up or youth in Daemon Lover
- eg. The passiveness of the husband in The Tooth. Clara's shedding of her 'housewife' identity.
What items does Clara discard before the end of the story? (need to name three for points)
- Her barrette
- A pin
- Her shoes and stockings
- Her pocketbook
Name three features of the realism genre (need three for points)
• Matter-of-fact narration
• Commonplace settings
• Innuendo
• Intimidation (staring/laughing)
• Niceties
Which of Shirley Jackson's real life experiences are mirrored in Flower Garden (need two examples for points)
- She was ostracised by a small community
- She was subjected anti-outsider bigotry and social policing
- Her and her husband faced anti-semetism
- She was frustrated with the oppressive expectations of 1950s domesticity