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| Plot Summary of We Have Always Lived in the Castle |
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" Mary Katherine Blackstone lives with her older sister, Constance, and her invalid uncle Julian in a mansion cut off from the local village. Several years ago four members of the family had been poisoned. Constance had been accused, but was acquitted. The family is estranged from the villagers who still believe that Constance was the murderer. One day Charles, a cousin, shows up. Although Mary doesn't like him, Constance makes him welcome in the house, and begins to think about going back out in the world. Mary decides that she must do something to drive him away."
Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of We Have Always Lived in the Castle |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Moderately Challenging
Time/era of story:
- 1960's-1970's
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 30%
Special suspect?
- relative
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- cooped up in spooky house
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- a teen
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- mentally ill
- emotionally unstable
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- unemployed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Click here for more information about this book
Shirley Jackson Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Jack Goodstein
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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