Gossip says she hanged herself from the turret on the tower, but when you have a house like Hill House with a tower and a turret, gossip would hardly allow you to hang yourself anywhere else.
Shirley JacksonRead
Hill House, she thought, You're as hard to get into as heaven.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the challenge of accessing something rare or exclusive, comparing it to the difficulty of entering heaven.
In this quote, Shirley Jackson uses the metaphor of Hill House being as difficult to enter as heaven to convey the idea that certain places or experiences are shrouded in mystery and elusiveness. This statement suggests that the allure and intrigue of such places can be both inviting and intimidating, provoking a deep reflection on the nature of barriers—be they emotional, social, or psychological—that prevent us from fully engaging with the world around us.
Themes
AccessElusivenessMetaphorHill HouseHeaven
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on architectural design, one might say this quote to emphasize the allure of exclusive buildings.
More from Shirley Jackson
All quotes →It watches," he added suddenly. "The house. It watches every move you make.
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There had not been this many words sounded in our house for a long time, and it was going to take a while to clean them out.
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Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.
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I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. "I always want to frighten them more.
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I was pretending that I did not speak their language; on the moon we spoke a soft, liquid tongue, and sang in the starlight, looking down on the dead dried world.
Shirley JacksonRead
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