Shirley Jackson Essay Research Paper Life and

Shirley Jackson Essay, Research Paper

Life and Work

Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1919 to Leslie and Geraldine Jackson. Her surroundings were comfortable

and friendly. Two years after Shirley was born, her family with her newborn brother moved from San Francisco to

Burlingame, California, about thirty miles away. “According to her mother, Shirley began to compose verse almost as

soon as she could write it” (Friedman, 18). As a child, Shirley was interested in sports and literature. In 1930, a year

before she attended Burlingame High School, Shirley began writing poetry and short stories. Jackson enrolled in the

liberal arts program at the University of Rochester in 1934. But after periods of unhappiness and questioning the loyalty

of her friends, she withdrew from the university. For the next year Shirley worked night and day on her writing. In

doing so she established work habits, which she maintained for the rest of her life. After a year of becoming

conscientious and disciplined writer, Jackson thought she better return to college for more schooling. In 1937, she

entered Syracuse University. At first she was in the School of Journalism, but then she decided to transfer to the English

department. For the next two years, while at Syracuse, Shirley published, fifteen pieces in campus magazines and

became fiction editor of “The Syracusan”, a campus humor magazine. When her position as fiction editor was

eliminated, she and fellow classmate Stanley Edgar Hyman began to plan a magazine of literary quality, one that the

English Club finally agreed to sponsor. (Friedman, 21) In 1939, the first edition of “The Spectre” was published.

Although the magazine became popular, the English department didn’t like the biting editorials and critical essays. But

inspite of the department’s constant watch over the magazine, Leonard Brown, a modern literature teacher, backed the

students and the publication. Later, Jackson was always to refer to Brown as her mentor; and in 1959 she dedicated her

novel “The Haunting of Hill House” to him.(Oppenheimer, 45) But in the summer of 1940, since Jackson and Hyman

were graduating, it was announced the “The Spectre” had been discontinued. “Apparently hard feelings on the part of

school authorities lasted for quite some time and may have been one of the reasons why neither Miss Jackson, even after

becoming a successful author, nor Mr. Hyman, a known critic, was named as a recipient of the Arents Pioneer Medal

for outstanding achievement, the highest honor granted by the university. Not until the year of her death in

1965-twenty-five years later- was the medal finally awarded to her-in absentia, since she was unable to attend the

ceremony.”(Friedman, 26)

In 1940, after their graduation Hyman and Jackson, who had a relationship, were married. While living in Vermont,

Jackson continued to write. One of her earliest times in Vermont later became material for her first book about the

family, “Life Among the Savages.” Between 1945 and 1947, Jackson was occupied with her first novel, “The Road

Through the Wall.” But it was in 1948 that her greatest success was achieved. The publication of the short story, “The

Lottery”, brought fame, as well as letters from readers all over the country. But more often there were abusive letters

from people who did not understand her motives or what she was trying to do. A year later a book entitled, “The

Lottery”, was published containing an assortment of short stories including “The Lottery.” The critics by that time, had

decided that Shirely Jackson was a writer of much talent and uniqueness. Even though Jackson was raising four

children while her husband went to work, she still found time to write. Sometimes when a story idea would come to

her, she would bolt off to her typewriter. Instead of fighting writing, as other writers do; she found the opposite; that

writing was relaxing.

In 1949, the Hymans moved to Westport, Connecticut. As usual she worked hard. Six of her stories were published in

various magazines including “The New Mexico Quarterly Review”, “Collier’s”, and “The Reader’s Digest.” A year later

her second novel, “Hangsaman” was ready for publication. Critics, a “Time” magazine staffer and the writer of “The

Yale Review”, regarded this book as one of the outstanding books of the year. (Friedman, 29)

During the 1950s, while her children were growing up, Jackson published at least forty-four short stories, six articles;

two book-length family chronicles; one children’s nonfiction book; and four novels.

In 1952, besides publishing eleven short stories in various magazines, “The Lottery” was adapted for television. A year

later “Life Among the Savages” was published, while “The Lottery was adapted into play form. The play, which was

one-act, was the most performed play for the next several years in little theater and high school groups. (Friedman, 31)

Two years later, in 1954, the publication of her novel “The Bird’s Nest” received very good reviews. “Both

‘Hangsama

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