The Possibility of Evil
By: Shirley Jackson
About the Author: Shirley Jackson
5 facts about the author and how their life personally relates to the story, include image
Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco on December 19, 1916 and spent most of her childhood in Burlingame, California. Burlingame was where she first started her writing career, beginning with poetry and short stories as a young teenager. When her family moved eastward, she attended the University of Rochester, but dropped out after a year and stayed home, practicing her writing skills. In 1937, she joined the Syracuse University and studied there. She published her first story, "Janice" at her university and was appointed fiction editor of the campus humor magazine. Jackson continued writing more short stories and poetry, and was even offered a teaching job at Bennington College, which she accepted. She was married once, and her career ended when she passed away in the year of 1965.
5 facts about the author and how their life personally relates to the story, include image
Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco on December 19, 1916 and spent most of her childhood in Burlingame, California. Burlingame was where she first started her writing career, beginning with poetry and short stories as a young teenager. When her family moved eastward, she attended the University of Rochester, but dropped out after a year and stayed home, practicing her writing skills. In 1937, she joined the Syracuse University and studied there. She published her first story, "Janice" at her university and was appointed fiction editor of the campus humor magazine. Jackson continued writing more short stories and poetry, and was even offered a teaching job at Bennington College, which she accepted. She was married once, and her career ended when she passed away in the year of 1965.
Pre-Reading Reflection
How do you define "evil"?
I definite as something or someone with a bad intention that can or will affect others in a very sincere negative way.
If you suspect that someone is going to do something evil, what responsibility do you have to prevent it?
The responsibility that I have if I know someone is going to do something evil is to first confirm that they are actually intending to do something evil. If they are, I can either try to persuade them not to or report it to a grown up about it, depending on how serious the situation is.
Why do some people sometimes enjoy saying bad things behind people's backs?
They might enjoy it because they could actually resent the person they are insulting, or they could just be following the crowd that insult people behind their backs.
What's the best way to respond to a person who does this?
I think that the best way to respond to a person who says bad things behind a person's back is to confront them to discontinue what they are doing before they get in serious trouble, or before the person they are insulting finds out, which just causes more resentment between people.
How do you define "evil"?
I definite as something or someone with a bad intention that can or will affect others in a very sincere negative way.
If you suspect that someone is going to do something evil, what responsibility do you have to prevent it?
The responsibility that I have if I know someone is going to do something evil is to first confirm that they are actually intending to do something evil. If they are, I can either try to persuade them not to or report it to a grown up about it, depending on how serious the situation is.
Why do some people sometimes enjoy saying bad things behind people's backs?
They might enjoy it because they could actually resent the person they are insulting, or they could just be following the crowd that insult people behind their backs.
What's the best way to respond to a person who does this?
I think that the best way to respond to a person who says bad things behind a person's back is to confront them to discontinue what they are doing before they get in serious trouble, or before the person they are insulting finds out, which just causes more resentment between people.
Vocabulary in ContextDefine each term as it is used in the context of the story and include quotes
Infatuated: Think highly; obsessed; "Don and Helen Crane were really the two most infatuated young parents she had ever known, she thought indulgently, looking at the delicately embroidered baby cap and the lace-edged carriage cover." (p. 28)
Indulgently: Excessively, deeply; "Done and Helen Crane were really the two most infatuated young parents she had ever known, she thought indulgently, looking at the delicately embroidered baby cap and the lace-edged carriage cover." (p. 28)
Negotiable: Compromise; "Miss Strangeworth never concerned herself with facts; her letters all dealt with the more negotiable stuff or suspicion." (p. 32)
Degraded: Treated with disrespect; "The town where she lived had to be kept clean and sweet, but people everywhere were lustful and evil and degraded, and needed to be watched the world was so large, and there was only one Strangeworth left in it." (p. 33)
Proverbial: Well known; "After her dishes were done and her kitchen set in order, she took up her hat-Miss Strangeworth's hats were proverbial in the town; people believed that she gad inherited them from her mother and her grandmother-and, locking the front door of her house behind her, set off on her evening walk, pocketbook under her arm." (p. 34)
Unduly: immoderately, excessively; "She did not feel that any of them were staring at her unduly or longing to laugh at her it would have been most reprehensible for their parents to permit there children to mock Miss Strangeworth of Pleasant street." (p. 35)
Potential: having or showing the capacity to become or developing into something in the future; "She did not notice it because she was wondering whether a letter to the Harris boy's father might not be of some service in wiping out this potential badness." (p. 36)
Infatuated: Think highly; obsessed; "Don and Helen Crane were really the two most infatuated young parents she had ever known, she thought indulgently, looking at the delicately embroidered baby cap and the lace-edged carriage cover." (p. 28)
Indulgently: Excessively, deeply; "Done and Helen Crane were really the two most infatuated young parents she had ever known, she thought indulgently, looking at the delicately embroidered baby cap and the lace-edged carriage cover." (p. 28)
Negotiable: Compromise; "Miss Strangeworth never concerned herself with facts; her letters all dealt with the more negotiable stuff or suspicion." (p. 32)
Degraded: Treated with disrespect; "The town where she lived had to be kept clean and sweet, but people everywhere were lustful and evil and degraded, and needed to be watched the world was so large, and there was only one Strangeworth left in it." (p. 33)
Proverbial: Well known; "After her dishes were done and her kitchen set in order, she took up her hat-Miss Strangeworth's hats were proverbial in the town; people believed that she gad inherited them from her mother and her grandmother-and, locking the front door of her house behind her, set off on her evening walk, pocketbook under her arm." (p. 34)
Unduly: immoderately, excessively; "She did not feel that any of them were staring at her unduly or longing to laugh at her it would have been most reprehensible for their parents to permit there children to mock Miss Strangeworth of Pleasant street." (p. 35)
Potential: having or showing the capacity to become or developing into something in the future; "She did not notice it because she was wondering whether a letter to the Harris boy's father might not be of some service in wiping out this potential badness." (p. 36)
Contrasting Ideas
Provide at least 5 examples of each from the story
Provide at least 5 examples of each from the story
Miss Strangeworth seems EVIL
- Miss Strangeworth is hostile against the crane baby "A princess can be a lot of trouble sometimes," Miss Strangeworth said dryly." (p. 28) - She criticizes Don and Helen Crane about how they treat her too well and care about her "Well apologize to her right now," Miss Strangeworth said. "She is probably worrying about why you keeping jumping around all the time." (p.29) -Miss Strangeworth is rude to people and likes to point out sloppiness. Like how she sighed out loud when someone had sloppy hair. "Miss Strangeworth noticed that Miss Chandler had not taken much trouble with her hair that morning, and sighed. Miss Strangeworth hated sloppiness." (p. 29) - Miss Strangeworth never gave away flowers to ANYONE. "Miss Strangeworth never gave away any of her roses, although the tourists often asked her." (p. 26) - Miss Strangeworth seemed evil when she sent those letters to the people, saying rude and mysterious things about their problems, all the while without saying her name. "Didn't you ever see an idiot child before? Some people just shouldn't have children, should they? She was pleased with her letter." (p. 31) |
Miss Strangeworth Does Not Seem EVIL
- Miss Strangeworth worries about others, like how she worried about Mr. Lewis "He looked very tired indeed. He was usually so chipper, Miss Strangeworth thought, and almost commented, but it was for too personal a subject to be introduced to Mr. Lewis, the grocer, so she only said,"And a can of cat food and, I think, a tomato." (p. 27) - She was friendly to others and greeted everyone "Walking down Main Street on a summer morning, Miss Strangeworth had to stop every minute or so to say good morning to someone or to ask after someone's health." (p. 26) - She's old, so she seems pleasant and she smiles a lot. "She was seventy-one, Miss Strangeworth told the tourists, with a pretty little dimple showing by her lip, and she sometimes found herself thinking that the town belonged to her. (p. 25) - She is loyal and committed to her town. "She had never spent more than a day outside this town in all her long life." (p. 25) - She smiled happily when she saw the Crane baby. "Carrying her little bag of groceries, Miss Strangeworth came out of the store into the bright sunlight and stopped to smile down on the Crane baby." (p. 28) |