Hangsaman
 Cover of first edition | |
| Author | Shirley Jackson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Speculative fiction | Gothic fiction |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Young |
Publication date | 1951 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 191 |
| ISBN | 978-0143107040 current edition, published by Penguin |
| Preceded by | 'The Road Through the Wall |
| Followed by | 'The Lottery and Other Stories |
Hangsaman is a 1951 gothic novel by American author Shirley Jackson. The second of Jackson's published novels, Hangsaman is a bildungsroman centering on lonely college freshman Natalie Waite, who descends into madness after enrolling in a liberal arts college.[1]
The novel takes its title from an old folk ballad and was partially inspired by the disappearance of Paula Jean Welden in 1946.[2][3][4][5][6] Jackson's text mixes satire with psychological elements as her protagonist spends half her time in an imaginary world.[7]
Background
In Jackson's papers, currently held at the Library of Congress, she indicates that she was partially inspired to write Hangsaman after the disappearance of 18-year-old Paula Jean Welden, who set out for a "long walk" on December 1, 1946, and never returned.[1] At the time, Jackson was living in Bennington, Vermont, as her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman, was employed at Bennington College, where Welden also attended university.[1]
Plot summary
Hangsaman tells the story of Natalie Waite, whose longing to move away from an oppressive home environment sees her attend a liberal arts school similar to Bennington College.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "Shirley Jackson's Horror Novel 'Hangsaman' Was Inspired By A Real-Life Disappearance". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
- ^ "HANGSAMAN, THE BIRD'S NEST, AND THE SUNDIAL BY SHIRLEY JACKSON". Retrieved 17 Mar 2015.
- ^ "Notes on Hangsaman -- Shirley Jackson (1951)". Retrieved 17 Mar 2015.
- ^ "Old School Wednesdays Readalong: Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson". Retrieved 17 Mar 2015.
- ^ "Mass-Market Marathon". Retrieved 17 Mar 2015.
- ^ "YOU MIGHT NEVER FIND YOUR WAY BACK: SHIRLEY JACKSON'S HANGSAMAN". Retrieved 17 Mar 2015.
- ^ Parks, John G. (1984). "Chambers of Yearning: Shirley Jackson's Use of the Gothic". Twentieth Century Literature. 30 (1): 15–29. doi:10.2307/441187. ISSN 0041-462X. JSTOR 441187.
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