Jackson's last novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, combines many of her most vital concerns-psychology, isolation, and evil-with a curiosity in black magic. Merricat, Jackson’s main character, is a young girl with many psychopathic tendencies including obsessive behavior and murder. Merrycat’s murder of more than half of her family is explained by her severely neurotic behavior. Her psychotic behavior can be seen though her obsessive habits, her almost childish mind, and …showed first 75 words of 479 total…

…showed last 75 words of 479 total…sister Constance who goes through thick and thin to protect Merricat. Jackson challenges the traditional idea of normality by being almost sympathetic towards Merricat’s behavior. It is obvious how closed in Merricat’s life is. At first, she is closed in mentally and then she closes herself off physically leaving the sane world behind. Although Merricat’s behavior is prompted by psychological disturbance the outcome of this behavior is not justified by any means.