The short story “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson is about an old woman named Miss Strangeworth who is determined to rid “Strangeworth Town” of evil, yet she does not notice that she is causing evil herself. Although she seems like a proper, nice old lady, when she goes home every day, she writes cruel letters to the people in her town. Miss Strangeworth notices that everyone in the town is distressed and she wonders why. She refuses to acknowledge that she is truly evil herself. No one in that town would suspect her sending rude letters to everyone. Through this character, the author shows that anyone can have evil within themselves, no matter how pure they seem.
Miss Strangeworth looks at the people of her town and notices that they all seem distressed, and she is wondering why. Jackson shows this when she wrote”He looked very tired indeed. He was usually so chipper, Miss Strangeworth thought, and almost commented, but it was far too personal a subject to be introduced to Mr. Lewis, the grocer,”. she observes him acting like this and is wondering what is worrying him so much. Jackson writes”Miss Strangeworth wondered, glancing at her quickly, if she had been taking proper care of herself. Martha Harper was not as young as she used to …show more content…
Jackson writes as Miss Strangeworth letter, ”Miss Strangeworth always used a dull stub of pencil when she wrote her letters, and she printed them in a childish block print. After thinking for a minute, although she had been phrasing the letter in the back of her mind all the way home, she wrote on a pink sheet: DIDN'T YOU EVER SEE AN IDIOT CHILD BEFORE? SOME PEOPLE JUST SHOULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN SHOULD THEY?” She writes this letter towards Mr. and Mrs.Crane and their child who Mrs.Crane says that she is worried about her not moving around much, Miss Strangeworth is implying rudely that their child has a mental
Miss Strangeworth looks at the people of her town and notices that they all seem distressed, and she is wondering why. Jackson shows this when she wrote”He looked very tired indeed. He was usually so chipper, Miss Strangeworth thought, and almost commented, but it was far too personal a subject to be introduced to Mr. Lewis, the grocer,”. she observes him acting like this and is wondering what is worrying him so much. Jackson writes”Miss Strangeworth wondered, glancing at her quickly, if she had been taking proper care of herself. Martha Harper was not as young as she used to …show more content…
Jackson writes as Miss Strangeworth letter, ”Miss Strangeworth always used a dull stub of pencil when she wrote her letters, and she printed them in a childish block print. After thinking for a minute, although she had been phrasing the letter in the back of her mind all the way home, she wrote on a pink sheet: DIDN'T YOU EVER SEE AN IDIOT CHILD BEFORE? SOME PEOPLE JUST SHOULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN SHOULD THEY?” She writes this letter towards Mr. and Mrs.Crane and their child who Mrs.Crane says that she is worried about her not moving around much, Miss Strangeworth is implying rudely that their child has a mental