What Is Your Cup of Stars?

Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is a horror/psychological thriller. Most horror novels feature some type of supernatural element that creates realistic fears for the reader. When I think of a scary novel, I think of mystery, suspense, fear, surprise, and death. All five of these elements are apparent in The Haunting of Hill House. Along with these elements that create an ominous feeling within the reader, Jackson includes a ton of symbolism and repetition to add to the feeling, atmosphere, tone of the novel. 

Don’t do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again; don’t do it; and the little girl glanced at her and smiled a little subtle, dimpling, wholly comprehending smile, and shook her head stubbornly at the glass. Brave girl, Eleanor thought; wise, brave girl. (Jackson, 15)

There is a ton of symbolism in this passage. While eating at a diner, Eleanor watches a family as the little girl is insisting on her cup of stars. The father is annoyed and says how the mother is spoiling the little girl. The waitress is surprised that the milk she gave the little girl is not good enough for her. But Eleanor sees that is much more than just a cup of stars. The cup of stars represents so much more. Kaja Silverman writes about Roland Barthes’ five different codes: semic, hermeneutic, proairetic, symbolic, and cultural. Codes allow the text to transform from a “readerly” text into a “writerly” one. A readerly text “purports to be a transcript of a reality which pre-exists and exceeds” itself. Furthermore, the readerly text “tightly controls the play of signification by subordinating everything to this transcendental meaning” (Silverman, 242). However, the writerly text emerges at the site of the readerly text as if from an archeological dig,” wherein the reader reveals “the terms of its own construction,” terms which are rife with contradiction and filled with irreducible differences (Silverman, 246).  For this blog, I would like to focus on both the symbolic and cultural codes.

Silverman writes that the symbolic code inscribes into literary and cinematic tests antithesis which are central to the organization of the cultural order in which they belong (Silverman, 270). I feel like The Haunting of Hill House was made for this blog. There is a ton of symbolism within the text. The first sign of symbolism I noticed within the novel was the cup of stars. “Eleanor looked up, surprised; the little girl was sliding back in her chair, sullenly refusing her milk, while her father frowned and her brother giggled and her mother said calmly, “She wants her cup of stars” (Jackson, 14). Eleanor agrees she too wants a cup of stars. This cup of stars represents more than just a tiny cup that you see stars at the bottom of once you finish your drink. The cup of stars appears in the story more than just this once. What is Eleanor’s cup of stars? What is Eleanor’s reason for fighting the urge to be like everyone else? Maybe it is her chance to finally be free from a burden such as her ill mother or crazy sister. Her desire to be free, doing something for herself is her cup of stars. An opposition apparent in this symbolic code is freedom vs. constraint. This opposition of freedom vs. constraint helps reinforce the controlling value. Living a life of constraint will lead to being unfulfilled and being left unsatisfied vs. living a life of freedom will lead to a life of fulfillment, happiness, and satisfaction. Another opposing value is giving up vs. holding on. If you give up something that you love and care so deeply about because others want you to, you are giving in to other’s urges to be like them or conform to their idea of you. But if you hold onto something that means so much to you, you can resist the urge to be like everyone else and be happy with what means so much to you. 

The face of Hill House seemed awake, with a watchfulness from the blank windows and touch of glee in the eyebrow of a cornic. Almost any house, caught unexpectedly or at an odd angle, can turn a deeply humorous look on a watching person; even a mischievous little chimney, or a dormer like a dimple, can catch  a beholder with a sense of fellowship; but a house arrogant and hating, never off guard, can only be evil. (Jackson, 24)

Another huge symbol in The Haunting of Hill House. On the very first page, Hill House is described as “not sane.” I’ve never heard a house be described in such a manner, have you? Hill House has very humanistic characteristics. We could even claim that the house is alive. Hill House is alive and it is aware of its occupants. Within Hill House are lifeless elements haunting its occupants, especially Eleanor. There are several occurrences where the hauntings are directed towards Eleanor, for example, on page 107, when the words “Help Eleanor Come Home” is written on the wall. The same message is written in blood in Theodora’s room. Or starting on page 141, another example when Mrs. Montague and Arthur are reading the notes from the planchette and the spirit is saying that Nell, Eleanor, is lost without a home or a mother. Eleanor is always hearing her mother’s voice calling for her. In both blog 1 by Venesa, and blog 2 by Rachel, there are mentions of the idea of companionship. They talk about companionship helping you get through tough situations while the lack of companionship, or being alone, can lead to fear and helplessness. We can combine this idea of companionship, or lack thereof and the opposing values of living for yourself  vs. living for others, which can help reinforce another controlling value. Living without companionship will lead to a life of loneliness, fear, helplessness, and lifeless vs. living with companionship will lead to a life of happiness and a feeling of contentment. The opposing controlling value is living without companionship can help you to find yourself and understand your own worth vs. living with companionship does not always leave you feeling content and happy if the companion is negatively affecting your way of life. 

Cultural codes “speak the familiar ‘truths’ of the existing cultural order, repeat what has ‘always been already read, seen, done, experienced’” (Silverman, 242). The symbolic codes, freedom vs. constraint, living for yourself  vs. living for others, and submission vs. resistance are all codes we are aware of and familiar with. These symbolic codes can help reinforce our cultural codes. The codes that are controlling Eleanor. As the book progresses, Eleanor slowly loses her cup of stars. She loses her freedom, her living for herself, and attempts to resist.