The Haunting of Hill House

The significance of family was obviously an important concept in The Haunting of Hill House. The pair I found most interesting and significant is Eleanor and her sister. The lack of affection and connection between the two causes a rift between Eleanor’s sense of belonging and the almost obligatory need of consolation from a sister. I could not relate much to their relationship because I have always been close to my sisters, which causes me to think Eleanor would have acted and reacted differently to every situation in the book. First off, Eleanor might have never been her mother’s sole helper and would have never even responded to Dr. Montague’s letter. Eleanor’s shyness could have not existed at all, or her strong desire to belong somewhere and almost anywhere would have been absent from her personality. Theodora was a companion to Eleanor and Eleanor thrived in being able to interact with another female whom she felt was trustworthy; without much care from her sister (besides the obsession with keeping their car) or family, Eleanor was almost pushed into Hill House to experience a sense of belonging.