THE CONFIGURATION AND EFFECTS OF SPACE IN SHIRLEY JACKSON’S “LIKE MOTHER USED TO MAKE”

Abstract

The present piece of research aims to analyse the construction and relevance of space in the short story “Like mother used to make” (1949) written by Shirley Jackson. The study of space was for a long time regarded as being somehow irrelevant to literary analysis. This research raises awareness to this fact as well as draws a timeline of the changes in the spatial perception as an academic element of research. Gaston Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space (1958) has an important role in that Spatial Turn. Besides, it provides an important theoretical support to the hypothesis that the setting of twin apartments, in the short story, is an intimate representation of the characters. Furthermore, the setting also acts as an element that enables changes in Marcia’s character directly affecting David’s character. Finally, this research attempts to throw some light on Shirley Jackson whose literature was neglected for several decades.