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Did a real poisoning inspire Shirley Jackson’s final novel?
If Netflix true crime docs were around in Shirley’s time, think of how many more great stories we’d have today! Image generated by DALL-E.
In 1876, a British lawyer named Charles Bravo died of antimony poisoning in a case Agatha Christie dubbed “one of the most mysterious poisoning cases ever recorded.” It has been speculated that this case inspired Shirley Jackson’s 1962 novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, a story about Mary Katherine Blackwood (Fictogram answer #243) and her sister Constance, whose family is poisoned with arsenic before the events of the novel take place.
Charles Bravo’s case is still unresolved, with many possible suspects named: his wife, their housekeeper, his wife’s former lover, a former stableman, and Charles himself. Two inquests were conducted, but no one was ever convicted. The mystery inspired many artistic works such as a BBC series called The Poisoning of Charles Bravo, a novel called Not Sufficient Evidence, and episodes of In Suspicious Circumstances and Julian Fellowes Investigates. Many theories surrounded the death, including one that hypothesized that Charles was slowly poisoning his wife with small, cumulative doses, only to accidentally take a dose himself, mistaking it for a different medication.
It is no wonder then that Shirley Jackson might also have been inspired to write about a mysterious poisoning, in what ended up being her last and perhaps most well-known novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle. In it, Mary Katherine Blackwood (known as Merricat) and her sister live in a castle, isolated from their town for six years after the other members of their family were poisoned. An estranged cousin comes to the castle, and eventually another disaster strikes the family. Merricat narrates the novel, speaking matter-of-factly while recounting her story, leaving the reader with some information but even more questions. As in life’s unresolved mysteries, not all motivations are explained, nor are all judgments made as to who is right or wrong, innocent or guilty. It is ultimately up to the reader to decide whether good or evil has triumphed, and if the ending is happy after all.
Answers to last week's games
Monday, July 15 to Sunday, July 21.
Globle
Jul 15 Mauritania
Jul 16 S. Sudan
Jul 17 Tonga
Jul 18 Malaysia
Jul 19 Burkina Faso
Jul 20 United Kingdom
Jul 21 Azerbaijan
Jul 22 Play now!
Globle: Capitals
Jul 15 Windhoek
Jul 16 Mogadishu
Jul 17 Vienna
Jul 18 Port-Vila
Jul 19 Brussels
Jul 20 Windhoek
Jul 21 Rabat
Jul 22 Play now!
Chronogram
#471 Benedictus de Spinoza
#472 Virginia Woolf
#473 William the Conqueror
#474 Giordano Bruno
#475 Giuseppe Verdi
#476 Harry S Truman
#477 Søren Kierkegaard
#478 Play now!
Fictogram
#238 Rooster Cogburn
#239 Nick and Nora Charles
#240 Neo
#241 Eeyore
#242 Alex Forrest
#243 Mary Katherine Blackwood
#244 Alonzo Harris
#245 Play now!
Metazooa
#350 antelope
#351 robin
#352 blue jay
#353 magpie
#354 dung beetle
#355 two-toed sloth
#356 bigfin squid
#357 Play now!
Metaflora
#289 hyacinth
#290 eucalyptus tree
#291 kiwi
#292 chamomile
#293 yam
#294 spinach
#295 black eyed pea
#296 Play now!
Linxicon
The following are the shortest paths from last week:
#154 jury -> guilty -> affirmative -> yes
#155 chocolate -> eating -> changing -> adjustment
#156 accompany -> together -> separate -> difference
#157 while -> during -> event -> occasion -> formal
#158 often -> during -> after -> behind
#159 recommend -> suggestion -> problem -> odd
#160 poverty -> debt -> lateness -> late -> later
#161 Play now!
That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading!
