Intrigue Students with These Shirley Jackson Short Stories

If your students (or you!) find classic short stories boring, predictable, or even stale… try adding some Shirley Jackson short stories to the mix. Her stories are anything but boring or predictable. What’s more, is that you can add complexity to Shirley Jackson’s short stories by teaching about her life beyond the page (an essential if you ask me!).

Jackson’s real-life and fictional stories are not only accessible to middle school readers but also combine suspense with powerful messages that remain relevant nearly 70 years later. Isn’t that incredible?

Whether you teach Shirley Jackson short stories yet or not, keep reading for ideas on including her life and works in your middle school ELA lesson plans!

Set the Stage with Shirley Jackson’s Legacy

This summer, I totally geeked out on Shirley Jackson’s life story. So much so that I felt compelled to create an introductory lesson plan that introduces students to the woman behind the stories. 

And Shirley Jackson has an incredible story!

Shirley Jackson (1916) grew up to pursue her dream of writing, a hobby she adopted when she was a kid who didn’t like spending time with other children. She first studied journalism at college, where she met her husband, who loved reading and writing as much as she did. After they married and began to raise a family, Jackson managed her domestic duties while also finding time to write every single day. She went on to write more than 200 short stories, two novels, along with two memoirs. 

While Jackson was a prolific and successful writer, she also suffered highs and lows in her personal life. Despite earning much more than her husband throughout their marriage, he controlled their finances and would only provide money to her as he saw fit. Additionally, Jackson suffered from chronic health issues, including anxiety and agoraphobia. A lifelong smoker, Jackson ultimately died in her sleep of a heart condition at the age of 48.

Professionally, Jackson did very well during her lifetime, but her stories have taken on a life of their own after her death. Her writing career took off when her short story “The Lottery,” went viral in 1948. And when I say it went viral, I mean letters were pouring into The New Yorker at unprecedented levels.

“The Lottery” paved the way for more critical praise and widespread popularity of her works, including one of the most well-regarded horror stories – even Stephen King and Neil Gaiman rave about it – The Haunting of Hill House. This novel, published in 1959, endures! There have been several film, television, and theatre adaptations of it, including a recent (loose) adaptation for Netflix in 2018. (I’ll bet some of your students have seen it!)

Many Shirley Jackson short stories can be categorized as domestic horror, reflecting darker themes. This perhaps mirrored or became a way for her to channel her home and inner life, but also the general atmosphere of humanity post-WWII. You can see this in the titles of her (somewhat fictionalized) memoirs about her family life – Life Among the Savages, published in 1952, and Raising Demons, published in 1957.

When teaching a Shirley Jackson story, giving context about the who and the why is a great entry point for students and can help them better understand the underlying themes. If you want to check out my {brief} intro to Shirley, paired with a fun personality quiz, head here.

Why Teach Shirley Jackson’s Short Stories?

Shirley Jackson is known to write a story with a great twist. No matter how much students are exposed to contemporary films and plots, Jackson’s stories still seem to surprise students. For this reason, she is one of the most iconic writers to include in your curriculum. 

Jackson’s works explore themes of conformity, morality, and human nature. With these themes, the stories are rich in ways to dig into, whether it’s to teach character analysis or allegory or simply make real-world connections.

Two stories that I recommend that are accessible, loved by students, and address some big ideas for discussion are “The Lottery” and “Charles.” 

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson’s first hit, The Lottery, of a story continues to resonate beyond its publication date in 1948. Beyond the descriptive writing that creates an ominous mood and a plot twist for the ages, this story resonates because of its enduring theme.

The concept of blind adherence to tradition is one that students can still relate to, whether it’s on that deeper level or merely a discussion of peer pressure. The symbolism of the story may require some historical context for students – stonings and ritual sacrifice – but the payoff is well worth it. 

I prefer to set aside a full five days for this short story because there is so much to unpack.

To draw students in, try a small setup to mirror the suspense: hand out folded slips of paper as students enter, with one slip marked by a dot. Tell students they may not open the slips until instructed (at the end of the reading), echoing the haunting ritual of the short story. Warning: it will result in momentary chaos!

As students dive deeper into the short story, encourage them to explore individual characters and decide who may or may not be in support of the lottery. Spoiler alert: many townspeople have no problem with the lottery even though they know the ‘prize’ when the readers do not.

Another avenue is to examine the symbols in the story and how they foreshadow the events. This includes the black box and the marked paper but also the repeated, and again, subtle references to stones throughout the story.

Before jumping into discussions about themes, I encourage you to touch on Jackson’s background and the historical context of the story. Students (and parents) have such different interpretations of the story once they understand it was written in the wake of WWII as revelations about humanity’s capacity for violence came to light!

For even more ideas, try this unit plan for “The Lottery” with station activities that explore the setting, plot, characters, and connections. And even if it’s your 15th time teaching “The Lottery,” you can keep it fresh for you and engaging for your students with a fun, culminating escape room. (Spoiler alert: nobody is at risk of being sacrificed.)

Charles by Shirley Jackson

While “The Lottery” is always a popular choice for 8th and 9th graders, “Charles” is a highly engaging option for 5th-7th grade classrooms. Featuring yet another twist – a Shirley Jackson signature! – this story’s focus on character development is where it is worth its weight in gold. 

Plus, another link between Shirley Jackson’s personal life and her storytelling is that her eldest son was named Laurence but went by the name Laurie! Teaching this story means focusing on the character(s). And there is a lot to focus on in this story!

Students can profile Charles and Laurie, digging for details about each character and how they’re described throughout the story. This analysis pairs well with a follow-up lesson on the point of view and unreliable narration—a great opportunity for additional reading with the goal of investigating the storyteller.

For materials to support these ideas, take a look at my Charles unit plan, which includes teaching slides with guided questions, characterization activities, a foreshadowing scavenger hunt, and mini-lessons on plot, unreliable narrators, and twist-endings for engaging analysis.

Conclusion

While the plots of the stories may seem to lend themselves best to spooky season, I can say from experience that Shirley Jackson short stories are a hit regardless of the date on the calendar! Because her stories are engaging and twisty, students can dive in and enjoy them any time of year.

Have a recommendation for teaching one of these stories? Hit the contact button & send it my way!

Happy teaching,