{"id":1864,"date":"2017-08-30T03:14:25","date_gmt":"2017-08-30T03:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/?p=1864"},"modified":"2017-12-27T14:33:06","modified_gmt":"2017-12-27T14:33:06","slug":"spells-of-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/spells-of-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Spells of Protection"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section bb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;ADD Image&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/we-have-always-lived-in-the-castle-banner.jpg&#8221;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; background_color=&#8221;rgba(29,137,0,0.52)&#8221; background_repeat_1=&#8221;no-repeat&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_divider height=&#8221;50&#8243; divider_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; divider_position=&#8221;top&#8221; hide_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.64&#8243; \/][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;ADD Category&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Sans|on|||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#dbdbdb&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; text_letter_spacing=&#8221;2px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px|&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>LITERARY CRITICISM<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;ADD Title&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; max_width=&#8221;660px&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;72&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;18px||80px|&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.1em&#8221; text_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; text_font_size_tablet=&#8221;52&#8243; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>Spells of Protection<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; specialty=&#8221;off&#8221; transparent_background=&#8221;off&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#f7f7f4&#8243; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; inner_shadow=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;off&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||&#8221;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;620px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_image admin_label=&#8221;Profile Pic&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/07\/chizpicpng.png&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;off&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;on&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-48px|||&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.64&#8243; max_width=&#8221;125px&#8221; \/][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Name&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Sans||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;18&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#323232&#8243; text_line_height=&#8221;1.4em&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;14px||0px|&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.64&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #02b875;\"><strong>Steve Chisnell<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;ADD Date&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Sans|on|||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px|||&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;24&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>29 August 2017<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;620px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Lead Text&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; max_width=&#8221;620px&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;24&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;40px||0px|&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.4em&#8221; text_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; text_font_size_tablet=&#8221;22&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of my summer reads was the 1962 Shirley Jackson novel, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We Have Always Lived in the Castle<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In a vein similar to the later Margaret Atwood novel <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alias Grace<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we find a first-person narrator who we cannot fully comprehend, and Jackson\u2019s Mary Katherine \u201cMerricat\u201d Blackwood&#8211;like Atwood\u2019s Grace Marks&#8211;may be guilty of multiple murders. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Part 2 Text&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; max_width=&#8221;620px&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;20&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;30px||0px|&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; text_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; text_font_size_tablet=&#8221;16&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can read this deliberate ambiguity in a number of ways: the particular puzzled psychoses of repressed females, for instance, or the dysfunctional power relationships within families; the self-struggling identities of adolescent development or even the unreasonable demands of an outside world to extract simple clarity from complex humanity. Yet while these two novels resolve the question of guilt differently, they also bear another comparison: the desire for us to construct our own realities&#8211;however absurd&#8211;and cling to them desperately despite contrary facts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;off&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;50px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_padding_tablet=&#8221;17px|||&#8221; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;830px&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; gutter_width=&#8221;2&#8243; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;3_4&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/Alias-Grace.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;off&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;on&#8221; align=&#8221;left&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243;][et_pb_divider color=&#8221;#aeaeac&#8221; show_divider=&#8221;on&#8221; divider_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; divider_position=&#8221;top&#8221; hide_on_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_css_main_element=&#8221;width:130px;&#8221; \/][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Photo Caption&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Serif||on||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16&#8243; text_line_height=&#8221;1em&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;20px||0px|&#8221; max_width=&#8221;130px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><em>Alias Grace<\/em> will premiere soon on Netflix. Of course.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;620px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Part 3 Text&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; max_width=&#8221;620px&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;20&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;46px||0px|&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; text_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; text_font_size_tablet=&#8221;16&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Merricat, the poisoning death of all but two of her family members becomes the obsessively stubborn and defining talk of all who survive for the next decade, yet they will in their self-imposed isolation insist aloud that the murder is unsolved. The senile and disabled Uncle Julian even writes a book on the murders, waxing philosophically on the arrangements of silverware or the dinner seating arrangements in an effort to \u201csolve\u201d the murders, never once pointing to Merricat as suspect. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cloistering of these survivors, underscored by a common agoraphobia, allows them to concoct any version of history they desire. Uncle Julian confusedly believes his book will be a testament to the unsolvable, sister Constance tends her gardens in a sort of willful deferring of accountability, and Merricat offers us perhaps the most absurd of worlds:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOn the moon we have everything. Lettuce, and pumpkin pie and Amanita phalloides. We have cat-furred plants and horses dancing with their wings. All the locks are solid and tight, and there are no ghosts.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Merricat, any world is better than one grounded in an honest look at the past. One wonders, though, if she is even capable of shifting her viewpoint. Constance calls her fancies \u201csilly,\u201d but these are gentle chidings from a protector, nothing which undermines her magical sensibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;50px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;620px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_divider color=&#8221;#aeaeac&#8221; show_divider=&#8221;on&#8221; divider_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; divider_position=&#8221;top&#8221; hide_on_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; \/][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Pull Quote&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Serif||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;32&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;16px||30px|&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.3em&#8221; text_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; max_width=&#8221;900px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s when our willful deferments, our manias, work to push back reason in the broader world that they become truly dangerous.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=&#8221;#aeaeac&#8221; show_divider=&#8221;on&#8221; divider_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; divider_position=&#8221;top&#8221; hide_on_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;17px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;620px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Part 4 Text&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; max_width=&#8221;620px&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;20&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;30px||0px|&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; text_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; text_font_size_tablet=&#8221;16&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Magical thinking is not altogether uncommon even amongst non-murderers. We can forgive beliefs like Santa Claus, even the obsessive fan arguments over Potterworld relationships with passions generally reserved for actual people. It\u2019s when our willful deferments, our manias, work to push back reason in the broader world that they become truly dangerous. Merricat\u2019s work to do so is never done, and she lets us in on it: \u00a0When strangers come to inquire of them, she remarks:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere had not been this many words sounded in our house for a long time, and it was going to take a while to clean them out.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The narrative she lives is so fragile that it cannot tolerate too much inquiry; she (and we) will invent any excuse to avoid it: <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was pretending that I did not speak their language; on the moon we spoke a soft, liquid tongue, and sang in the starlight, looking down on the dead dried world.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;off&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;50px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_padding_tablet=&#8221;17px|||&#8221; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;830px&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; gutter_width=&#8221;2&#8243; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/wag.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;off&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;on&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Photo Caption&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Serif||on||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16&#8243; text_line_height=&#8221;1em&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;20px||0px|&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>In 1997&#8217;s <em>Wag the Dog<\/em>, Dustin Hoffman plays a film director hired by the White House to invent a war for the American public.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;17px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;620px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Part 5 Text&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; max_width=&#8221;620px&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;20&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;30px||0px|&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; text_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; text_font_size_tablet=&#8221;16&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Merricat is clear about the power of words; she understands them to be literally magical weavers of realities. If the wrong stories appear in her house, her narration of her own guilt becomes disambiguated. When she senses that a visitor might shatter the trio\u2019s isolated culture, she invents verbal protections:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI decided that I would choose three powerful words, words of strong protection, and so long as these great words were never spoken aloud no change would come.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;980&#8243; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;50px||0px|&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/we-have-always-lived-in-the-castle-banner.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;off&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;980px&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_3=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_3=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; gutter_width=&#8221;2&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;30px|||&#8221; custom_padding_tablet=&#8221;6px|||&#8221; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/merricat3.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; align=&#8221;left&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/merricat5.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; align=&#8221;left&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/merricat1.png&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; align=&#8221;left&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;17px|||&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;620px&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Part 6 Text&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; max_width=&#8221;620px&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;20&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#363636&#8243; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;30px||0px|&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; text_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; text_font_size_tablet=&#8221;16&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Merricat is evil, she does not allow us to believe it, so tightly does she weave the protections. Even as her world burns about them, she holds to its ashen fragments with devotion. We don\u2019t, then, disbelieve that Mary Katherine Blackwood is a mass murderer, but&#8211;trapped in the novel with her words alone&#8211;we doubt her responsibility for it, her capacity to understand her act. And did she herself intentionally set her own world ablaze to protect that narrative?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uncle Julian sets himself down the path readily enough:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI really think I shall commence chapter forty-four,&#8221; he said, patting his hands together. &#8220;I shall commence, I think, with a slight exaggeration and go on from there into an outright lie.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stories we weave for ourselves are not necessarily acts of ego, of narcissism. They are, instead, spells of protection for an identity fragile and desperate&#8211;entirely reasonable in motive, but calamitous in consequence. Defense of one\u2019s own weakness is not evil as we know it. But then again, how often have we met any other kind?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;980px&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_2=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_3=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_3=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; gutter_width=&#8221;2&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;30px|||&#8221; custom_padding_tablet=&#8221;6px|||&#8221; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/merricat6.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; align=&#8221;left&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/merricat4.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; align=&#8221;left&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/merricat2.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; align=&#8221;left&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.71&#8243; \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; specialty=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.64&#8243; disabled=&#8221;on&#8221; disabled_on=&#8221;on|on|on&#8221;][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; width_unit=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;780px&#8221; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;off&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; allow_player_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_1=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method_1=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; 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background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Sans|on|||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;12&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#888888&#8243; text_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; text_letter_spacing=&#8221;2px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;30px|||&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.64&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>TRAVEL BLOG<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Travel Blog Tag&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Sans||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;24&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.64&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #f5e7df;\">A Portfolio of Places<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.chisnell.com\/chizblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/07\/writing.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;off&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;fade_in&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; always_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; url=&#8221;#&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.64&#8243; \/][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Student Blog&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Sans|on|||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;12&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#888888&#8243; text_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; text_letter_spacing=&#8221;2px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;30px|||&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.64&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>STUDENT BLOG<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Student Blog Tag&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; 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