In the story We Have Always Lived at the Castle, by Shirley Jackson, the reader is only presented with one perspective and that is Mary's point of view Katherine “Merricat” Blackwood. While there are many aspects present, the one that really stands out is that the Blackwood family does not welcome change. Everything is preserved: objects, food, routines, rooms, etc. It is therefore clear that when faced with situations that provoke changes, Mary Katherine and Constance Blackwood, the two sisters who survived the family's murder, would react in a certain way. . Merricat's reaction manifests itself through different stages, from non-verbal to verbal to violent. On the other hand, Constance seemed to mostly welcome the change until she finally decided to isolate herself completely. First, Merricat appears to respond to change in certain stages. She usually starts by trying to stop the change with her "magic", after that she simply expresses what is bothering her hoping it will be effective, and eventually she acts violently. These stages are considered one by one, because this period of change lasts longer. The first step is to try to push away anything that might cause change. A good example of Mary Katherine's magic involves nailing an old book of her father's to a tree and burying her baby teeth, marbles, and doll in the ground. “Their names were MELODY GLOUCESTER PEGASUS, and we were safe until they were spoken aloud” (p. 57) were the safety words she invited to try to prevent the change from happening. produce. If an object had to be moved, then she was not safe. She won't be able to control anything. This idea is expressed when she notices that her father's book had fallen from the tree and says, "By the time I found the book, it probably had...... middle of paper... ...this building could no longer be called . She said "What have I done to my baby Merricat... No house. No food. And dressed in a tablecloth; what have I done?" (p.136) The only solution she could find to protect herself and her sister was to isolate herself again. She found that isolation was much friendlier towards her that towards the villagers In a sense, Constance allowed herself to be carried away by change until it cost her the house. We then understand that the two sisters think differently about change, one is hostile to it while the other. The other seems to welcome change for most of the book, but withdraws at the end. Both girls seem to be afraid of change and would much rather live alone than interact with other people. think that isolation is their best friend and protects them from unwanted visitors..