In the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, the characters Luke Sanderson, Dr. Montague, Eleanor Vance, and Theodora come together to see if Hill House is truly haunted. Because of Elanor's insecurity, Luke and Dr. Montague's need for money, respect, and fame, and the house's similarities to Borley Rectory, Hill House is not haunted.
The first reason that Hill House is not haunted is because the character Eleanor Vance is insecure, and, therefore, unreliable in evaluating the real reasons Hill House is or is not haunted. One example of Eleanor's insecurity would be right after Theodora had painted Eleanor's toenails. Eleanor became insecure about it saying that it was "horrible" and "wicked." (pg. 117) Another example of Eleanor's insecurity would be not being able to enter the library because she was "overwhelmed with the cold air of mold and earth which rushed at her." (pg. 103) A final example of Eleanor's insecurity is when she went up to the statue of Hugh Crain and asked, "will you come dance with me?" (pg. 231) This shows Eleanor's instability and insecurity by asking a statue to dance. These examples are key to making the house seem less haunted.
A second reason that Hill House appears to not be haunted is the fact that it seems Luke and Dr. Montague are making the house seem haunted to Eleanor and Theodora to gain money, respect, and fame. One example of Dr. Montague's desire for those needs is that he is a ghost chaser who wants to create a book about a house that is truly haunted for "an air of respectability." (pg. 4) A final example of Luke and Dr. Montague's desire for these three objects would be when Theodora and Eleanor heard the banging noises, they claimed they "were chasing a dog." (pg. 134) Luke and Dr. Montague very well could have been creating these banging noises themselves since they did not hear them. So it seems that they just make up stories to make Eleanor and Theodora believe the house is truly haunted.
