Charles and Merricat clash frequently, and their conflict escalates when Charles discovers that Merricat has been hiding his pipe, matches, and cigarettes in her room. He accuses her of being a thief and a lunatic, and threatens to punish her.
He also tells Constance that she should get rid of Merricat and leave the house with him. Constance defends Merricat and tells Charles that she loves her sister and will never leave her. Charles becomes angry and violent, and tries to force Constance to open the safe. Merricat intervenes and sets fire to his bed with his pipe and matches. The fire spreads quickly and engulfs the house.
Merricat and Constance manage to escape the fire, but Uncle Julian dies from the shock and smoke inhalation. The villagers arrive at the scene and watch the house burn. They also loot and vandalize the house, taking whatever they can find or destroying what they can’t.
They mock and harass the sisters, who hide in the woods until nightfall. They then return to the house, which is partly ruined but still standing. They salvage what they can from the debris and barricade themselves in the kitchen, which is relatively intact.
Charles also returns to the house, looking for the safe, which he thinks has survived the fire. He tries to break into the kitchen, but Merricat and Constance ignore him and pretend he doesn’t exist. He eventually gives up and leaves, never to return.
Merricat and Constance decide to stay in the house forever, cutting off all contact with the outside world. They live on canned food and water from the well. They also clean and decorate the kitchen with their remaining possessions, making it cozy and comfortable. They are happy and content with each other’s company, and ignore the villagers, who continue to gossip and stare at them from afar.
The novel ends with Merricat saying:
We are so happy; we have always lived in the castle.
Characters and Character Development
The novel has four main characters:
Mary Katherine (Merricat) Blackwood
The narrator and protagonist of the novel. She is 18 years old, but acts much younger. She has a vivid imagination and a penchant for magic and superstition. She is fiercely loyal to her sister Constance, whom she loves more than anything. She hates change and outsiders, and tries to protect her home and her sister from any threats.
She is also the one who poisoned the family six years ago, because she hated them and wanted to live alone with Constance. She feels no remorse or guilt for her crime, but rather a sense of satisfaction and relief. She is an unreliable narrator, who often distorts or omits facts, or lies to herself or others.
She is also a complex and ambiguous character, who can be seen as either a sympathetic victim of abuse and neglect, or a sociopathic murderer who deserves punishment.
Constance Blackwood
Merricat’s older sister and co-protagonist of the novel. She is 28 years old, but acts much older. She is beautiful, kind, gentle, and domestic. She loves cooking, gardening, and taking care of Uncle Julian. She also loves Merricat, whom she treats as a child.
She suffers from agoraphobia, which prevents her from leaving the house or facing the world. She was accused of poisoning the family six years ago, but was acquitted for lack of evidence. However, she still feels guilty and responsible for what happened, even though she didn’t do it.
She also feels trapped and lonely in her isolated life, but is too afraid to change it. She is a passive and submissive character, who lets others make decisions for her or influence her. She is also a tragic character, who has lost everything she cared about except Merricat.
Uncle Julian Blackwood
Merricat and Constance’s uncle and co-survivor of the poisoning. He is in his late seventies or early eighties, and is wheelchair-bound. He suffers from physical and mental deterioration, which affects his memory, speech, and behavior.
He is obsessed with writing his memoirs of the day when the family died, which he calls “the last night”. He often relives or recounts the events of that night, sometimes accurately, sometimes inaccurately.
He also provides some background information about the family history and dynamics, as well as some clues about the poisoning and the sisters’ personalities. He is a sympathetic and humorous character, who adds some comic relief and irony to the novel. He dies from the fire that Merricat sets in the house.
Charles Blackwood
Merricat and Constance’s cousin and antagonist of the novel. He is in his thirties or forties, and is handsome, confident, and charismatic. He claims to be concerned about the sisters and wants to help them reconnect with the world.
However, he is actually a greedy and manipulative character, who is interested in the family’s money and valuables. He tries to win over Constance and Uncle Julian by being charming and polite, but clashes with Merricat, who sees through his act and resists his attempts to change their routine or invade their space.
He also tries to force Constance to leave the house with him, and accuses Merricat of being a thief and a lunatic. He is a villainous and violent character, who provokes Merricat’s wrath and causes the fire that destroys the house.
