The Haunting Of Hill House: 9 Questions We Desperately Need Answers To
4. Were Shirley’s Visions Ghosts Or Guilt?
Shirley kept seeing visions featuring the same guy at a bar throughout the series. It’s eventually revealed to be the guy she had an affair with. He kept reminding Shirley of what she did and the regret she feels.
The guy seems harmless at first, but then appears to be rather sinister. It makes you wonder about his origin – is Shirley hallucinating him out of pure guilt or is he a ghost outside of Hill House toying with her regretful memories?
Steven couldn’t deny that a ghost could be a lot of things: “A memory, a daydream, a secret. Grief, anger, guilt. But, in my experience, most times they’re just what we want to see.” This quote perfectly summarises the man as Shirley’s inner demons and not a real ghost.
But Shirley does have the ability to see things in her dreams, so do we really know for sure?