Abstract:
Ghost stories often reflect what haunts the cultural consciousness, and perhaps even which fears
define a generation. The Sixth Sense and The Haunting of Hill House reflect very different ideas
about what haunts our society, and what the solutions to those hauntings may be. The Sixth Sense
advocates for an adherence to the nuclear family structure, insinuating that true horror lies in
defying these norms. The Haunting of Hill House, alternatively, proposes that the constraints of
antiquated, heteronormative gender roles and the nuclear family structure is exactly what we
should fear.