"Paranoia" is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

Shirley Jackson Shirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965) was an American writer known primarily for her works of horror and mystery. Over the duration of her writing career, which spanned over two decades, she composed six novels, two me ...

first published on August 5, 2013 in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...

'' long after the authors death in 1965. Jackson's children found the story in her papers in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The librar ...

.Analysis of 'Paranoia' by Shirley Jackson
Retrieved 16/11/2021. It has since been reprinted in ''Dark Tales'' (2016).

Background

According to Jackson's son, Laurence Jackson Hyman, in an interview with ''

'':

Plot

In Manhattan, businessman Mr. Halloran Beresford, leaves his office happy and jolly after a busy day at work pleased with remembering his wife's birthday. He buys chocolates on the way home and plans to take his wife out to romantic dinner and a show. But his commute to home becomes fraught with panic as he believes someone is stalking him, as other people then seem to be part of the plot. Eventually, he manages to reach home, but then he still may not be safe...

Theme

The story’s title, 'Paranoia', implies that this is all in Mr Beresford’s mind, which is misinterpreting or distorting the world around him.'Paranoia', by Shirley Jackson
Retrieved 16/11/2021.

References

External links

Copy of complete story from ''The New Yorker''AudiobookThe Horror Show: “Paranoia” by Shirley Jackson
{{Shirley Jackson 2013 short stories Works originally published in The New Yorker Short stories by Shirley Jackson Manhattan in fiction