GCSE - The Women in Black Susan Hill

- A Peaceful fireside family christmas eve at Monk's piece. Describes Kipps family home

-Arthur Kipps the narrator of the novel is a retired solictor

-Kipps described how he discovered Monks Piece several years ago and had to buy it

-Mr Bently - a retired solcicotr and Kipp's former employer

-Arthur's wife and step-family are introduced to create a happy domestic scene

-Family plays no futher part in the book

-Arthur is invited to Edmunds ghost story which stir suppressed emotion - triggers story

-Kipps later returns to the house to rejoin the christmas activities

The chapter describes an idyllic family christmas which is distrubted by the ghost story with Kipp's leaving; Kipps is prone to `gloom and lethargy` and unable to enjoy life due to his past.

Arthur is a widower from 23 qnd married Esme at 35 - Isobel (mother figure), oliver, william, and Edmund. Closest to Edmund because he is a simular to his owns sons age who we learn about later.

Starts 14 years after the main event.

Susan Hill uses Three adjectival phrases to build tension and excitment. Sentance rhythm and sounds are key.

- Susan Hill focus on how human being deals with Phenomemna they can't explain. Kipps was adamant when he was younger that he didn't believe in ghosts.

- The happy domestic scene forshawdows the terrible tale. Kipps can't join in the fun of family life becuase of the sisister events that destoryed his family and distrubes him still.

- A description of a London Fog

-Description of hell, Arthur sense of foreboding his sixth sense

- Mr Bentley's clerk, Tomes is introduced

- Arthur sets off on his journey to Crythin Gifford

- We learn that Arthur was enganged to Stella

26 years before chapter one. Starts with a description of the weather - London Particular is the name of a pea soup recipe used als ofor thick fog. Hill uses foreboding through pathetic fallacy.

- Sent to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, who died at 87. Got a train to Crythin Gifford a town of the east coast salt marshes. Mr Bently adds mystrery by seeming deliberalty cagey.

-Kipp's is pleased to finally being doing an interesting task, and is impatient to make progress in his career

-Susan Hill creates mystery in short clipped sentences, pauces, incomplete sentances, pointless rehertorical questions.

-Gout is where the blood circualtion doesnt go to the toes - said to be by alcohol and overindulging

-Alice is a widowed and childless, lived in a remote house cut off from mainland, described s friendless

-Tomes is the clerk who spends time in small, cupboard type rooms ith big, heavy law books

-The journey by steam Locomotives from King's cross to Crewe and across to the East coast

-Weather emphaised

-Introduction of Samuel Daily

-Note the curious place names and the author's description of sounds

Gapemouth is the name of the tunnel?!? Nine Lives courseway ect. How do they prepare the reader?

Not escaping the mist and fog, as sea frets ar ecommon. Samuel Daily notices the name Drablow and introducing himself. Authur accepts lift in car to Gifford Arms

People of Crythin Gifford appear hostile and seek to protect themselves from the outside. Used to consildate any mystery and suspense. Crythin Gifford hides the terrible events

-The comfort of the Griffin arms

-The strange reaction of the landlord when he learns about Kipp's business

-We are introduced to Mr Jerome, the land agent who dealt with Alice Drablows property

-The funeral

-The First apperance of the WIB

-Mr Jerome's alarm

-Kipps returns to the Gifford Arms

-Mr Daily's successful day at aution.

-Kipps learns there will be no buyers for Eel Marsh House ( Alice Drablows house)

Settles in to homely Crythin Giffod - Grifford Arms, and writes a noteto Stella spectualting the future. Of the Mention of funeral the landlord creates a sense of alarm and suspicion becoming less friendly and Authur's suspicions beging to bearoused.

Page 43 the chronology of the narrative is interrupted and he reflect on his feelings as well as the events.

Kipps feels a sense of comfort and saftey before the funeral and beigns to understand Mr Daily's desrciption of Crythin Grifford.

Only Mr Kipp's and Jerome at the funeral until he notices the WIB at the back. Ironically he is touched as she appers ill. Described in a long paragraph to create a photogrpahic image.

can pick out clues about the supernatrual presence. e.g `a spectre at the feast` someone looking over youre shoulder.

Anything to do with Alice Drablow is shunned.

-Keckwick arrives in a pony and trap to take Kipps to Eel Marsh House

-We see the magnificent landscape and wildlife

-Eel MArsh house and its surroundings are described

-Kipps sees the WIB again, shaken by it and returns to house

-Kipps decides to set off on foot back and intercept Keckwick

Kipps' sense of mind is pleasent protratying the beauty of the surrodnings and love of the house

Nine lives causeway, cats have nine live link wuth death?

the young,innocent, confient, carefree, rational kipps at last faces what is seens as the impossible - not what kipps thinks a traditional ghost is.Before this not belving in ghosts at all.

- A sea fret descemds amd kipps returns to the saftey of the house

-here's the cry of a child and sinking of a pony and trap which is thinks is Keckwick

-Kipps is helpless and retunrs to the house

-Fortified by Brandy, explores the house and finds a lock door with no key hole

- awakened by Keckwick at 2 am

-Griffin arms allowed him to relvie him of the nightmare

number of people being engimatic increasing

brandy allowed him to sleep but doesnt feel refreshed

what is strange about keckwick

This chapter is seen as the clam before the storm. Tension building and reachign climax in the next chapter. Notice how hill relaxes and builds tension throught the novel

-Kipps decides to stay on in Crythin Gifford to complete task

-He goes to see mr Jerome, to ask for help by no one will dare help him

-Mr Jerome is visibly scared when kipps tell him he resaw the WIB

-Kipps now accepts that Eel Marsh house is haunted but determined

Jerome informs that Kipps that Keckwick was the only person to Mrs Drablow, backed up by `not a living soul` suggesting that she communed with souls that weren't living.

borrows bicycle, hoping to alleviate his mental health

Uses pauses delibaterlty for effect through out dialogue

-Kipps decied to spend two nights at Eel Marsh house to finish business

-He goes to diner at Mr Daily's house

-Daily fails to persuade Kipps not to take a particular course of action and lends him spider for protection and companionship

-Gets little repsonse from the community about staying away, the silence is built up thorughout and they very offten discuss the secret within the group.

-Kipps and spider - has a mother figure of protection towards him

Why doesnt Daily tell kipps all he knows about the story at this point?

- Kipps returns to Eel marsh house with Spider. Spider is used to build and relax tension in the novel sensing the supernatrual and ghostly presence but also sesning that its safe before Kipps does.

-From Alice's letters he discovers that she adopted Nation the illegitmate son of a close relative Jennet Humpfry an unmarried mother banished and forced to give up her son, yet she is despreate to keep him. Where Alice adopted him with Morgan

-Hears sounds of the ghostly pony trap and the cries of the dying child.

-The dogs is paraylsed with terror by noises and Kipps carries her inside

-He discovers the source of the strnage bumping behind the locked door in the nursery that brings him back to him childhood.

-Kipps has another sleepless night due to a storm and the cries of a child, on returning to the room he breaks the tourch, destroying the light and supernatrual events occur

-Spider nearly drowns - ghostly whistle drives him into the quicksand, yet Kipps manages to save him

-The women in black apperars at the nursey window after saving spider

-Kipps hears the sounds of the pony and trap again at the end of the causeways, supernatural events occurs either with the WIB or the sounds of the pony and trap and the child sinking into the marshes

Whistle and i'll come to you is another ghost story  written in 1910

-Kipps has collapsed and is revived by Samuel Daily who has arrived by pony and trap

-Spider survives but is exhausted

-Kipps vists the nursery for the last time, it has been destroyed

-He convalesces at Daily's home

-Reads alices papers to help piece the mystery - Jennet is the younger sister of Alice, six years later she watched her son, the nursemaid,the dog and Keckwicks father drown in the marsh from the nursey window.

-Stella arrives, its takes him two weeks to recvoer physically as he is haunted un his sleep by the WIB/The ghost of Jennet Humprfre

All the villages are terrified and Jerome especially as he has lost a child

Before the 1960's it was shameful for women unmarried to give birth.

The chapter is short and brings the main story together, Refelcts on the feeling. thinks abotu the chrisitain faith and evil relating to Jennet's story. Is the revenge acceptable.

-Stella and Kipps return to london and he's no longer involved in the Drablow's affairs. Doesn't want to return to the town again but is given a pay rise and more responsibiltiy.

-Stella gives birth to a son, a year later the WIB appears and causes hte death of Stella and his son after the pony and trap went straight into a tree, she has had her revenge.

-Kipps end the story with one word Enough. It end very abruptly. The sotry has reached its Climax.

-Kipp's is a christain but is it possible for all sins to be forgiveable?