Woman In Black-characters

Introduced in the novel as an old man describing his younger self as arrogant.

A young solicitor looking for a higher position in his law firm.

A typical ghost story main character, a sceptic, a non-believer- “I never thought of myself as a fanciful man”.

He was sent to CG to deal with the papers of Mrs Alice Drablow.

He is a little stuck up and believes that he is above the country people- “Unsophisticated than we cosmopolitans”.

Refuses to be phased by their “superstitions”.

Eventually pays the price of his ignorance and loses his wife and child in a tragic accident.

The sister of Alice Drablow who got pregnant out of wedlock. This was a huge 

shame to the family so they decided that Jennet would be sent to Scotland 

and Mr. and Mrs. Drablow would bring up her child- Jenner planned to capture him back.

The child, the maid and the trap driver, Keckwick’s father, all die in a pony and trap.

Jennet blamed Alice for her child’s death.

She never forgives her sister and due to distress and anger she soon falls ill 

with a wasting disease that she eventually dies of.

She continues to haunt her sister’s house after her death and kills children 

as a result of her child being ripped away from her.

Some may see her as a victim in the novel but her pain and hurt can never 

justify her actions.

He is a “big man” with a “beefy face” and “huge raw hands”.

A local land owner-Quite rich and well known in Crithin Gifford and the surrounding area.

Met in “A Journey North”.

Daily’s purpose in the novel is to guide Arthur, but Kipps decides to ignore 

him- Guidance but also a “companion” for Kipps- Owner of Spider.

He is quite an open person; you can tell what he’s feeling. “Openness of his 

gaze and the directness of his manor.”

Quite judgmental, makes snap decisions about people.

He is Kipps’ guardian, comes to save him at the end.

He tries to protect Kipps though out by hinting that he shouldn’t go to EMH 

without putting the burden of the Woman in Black’s secret on his shoulders.

A small, ginger man, a local lawyer and Mr Kipps’ company at the funeral.

He is seen in “The Funeral of Mrs Drablow” and “Mr Jerome is Afraid”

His purpose in the novel is to warn Kipps about the dangers at EMH and the effects it will have on him, like Daily , Kipps chooses to ignore Jerome.

He has quite a dramatic reaction to the Woman in Black on page 51 where his face fills with fear.

This is one of the only points that Jerome shows his fear, through out the rest of the novel he is portrayed as quite collected and able to hide his emotions. However, despite not showing fear through his expressions you can see it in his hands- “I noticed his hands, which rested on the sides of the chair, were working, rubbing, fidgeting, gripping and un-gripping in agitation” and “Mr Jerome’s hands continued to scrabble around like the paws of some struggling creature.”

We later find out that he had lost his children and it had “broken” him.

Mr Bentley is the boss of Kipps before, during and long after Kipps’ experiences at EMH.

He is seen in “Christmas eve” and “A London Particular”.

Mr Bentley is there to prove that Kipps wasn’t the only one who was changed by TWIB and her story. He began, like Kipps, as arrogant and power-hungry ("Mr Bentley had never been able to resist making a good story better”- "A London Particular”) but go back in the novel to “Christmas eve” and Mr Bentley seems almost as affected as Kipps was. He is the complete opposite of what he was (“He was an abstemious man” “He had always blamed himself”).

Mr Bentley represents the enormity of the WIB’s influence.

The Land lord is a polite, hospitable man from Crithin Gifford- “No intention to pry, Sir.”

He reflects the attitude of all the people in CG, an “If we don’t talk about it, it doesn’t exist” attitude.

He knows everything about the people of CG and all their business, reflecting small community.

“It was true that Mr. Daily and the Landlord seemed anything but sturdy men”- Although he tried to hide the secrets with a smile and lots of chatter, he was not to be seen as a fool, he was just trying to keep spirits high.

Page 42 shows the Landlord’s reaction to TWIB.

Esmè is the older Kipps’ second wife.

She is only briefly mentioned but we get the impression that Kipps has found love and comfort in her.

She is, however, a little different from Kipps- “Yet at times I had caught Esmè looking at her wistfully, and she had more than once voiced, though gently and to me alone, a longing for Isobel to be a little less staid, a little more spiritual, even frivolous”

She also provides a background of normality and family to contrast with Kipp’s story and make it seem yet more terrifying.

Kipps not having children with Esmè may be because he is scared that they would have the same fate as his first born.