Woman in Black- plot

WHAT HAPPENS...

• Peaceful fireside Christmas eve at Monks Piece- home is described
• Arthur steps outside- describe house setting & reminisce
• Several years ago- discovered it & felt compelled to buy it
• Mr Bentley is introduced
• Arthurs wife & step family are introduced- establish a happy domestic scene & springboard from which to tell the main story
• Arthur is invited by Edmund to contribute a ghost story
• He declines- but resolves to write down his story
• Arthur recalls line from Shakespeare's Hamlet- where Marcellus speaks to Horatio & Barnado after seeing the ghost of Hamlets father
• Comforted by verse- returns to house to join in with christmas activites

LETS DELVE DEEPER...

• SH- prepares reader for traditional ghost story
• Supernatural experiences are evoked

• Opening paragraph- Hill describes idylic family christmas
• Outside- Kipps- descriptions of seasonal settings- learn about his state of mind
• "My spirits have for many years now been excessively affected by the ways of the weather." (pg10)
• He is prone to gloom & lethargy- unable to enjoy life- connected to past

• SH- paints a clear picture of Arthurs background- widower etc
• Particular affinity with Edmund- closest to his sons age

• Telling ghost storys- at first atmostphere is jolly & good humoured- exploiting the conventions of ghost stories in a ridiculous manner (adds credibility to SH's)
• A- becomes increasingly remote & starts to panic
• Leaves the room when invited to join- mirrors actions of Landlord in later chapters- hints at idea of conspiracy of silence
• Contemplates telling story
• "...a true story, a story of horror & evil & fear & confusion, horror & tragedy." (pg21)
• SH's use of language- three adjective phrases- build tension & excitement (rhythm)

• Decides to tell story- not to entertain but to exorcise
• Comforted by Hamlet quote- describes how the sacred season of Christmas, ghosts & malovent spirits dare not walk the earth

TEXT FOCUS

• Boys setting scene for ghost stories- stimulates Kipps to purge his ghost
• Family is high spirited & excited- SH- deliberate light hearted atmostphere
• Shows- humans deal with fear & phenomenma they can't explain- ridicule & exaggerate
• As a young man- kipps didn't believe in ghosts
• He is the only one with a story
• This episode paves the way for the remainder of the novel- happy domestic scene shadows the terrible tale of the woman in black

• Foreshadowing later events
• "I was the one who had been haunted and who had suffered- not the only one, no, but surely, I thought, the only one left alive."