Desolate Descriptions: Evoking Atmosphere in "The Woman in Black
Susan Hill masterfully utilizes vivid descriptions of eerie settings like the Nine Lives Causeway to immerse the reader in a world of isolation, terror, and fear. Through meticulous attention to detail, she evokes a sense of foreboding and unease, setting the stage for the unfolding secrets and chilling events in the novel.
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Starting points. Themes: isolation, terror, secrets, fear Characters: Arthur Kipps, Alice Drablow, Jennet Humfrye, Mr Jerome, Sam Daily, Keckwick Places: London, Crythin Gifford, Nine Lives Causeway, Monk s Piece, Eel Marsh House
**How does Susan **How does Susan Hill use description Hill use description of places to have of places to have an impact on how an impact on how the reader feels the reader feels during the novel?** during the novel?**
SETTINGS SETTINGS THE NINE LIVES THE NINE LIVES CAUSEWAY CAUSEWAY The Nine Lives Causeway Ahead the water gleamed like metal and I began to make out a track, rather like the line left by the wake of a boat, that ran across it. As we drew nearer, I saw that the water was lying only shallowly over the rippling sand on either side of us, and that the line was in fact a narrow track leading directly ahead, as if into the estuary itself. As we slipped onto it, I realised that this must be The Nine Lives Causeway this and nothing more and saw how, when the tide came in, it would quickly be quite submerged and untraceable. At first the pony and trap met the sandy path, the smart noise we had been making ceased, and we went on almost in silence save for a hissing, silky, sort of sound. Here and there were clumps of reeds, bleached bone pale, and now and again the faintest of winds caused them to rattle dryly. The sun at our backs reflected in the water all around so that everything shone and glistened like the surface of a mirror, and the sky had taken on a faint pinkish tinge at the edges, and this in turn became reflected in the marsh and water.
TECHNIQUES TECHNIQUES Colour Contrast Silence Weather Atmosphere Senses Notes:
THE NINE LIVES CAUSEWAY On the causeway path it was still quite dry underfoot but to my left I saw that the water had begun to seep nearer, quite silent ( (1) quite slow. I wondered how deeply the path went under the water when the tide was at height, But, on a still night such as this this (2), there was plenty of time to cross in safety, though the distance was greater, now I was traversing it on foot, than it had seemed when we trotted over in Keckwick s pony cart, and the end of the causeway path seemed to be receding into the greyness greyness (3) ahead. I had never been quite so alone, nor felt I had never been quite so alone, nor felt quite so small and insignificant in a vast landscape before ( quite so small and insignificant in a vast landscape before (4), and I fell into a not unpleasant brooding, philosophical frame of mind, struck by the indifference of water and sky to my presence. Some minutes later, I could not tell how many, I came out of my reverie, to realise that I could no longer see very far in front of me and when I turned around I was startled to find that Eel Marsh House, too, was invisible, not because of the darkness of evening had fallen, but because of a thick, damp sea had come rolling over the marshes and enveloped everything, myself, the house behind me, the end of the causeway path and the countryside ahead. It was a mist like a damp, clinging a mist like a damp, clinging cobwebby thing(6) cobwebby thing(6), fine and yet impenetrable. It smelled and tasted (7) tasted (7) quite different from the filthy yellow fog (8) London; that was choking and thick and still, this was salty, light choking and thick and still, this was salty, light and pale and pale (8) 8) and moving in front of my eyes all the time. I felt confused, teased by it, as though it were made up of millions of live fingers that crept over me (9) live fingers that crept over me (9), hung on me and then shifted away again. My hair and face and the sleeves of my coat were already damp with a veil of moisture. Above all, it was the suddenness of it that had so unnerved and disorientated me. quite silent Notes: 1) on a still night such as 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) thick, damp sea- -mist (5) mist (5)that 7) smelled and 8) filthy yellow fog (8) of 9) millions of
CONTRAST COLOUR ATMOSPHERE EEL MARSH HOUSE SITUATION PHYSICAL FEATURES SURROUNDING AREA
EXPLORE HOW SUSAN HILL USES THE PLACES ARTHUR KIPPS STAYS IN TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHILLING NATURE OF THE STORY 1) Frame the question set out the perameters of you discussion remember you only have 45 minutes! This should form the basis of your introduction how she uses places and which places you are going to discuss in your answer. 2) Find the examples in the text skim read them and jot down key quotes to use. 3)Discuss how she uses places to create different effects how the impact on the reader is different for each one. 4)Use word level analysis as appropriate compare and contrast different settings. 5) Remember useful words for comparing: similarly; furthermore; whereas; conversely; has the opposite effect; is a reflection of; justaposes; in contrast to; heightens; enhances.
MAY 2013 QUESTIONS 1) How does Hill create tension and suspense in the second chapter, A London Particular? 30 marks; SPaG 4 marks. 2) How does Hill present children in The Woman in Black? How do you think the children add to the sense of horror in the novel? 30 marks; Spag 4 marks.
