How does Susan Hill evoke feelings of anxiety and fear in the reader?
How does Susan Hill evoke feelings of anxiety and fear in the reader?
Ghost stories have been part of our lives for many centuries now. They bring us excitement, fear, tension, anxiety and curiosity. Susan Hill wrote the novel in the 1970's, the date set for the novel was the 1930's just before the Second World War. We can tell this as she describes old cars and the use of gas lamps. The story revolves around a junior solicitor named Arthur Kipps, who is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the owner of Eel Marsh House but unaware to him that she and her house had many secrets and when he sees The Woman in Black, the feeling of unease and eeriness takes hold him.
Susan Hill used a variety of Ghost stories from the Victorian Period to bring her novel together. It is a tradition of ghost stories that they are told or narrated by someone. But Susan Hill decided to use a narrator. Ghost stories have been told many times and have changed to become myths and legends. The Victorians enjoyed a good Ghost story; Susan Hill has used many of the Victorian traditions of Ghost stories for example the title "The woman in black" is a echo of Willkie Collins "The Woman in White". This novel is about a beautiful, mysterious lady who haunts the narrator by re-enacting her past life of being persuaded by evil men. She has also used names from the novelist Charles Dickens e.g. "Keckwick and Drablow" and the detailed description of Eel Marsh House is similar to that of the room of Mrs Havisham in "Great Expectations".
Susan Hill intentions for her Ghost story were that it should be realistic and convincing within a relatively normal plot. She wanted the plot to follow an everyday feel, so that we could relate to it more and that it would be more realistic. Also she did this so that we would believe in Ghost's. If something is packed full to the brim with horror, aliens and monsters, we would not believe it and so therefore the novel would be un- realistic. Victorian Ghost stories are dependant upon atmosphere. The worst writers piled on every spooky detail to send shudders up the spine. They were set in old isolated houses, lonely churchyards, castles, convents and empty narrow streets. Pathetic Fallacy (the atmosphere of weather) is a vital part in any Victorian Ghost story. Weather brings out the eeriness and atmosphere of a place. In the novel "Dracula" his house is surrounded by mist and fog. Susan Hill has also used weather in this way, to bring out the eeriness of Eel Marsh House " Suddenly conscious of the cold and the extreme bleakness and eeriness." First of all before you even read the book Susan Hill has aroused interest about her book. As she has used other conventions of novels, readers who have read these books would be interested to see how she has put her own ideas forward and how she has incorporated ideas from other novels into her own.
Susan Hill creates tension and anxiety in many different ways; the first was is she uses a flashback throughout the whole story when Arthur Kipps retells his story. This plays a trick on us as it leads us into a false sense of security, we know Arthur is alive as he is retelling the story but at the end of the novel, when his wife and child are killed, we are in a complete shock. This is a very clever way of creating tension because we know Arthur is safe but the rest of the characters we do not what will happen to them. She also uses flashback in the chapter "In the Nursery"; Arthur is about to enter the nursery but he "stood there in fear and trembling and in dreadful bewilderment." He is petrified to enter the room as he does not know what is in there and then he hears the "rocking" of the chair. Then the flashback occurs and then reminds him of his childhood " It was the sound of the wooden runners of my nurse's rocking chair, when she sat beside me every night while I went to sleep as a small child." This gives him the security and comfort that he needs to forget about the frightening experiences. She uses this as a comparison from the fear when his about to enter the room and then to these happy childhood memories. Giving us time to prepare for the next horrific scene. When we start to read the second chapter it becomes the past tense, he starts to write in a flash back. Arthur is telling the reader about his past at Eel Marsh. He tells the story to the reader and when we come into the chapter "The woman in black" he starts to write in the present tense explaining how he could hardly bring himself to write about the next event, "I could scarcely bring my self to write about it." This is effective to the reader because throughout the whole story, he never came into the present tense. The flashback creates realism in the story and possibly dependent upon the reader's situation it can make the story seem scarier. Due to the fact that Arthur narrates the story he is able to tell that some strange happenings weren't scary but some less scary events were very scary.
The narrator is a vital tool in creating tension. Susan Hill as used Arthur Kipps to tell the story. She has done this to bring out the realness of the novel. In the chapter "The pony and trap", when he hears the pony and trap drowning he says "I stood absolutely helpless in the mist that clouded me and everything from my sight, almost weeping in agony of fear and frustration." Here we really can relate to how the narrator emotionally feels and the struggle that he cannot do anything we are put into the situation he is ...
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The narrator is a vital tool in creating tension. Susan Hill as used Arthur Kipps to tell the story. She has done this to bring out the realness of the novel. In the chapter "The pony and trap", when he hears the pony and trap drowning he says "I stood absolutely helpless in the mist that clouded me and everything from my sight, almost weeping in agony of fear and frustration." Here we really can relate to how the narrator emotionally feels and the struggle that he cannot do anything we are put into the situation he is in. The narrated novel makes us believe that this is actually happening. The novel is more convincing in the first person as he actually tells you his story in his own words and you do believe that this happened. She has built the narrator's character very effectively so that we believe he is telling the story and that it is true. She has created him as a plain, simply, straightforward man, who takes a lot to scare him and he says, "I do not believe in Ghosts." And did not believe in such supernatural beings. They must be in a good state of health and very headstrong, so that nothing would influence what he was seeing. It is very unexpected and mysterious that a kind, everyday kind of man this could happen to but it is very believable that someone who is normal as us that this could happen to. It is more believable that Arthur (The unbeliever in Ghosts) actually witnesses and hears the sightings and then is forced to believe and we are also forced also as maybe unbelievers to actually believe that this is real.
Susan Hill uses a variety of techniques to create tension throughout the book. First of all she uses throughout the book onomatopoeia techniques such as "Clip-clop", "Rumble", "creek", "Boomed" and "Slammed". This brings out the realness of the novel also by using powerful adjectives to really describe emotions so that you can really feel how the narrator feel and that it becomes realistic "Terror, Horror, agony of fear, ravaged face." Another way that Susan Hill arouses tension is the reaction of other characters, when Arthur goes to see Mr Jerome and suggests that he needs someone's help. The expression of Mr Jerome is that of panic and shifts away from Mr Kipps like he doesn't want to be near him. This adds curiosity to the reader, Mr Kipps has only asked for help and Mr Jerome is over reacting, indicating to us that he does not want anyone else to go there. The meeting with Mr Jerome is full of tension, Mr Kipps hints of ghosts being at Eel Marsh House "I am not going to be put out by a ghost or several ghosts." Mr Jerome's action was one of terror "He turned suddenly towards me." The conversation was becoming more tense and Mr Kipps tries to add some humour to lighten up the conversation after all he was only suggesting there was a ghost. We the reader start to wonder what all the hype is about and get curious about the reactions of Mr Jerome.
After Arthur's horrifying experience at the house in "The Pony and Trap" he tries to forget about it by cycling into country but as he sees Eel Marsh House he says, " I had fallen under some sort of spell." Susan Hill writes that he is in a spell and is bonded with the house. Whatever he does, wherever he goes he is attracted to the house. Which builds up anxiety in the reader as we wonder why he wants to go back to this place, where these terrible sounds distress him so much.
When he meets Mr Daily, he acts very strangely. When Arthur tells him "I have been out to the house", replies with "Ah", this reaction is very mysterious. They say nothing else until Mr Daily says, "You are whistling in the dark." This is a cryptic comment, suggesting that Mr Kipps is wasting his time on a mission that is impossible. Hinting to the reader that Mr Daily knows something but what. But he does this very subtly without him actually saying it, as Arthur might start asking questions that he knows something. In normal circumstances no normal person would venture back to Eel Marsh House. Arthur says, "I was by now almost pigheadedly bent upon following my course." This maybe an implication that be an influence of some kind as if he had lost all sense of free will. We wonder why on earth he wants to go there after all that has happened to him.
Away Susan Hill sustains interest is by the use of contrast. This is sustained throughout the book and is away of keeping the reader interested and still active in the book. The chapter called "Spider" is a happy oasis in the doom and gloom from the horrors of Eel Marsh House. It brings normality into the novel and so that we still do continue to believe the plot. He is optimistic and cheerful and ready to do battle. He does not believe that the ghost can do any harm to him. He is oblivious to what the rest of the town know because he doesn't think that the ghost can do any harm to him. "Ignorance is bliss" to Arthur, he doesn't believe the ghost can hurt him and so there for believes that he is not in danger and does not have to worry.
Susan Hill creates eeriness in the beginning of the chapter "In the nursery" by emphasising how cut of and isolated Arthur is. " If I had left anything important behind, I could not return to fetch it for several hours." This gives the reader a slight hint that something drastic or frightening is about to happen and Arthur could not run away from it.
Susan Hill has used the dog "Spider" to add realism and suspense. Even Spider who is in a state of shock and therefore making the reader believe in the supernatural. " Spider took a couple of steps backwards, half lifted her front paws off the ground and began to howl." Also in this chapter she builds up curiosity in the reader we find out that Arthur has found some letters about giving up a child for adoption and then he goes on to find some death certificates. Susan Hill gives us slight hints to the plot here but still builds up tension to see how these letters fall into place. "They were short letters, written in a direct, rather native manner and the story they told was a touching one and not particularly unfamiliar." She has used an upsetting story line but has used a classic adoption situation to make it seem realistic. To keep building up tension she keeps reminding us of the pony and trap and the distressing "Cry" of the child. She does this to build up the tension quickly as we know this is chilling and then goes straight into a next eerie passage. This is a example of the Chapter "In the Nursery" Arthur hears the pony and trap and then goes inside to hear the "Rocking" of the chair. Also she adds tension by the locked door. It doesn't open. We as the reader fear what is behind the door but also we are anxious to find out what is behind it.
In the chapter "Whistle and I'll come to you" Susan Hill sets the scene as a clam, pleasant, happy passage. He is dreaming of past memories and pleasant thoughts but then she launches us straight back into tension by hearing the "Cry" and unpleasantness of this desperate child and we wonder what is about to happen next. She uses a number of ways to climax and add tension to this chapter. Firstly we start to think someone is there but we don't actually know " The person who had gone by, and who was in this house with me? I had seen no-one, felt nothing." She adds eeriness by Arthur telling us that the lights had gone out and now he was in "Pitch Blackness" making us anxious to see if anyone is there but he can't see. Then we have a complete climax the door "Inexplicably opened". With the breaking glass, no light starts to hype this up tremendously. All this ciaos around Arthur build up tension as we start to wonder what will happen next and we get more involved. Relating and hugging the dog, keeping her safe and giving him some comfort and trying to protect her from something. He really starts to worry he tells us " But instead of crying I drummed my fists upon the floorboards, in a burst of violent rage." He we can tell Arthur is frustrated and is very up set, all he wants is for all of this to go away and feels by going this by banging his fists on the floorboards. Here there is a moment of insanity and arouses tension to us but also the climax even. It makes it feel more realistic as we the reader would want to let out emotions out in a situation like this.
The rescue of spider adds suspense and anxiety to the reader. Susan Hill sets the rescue of spider in a normal situation, letting her out for a run but then hearing the whistle unexpectedly, trying to call spider onto the "drowning marshes" this adds tension to us we don't want her to run and then as she does we now think she is going to drown. Then as Arthur goes to save her and gets into the marsh himself we are on "Tender Hooks" to think that they are both going to drown. The suspense is created the desperate struggle to save this little creature and then the great sigh of relief that he has saved his companion. We feel here that someone was trying to kill spider, so Arthur would be on his own but it gives us the satisfaction that he has saved her and there relationship is stronger than ever. To think spider must be a very special friend to Arthur and he put his own life at risk.
Susan Hill has used many writing techniques to bring out the suspense and realism of the novel. She has used short sentences and commas to break up sentences to bring out Dramatic emphasis " I felt my grip on the slippery wet fur and wet flesh of the dog almost give, at last I knew that I would hold and win" She uses long detailed phrases when he was pulling the dog free, this made you want to read faster and made the anxiety greater. The contrast between everyday events e.g. letting the dog out for a run and then the horror of the drowning scene. This acts like a resting point for our emotions. Susan Hill has used the weather to create atmosphere and tension around Eel Marsh House; she uses the mist to create anxiety in us, as Arthur cannot see what is going on around him and the cold and bitterness around Eel Marsh House, she uses the wind to install fear and atmosphere of evil and then the sun shows that all is well and is resting point for our emotions again. She has used the wind and mist to create the atmosphere of evil and to play tricks on Arthur. The weather prepares us for what is about to happen next, whether it is good or bad. The setting she has used is an old Victorian house, which tells the reader straight away that it is very eerie. She has set the plot in an isolated place; this interests the reader as they have possibly been to a place like this before. This quite, isolated town makes the reader suspicious that there are a lot of secrets to be discovered. She has used names like "nine lives cause-way" to sense evil and mystery. Setting it in an open, vast landscape to make Arthur feel alone and unsafe. The setting beside the coast allows Susan Hill to introduce the atmosphere of the weather easily and the marshes add beauty to the landscape but possess to drown anyone.
Susan Hill has used characters very effectivley; we do not hear a lot or learn a lot about the characters for example Stella (his wife), Mr Bentley, and Mrs Drablow who we only hear of for a couple of pages. They gives us hints to the mystery of Mrs Drablow and act very strangely when he mentions her name or also when he sees The Women in Black. For instance at the funeral of Mr Jerome went faint at the mention of a lady in Black and would not discuss why he was frightened. Also at the pub when he mentions Eel Marsh House all the farmers ignored him. When he talks about his business at Eel Marsh House the bartender says nothing. "As it happened, my night was a bit disturbed in any case. I seemed to have an overdose of bad and generally restless. He said nothing" This adds mystery to the reader, as we wonder why they won't speak about Eel Marsh House. They also add normality to the plot to make it seem real; in the chapter "Spider" Arthur goes to Mr Daily's house to have a meal. This gives our emotions a rest. "As the evening went on I found myself taking to him more and more warmly and confiding in him too, telling him my own albeit small-seeming ambitions, if Mr Bentley would give me a chance, and about Stella and our prospects for the future." They talk about things normally to bring out the reality of the plot and for us to forget about Eel Marsh House for a moment. But lack of communication with other characters puts loneliness and tension in the reader and makes Mr Kipps a lonely character. He refers to his wife Stella a lot, to bring him hope and seine and to lets his emotions out too. His courage to save Spider is surprising to us but I think he does this, as he does not want to loose Spider and be left alone to face the ghost himself. Spider gives him the courage and love that he is missing from other people. Susan Hill using the dying character as a child has a psychological effect on the reader and on Arthur, it is more distressing to hear the sound of a "screaming" "Crying" sound of a desperate child in need then it would be for an adult. This mentally affects Arthur as he starts to picture the desperate struggle of the child and keeps playing on his mind. The noises affect the reader emotionally as they feel upset for this dying and also plays on their mind and every time the narrator tells us about it, it becomes very distressing.
Throughout the play she has created a climax by giving us hints and clues given by characters, sightings of the ghost building up the climax and suspense. Then she lets the tension and suspense die down in the beginning of the Chapter "The woman in Black" Everything is going well for him, he married Stella and then later on had a son. She describes "a peaceful, happy, Sunday afternoon in summer" in the park, we get the sense of happiness and enjoyment and Arthur has finally forgot Eel Marsh House. His wife and son go on a pony and trap ride as he watches them and then he sees the woman in Black and now we think that something bad is about to happen, then she steps in front of the pony and the trap and pony hit a tree killing Stella and his baby son. Using the enjoyment and peaceful atmosphere, she has surprised us right until the very end and using the happy atmosphere ended it with evil and ending the novel with sadness, tension and anxiety.
Using all of these techniques Susan Hill has sustained tension and anxiety in the reader throughout the novel and using all of these techniques has written an excellent ghost story!
By Matthew Syner 10SG
