The Woman in Black free essay sample

A London Particular The Second chapter of Susan Hills chilling novel, The Woman In Black, is host to some of the conventional gothic aspects found in such ghost stories. The focus of this essay is the first eight paragraphs of the second chapter. Story telling lies at the heart of this novel and there is definite mix within the story of new and old ghost stories which would allow Susan Hill to select what she would have thought to be essential components of a successful ghost narrative. A London Particular’ imparts a strong sense of place, mood, season and of the elements to the point that our main character, Arthur Kipps, is very effected by the various scenarios; whether it be sunny in the open or dark and cloudy. These senses mean the traditional ‘haunting’ fundamentals; an isolated house, narrow empty streets at night (lonely churchyards and convents later on), are heavily relied upon. We will write a custom essay sample on The Woman in Black or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Past the lonely house of chapter one, ‘A London Particular’ begins on a normal Monday afternoon in November. Arthur Kipps is making a routine journey to work through London; something he has done every day for a very long time. However, within the first sentence, a crucial ghost story element forms. The fog. The fog is powerfully atmospheric, beautiful and sinister all at the same time as it rolls across the usually busy streets of London. The other intimidating fact is that London is usually a civilized, safe place. With the appearance of the fog, it makes London a much more insecure place. These are the earliest sign of a ghostly nature in the book as the fog mystifies and ‘empties’ the busy avenues by obscuring everyone’s sight, hence creating a mood of uneasiness and mystery as one never knows who’s out there and where. I believe that the beginning of the second paragraph in chapter two is one of the most effective passages at creating a spooky and ghostly setting on the roads of London. It reads like a typical gothic scene maker, creating a very unwelcoming and deserted place of an area which in the broad daylight would typically be bustling with commuters. The winter season tops this off with the coldness and bleakness of the surrounding; the trees are bare and lanky and the chilliness has reduced crowds further. Susan Hill personifies the fog itself, manifesting it into a creature of its own, consuming those who venture into it. She refers to the fog being evil, able to choke and blind. This almost suggests that the fog is a murderer, promoting the mounting terror of the book. Arthur Kipps begins to feel a little uncomfortable with the developing darkness shadowing what little was left visible by the fog. We know by this point in the book that Arthur Kipps’ mood is influenced heavily on the weather and hence the growing darkness compounded with the bleakness of winter disturbs his well-being. He describes it as â€Å"the fog confuses people, as they would be blindfolded and spun around†. The next valuable point was the fact that he has a sense of foreboding about the journey he is embarking upon; some sort of sixth sense. This is where the first clairvoyant behavior is experienced or mentioned. As mentioned before, Arthur Kipps is severely affected mood-wise by the weather and hence he feels a little depressed at this stage and seems to be focusing around negatives. However, even though the weather has depressed, Arthur seems fairly perpetual, keeping his calm. Curiosity seems to strike him more than anything and the want to understand what the fog desires to obscure is present in him, thus adding a detective fiction feel to the passage as well. Maybe, the fog was a sign of what was yet to come? Darkness, mystery and the feeling of being lost. The eighth paragraph boasts a description of the street lights which can only be read like a hell-like scene; with inferno like circles, flares from basements, the flickering light of the lamplighter, red-hot pools of light from chestnut sellers. Each of these descriptions makes it eventual reference to the famous cliche of a demon boiling people in a large cauldron of tar. This imagery further agrees with the gothic convention within the book. Also in this section is a clear reference to some of the key senses; the sulphuric taste of the London fog, the burning smell of roasting chestnuts and the sight of ghost-like figures swaying in and out of the fog. The last paragraph shows chaos and disorder within a civilized community which clearly links to the feeling of uneasiness, confusion, fret and horror. All common elements of a gothic novel. Also in this paragraph is the very first reference to a ghost. Arthur Kipps describes the figures weaving in and out of the fog as ‘ghost-like’ because of their mouth and lower faces muffled in scarves, veils and handkerchiefs. This ghost reference again sets a tone of foreboding for what is yet to come into Arthur’s life. It also foreshadows Mr. Daily’s apparent description of Arthur Kipps ‘whistling in the dark’, completely oblivious of the real dangers that surround him. In many typical ghost/gothic stories, light is generally there to resemble peace and calmness; almost angelic. Similes are also present in this paragraph, for example; ‘†¦were like ghost figures’, adding to the descriptive tone of the passage. However in the end of the paragraph, Arthur Kipps describes the people walking in and out of it becoming ‘red-eyed and demonic’, destroying this sign of calm and replacing it with the evil tone we have become all too familiar with. ‘A London Particular’ sets a typical gothic, ghost-like scene with the fog, darkness and demonic features within nearly every aspect of the area. The sense of foreboding is definitely there and with the benefit of hindsight, we can clearly say that the London Particular was a warning sign for Arthur Kipps not to embark on the job at hand. However, he does.