The Woman in Black is a gothic novel by Susan Hill. The protagonist is a lawyer named Arthur Kipps, the story is about the turmoil and tragedies he faces during and after being sent to work at the infamous Eel Marsh House. The harrowing experiences that Arthur is subjected to by the woman in black evoke sympathy in us for Arthur but after we find out the woman in black’s history everything changes and suddenly we feel sympathy directed towards her. Hill causes the levels of our sympathy to fluctuate due to the awful things the woman in black inflicts upon Arthur. The woman black is a ghost haunted by the death of her beloved son, she is filled with malevolence and goes on a vendetta; if she can’t have a child no one can. She is turned into …show more content…
a vigilante and causes the death of Arthur’s child. However I still believe even after everything the woman in black did we can still extend a lot sympathy towards her. It is surprising that even though the woman in black is the villain we still feel so much pity for her. When we and Arthur first meet the woman in black in ‘the Funeral of Mrs Drablow’ we immediately feel sympathy towards her due to Arthur’s distressed description of her. Arthur describes her as looking ‘as though she had been a victim of starvation’. We know that the woman described is probably the woman in black but Arthur’s description causes me to immediately disregard that, because even though she looks like she could have died from ‘starvation’ herself she still drags her frail body to the funeral of a woman whose funeral was so poorly populated. If she had been a ‘victim’ as Arthur describes then she would already be dead so she is clearly on the brink of death, meaning she is clearly very ill and will especially given the time the novel is set in will die, which always evokes pity in people. The woman in black’s gauntness also causes him to reveal that ‘only the thinnest layer of skin was stretched and strained across her bones’. The notion that she doesn’t even have enough flesh to cover her face is equally scary but also conjures a lot of sympathy towards her from both Arthur and the readers. Because Arthur is the first person narrator most of his emotions are transferred onto us. So when Arthur first encounters the seeming innocent and well hearted woman and black and feels sympathy and pity towards her, so do we. Even though the Woman in black has such a harrowing effect on Arthur in the Graveyard in ‘Across the Causeway’ our sympathy is restored and increased when we see what an immaculate condition the nursery has been kept in, we and Arthur know that the Woman in Black had a son so we can infer that it was his nursery. The orderly nature of the nursery is illustrated by ‘rows of lead soldier arranged in regiments’ The woman in black has meticulously cared for and organised her deceased son’s possessions even the toys that he probably never even got to play with, almost like she had hope that one day he still would be able to play with them. The idea that the Woman in black could hope is comforting and shows that she is not completely evil which allows us to extend more sympathy towards her. From the detail of how well his toys were cared for we can tell that the woman in black loved her son dearly which makes us feel sorrow because the baby has died but then also sympathy because it was the woman in black’s child that unfortunately died. However, one element pf the room is not in such an immaculate state there was a ‘small table [with] a nightlight with the candle still burnt half way’. We can deduce that it was the death of the woman in black’s beloved son that turned her into the malevolent ghost that she is now, and the depiction of the ‘half burned’ candle could be used to represent that without her treasured son her life was plunged into darkness as her son’s nursery would have been if the candle went out in the night. This illustrates that the woman in black had a past where she was Jennet Humfry a kind young mother who had her happiness ripped away from her, her son’s death was a tragic accident which intensifies the sympathy we feel. We know that because the nursery had a nightlight that the woman in black probably sat next to her son’s bed and read him stories which illustrates how much she loved him, therefore we feel more sympathy towards the woman in black. The candle could also be used to represent how her son’s life ended halfway through his life which is yet another way that extracts sympathy from us. It is in ‘Whistle and I’ll Come to You’ that we experience one of the most drastic changes in the extent of our sympathy to the woman in black. Her actions of luring spider away to his death and therefore leaving Arthur stranded and alone makes u s question whether the woman in black’s tragic past defends her actions. This is also the first time that Arthur has been in real physical danger caused by her. Arthur cares tremendously about Spider illustrates by how he treats Spider after the near drowning ‘Cradling spider like a child in [his] arms. The woman in black knows what it feels like to loose someone who care for deeply, but she in now trying to inflict this immeasurable pain on to Arthur. Of course the sorrow from loosing your child is more powerful than loosing your friend’s dog, but the torment the woman in black experienced turned her into a bitter, evil woman so Spider’s death would still have an enormous effect on Arthur, and the suffering he would face would be imposed on him by the woman in black which makes us feel significantly less sympathetic towards her. Furthermore, the events that occur in the marshes distress both Arthur and Spider (of whom we grown fond of due to his loyal companionship to Arthur) hugely as shown when Arthur recalls that ‘We were both trembling violently’. Arthur and Spider are both left terrified and tormented, Spider has been Arthur’s friend since they met and stopped Arthur from being alone and vulnerable. Arthur reports that they remained there shaking for an extremely long time but the physical shock would’ve worn off more quickly than that, so you could argue that he was also shaking from the torment of the idea that he would have had to face the woman in black alone, because without Spider Arthur would be completely isolated and exposed. One could also draw many analogies between Spider and the woman in black’s son. After the son’s father is sent away from the woman in black she is also alone with her baby as Arthur is with Spider and yet the woman in black still tries to kill him in exactly the same way as her son, this makes us feel detestation for the woman in black as opposed to the woman in black but then when we remember that she is only acting this way because of the terrible grief she is feeling we are compelled to sympathise with her again. The sympathy we extend towards the woman in black is possibly diminished after the episode with Spider, but after reading the letters from her to Mrs Drablow in ‘Packet of Letters’, it become significantly apparent why the sorrow she is suffering causes her to act the way she does and does the awful things she does in the name of revenge.
The woman in black’s love for her child is described by Arthur as a ‘desperate clinging affection’ and as a ‘passionate love for her child’ By using ‘clinging’ Arthur is suggesting that she almost depends on her son and that without him she becomes ‘desperate’ this further exhibits the ‘passionate love’ that she feels towards her son. Because the woman in black loved her son so dearly if shows why his death was so painful for her, it left her distraught and she died a sad, lonely woman which increases our sympathy for the woman in …show more content…
black. In one of the first letter that Arthur’s reads regarding the correspondence between the woman in black and Mrs Drablow, the woman states that ‘I shall kill us both before I let him go’. This shows the extreme lengths she was willing to go to to keep her son by her side. She was willing to ‘kill’ herself in order for her to never have to live a life parted from him which demonstrates how empty her life felt without her much loved son in it, explaining why the torture of living without him turned her into an evil creature, as a result we end feeling sympathy towards the woman in black because we know she was forced to live without him. She is also presented as Jennet instead of the woman in black which in turn distances her from the woman in black and her deeds resulting in us feeling less negative emotion towards the grieving mother. From experiencing the story through Arthur’s perspective, we become fond of the protagonist especially after he subjected to all the injustice, so whilst her last interaction with Arthur’s makes us feel sympathy for Arthur and less so for the woman in black, she then forces Arthur to experience the torment she felt in ‘the Woman in Black, even though she knows how soul destroying it is.
Whilst the events are happening Arthur says that ‘all the world went dark around me’ and after the tragedy he says ‘I was forced to live through it all’. He like the woman in black is forced to watch on helplessly as his baby is hurtled through the air, just like the woman in black is forced to watch from the window trapped inside the house as her son drowns in the marshes. Arthur literally wishes for unconsciousness and knowing that he is feeling so much unnecessary pain caused by the woman in black makes us feel much less sympathy towards her. However by the time Arthur has moved on from Eel Marsh House and has started his family many years have passed but yet the woman in black is still completely consumed by grief that she does this to Stella and Thomas, this illustrates the immeasurable agony she still feels which means we still feel sympathy towards her despite everything that has
happened. Our sympathy towards the woman in black fluctuates a few times throughout the novel but from the moment she is introduced we feel sympathy towards, this sympathy develops from just her unhealthy appearance after we find out about her past, doesn’t justify what she subjects Arthur to do but it makes her actions understandable since she is so consumed with grief. After everything that has happened to her it’s not surprising that she ended up being such a horrific woman who commits such evil acts but its because of what has happened to her that allows us to still extend sympathy for the grieving mother.
In the beginning years of Janie’s life, there were two people who she is dependent on. Her grandmother is Nanny, and her first husband is named Logan Killicks. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, “Janie, an attractive woman with long hair, born without benefit of clergy, is her heroine” (Forrest). Janie’s grandmother felt that Janie needs someone to depend on before she dies and Janie could no longer depend on her. In the beginning, Janie is very against the marriage. Nanny replied with, “’Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, its protection. ...He done spared me...a few days longer till Ah see you safe in life” (Hurston 18). Nanny is sure to remind Janie that she needs a man in her life for safety, thus making Janie go through life with that thought process.
Doris talks a lot about the preparations she made for the arrival of her child and this creates a real sorrow, 'This is where we had the pram.' The audience are helpless as all they can do is feel sad for Doris. As the play progresses we realise that whenever the subject of John arises Doris does one of two important things. Firstly there is a use of
Morrison’s authorship elucidates the conditions of motherhood showing how black women’s existence is warped by severing conditions of slavery. In this novel, it becomes apparent how in a patriarchal society a woman can feel guilty when choosing interests, career and self-development before motherhood. The sacrifice that has to be made by a mother is evident and natural, but equality in a relationship means shared responsibility and with that, the sacrifices are less on both part. Although motherhood can be a wonderful experience many women fear it in view of the tamming of the other and the obligation that eventually lies on the mother. Training alludes to how the female is situated in the home and how the nurturing of the child and additional local errands has now turned into her circle and obligation. This is exactly the situation for Sethe in Morrison’s Beloved. Sethe questions the very conventions of maternal narrative. A runaway slave of the later half of 19th century, she possesses a world in which “good mothering” is extremely valued, but only for a certain class of women: white, wealthy, outsourcing. Sethe’s role is to be aloof: deliver flesh, produce milk, but no matter what happens, she cannot love. During the short space of time (which is 28 days) Sethe embraces the dominant values of idealised maternity. Sethe’s fantasy is intended to end upon recover, however, it doesn’t, on that ground she declines to give her family a chance to be taken from her. Rather she endeavours to murder each of her four kids, prevailing the young girl whom she named Beloved. Sethe’s passion opposes the slave proprietor’s- and the western plot line's endeavours at allocations, for better or in negative ways. It iwas an act arranged in the space between self-attestation and selflessness, where Sethe has taken what is humane and protected it
When Janie was a young girl, she allowed her grandmother’s opinions and beliefs on happiness dictate how she lived her life, which ultimately led to her misery. When Janie was caught kissing Johnny Taylor under the pear tree at the age of sixteen, Nanny told Janie how she wanted her to live her life: “Ah wanted yuh to school out and pick from a higher bush and a sweeter berry. But dat ain’t yo’ idea, Ah see” (Hurston 13). Since she was young, Janie had been mesmerized with the pear tree, the emblem of natural harmony and contentment. She had come to the realization that her dream was to wrestle with life, and just as she was experiencing this freedom, Nanny, the only family she was in contact with, challenged her plans. Nanny took her own experiences as a malnourished slave and condemned Janie to the life in which she was never able to have; Nanny wanted her granddaughter to marry a man with money so that he could support her; she believed that whatever Janie’s assertion of happiness was, was wrong and pointless. When Nanny told Janie that she wanted her to marry a rich man, she spoke with a superior tone that revealed her belittlement towards Janie. She claimed that Janie didn’t know what was best for herself,...
Because this woman is a slave, she has no right to her own child, therefore she cannot claim him as her own. No matter how much she loves him or how much joy that he brings into her dreary life, he can never be hers, and her heart breaks when he is taken away from her. Mothers have a very special bond with their children; they feel a love that can be described as much stronger than any other kind of love in the world. This love that is felt by the slave mother in this poem literally changes the tone of the poem when the narrator speaks about the mother and her son. Despite the anguish and despair that she feels, the thought of her child can lift her spirits, only for the child to be taken away from her. Because of her race, she cannot claim any right to love her own child. As a woman, her right to be a mother and raise and love her child was taken away from her. The slave mother had no rights to herself or her own children, and her race and gender are the main causes for
The main image that Petry gives of the black mother is Lutie, though there are other images that are crucial in explaining this image. Lutie is a single black mother living on “the street.” Her world revolves around providing for her son, and trying to make sure that they ar...
...ve interest was free born and wished to marry her. However, after Harriet?s attempts to pursued her master to sell her to the young neighbor failed she was left worse off than before. Dr. Norcom was so cruel he forbade Harriet anymore contact with the young man. Harriet?s next love came when she gave birth to her first child. Her son Benny was conceived as a way to get around Dr. Norcom?s reign of terror. However, this is a subject that was very painful for her. She conveys to the reader that she has great regret for the length she went to stop her Master. Along with her own guilt she carries the memories of her Grandmother?s reaction to the news of her pregnancy. Clearly this was a very traumatic time in Harriet?s life. In light of these difficult events Harriet once again found love and hope in her new born son. ?When I was most sorely oppressed I found solace in his smiles. I loved to watch his infant slumber: but always there was a dark cloud over my enjoyment. I could never forget that he was a slave.? (Jacobs p. 62)
Failing to recognize herself as the one black child in a photograph, Janie begins her story without a name or color (Meese 62). ?Dey all uster call me Alaphabet? cause so many people had done named me different names? (Hurston 9). The revelation doesn?t devastate Janie, rather it stands as both a symbol of Nanny?s unrealistic attempts to shield the girl from life and a metaphor for Janie?s lack of self-knowledge (Williams 100). Nanny raised Janie through her own dreams ?of what a woman oughta be and do? (Hurston 100). Nanny projects a stereotypical identity and a secure future for Janie based on what she knows, which is limited by the historical constraints of what she has seen of the white man?s power over blacks (Meese 62). She tries to control Janie under her own rules and unfair authority. Nanny tells Janie,
In the novel and the film, The Woman In Black, both the author, Susan Hill, and the director, James Watkins, have applied sundry techniques and developed logical thinking to the multiple adversities of both the novel and the film. Due to these elucidations, the two media are intertwined with copious clouds of detail, which relate to both media. Many key areas of the two media are worth investigating, such as setting and themes, which strengthen the bonds between the ideas and the implementation of the story.
... The mother's approach is a source of terror for the child, written as if it is a horror movie, suspense created with the footsteps, the physical embodiment of fear, the doorknob turns. His terror as he tries to run, but her large hands hold him fast, is indicative of his powerless plight. The phrase, 'She loves him.' reiterates that this act signifies entrapment as there is no reciprocation of the ‘love’.
In “Desiree’s Baby,” Kate Chopin writes about the life of a young lady and her new family. In this short story, the fond couple lived in Louisiana before the American Civil War. Chopin illustrates the romantic atmosphere between Armand and Desiree. Chopin also describes the emotion of the parents for their new born. When the baby was born, Armand’s heart had softened on behalf of others. One afternoon, Desiree and the baby were relaxing in a room with a young boy fanning them with peacock feathers. As they were relaxing, Desiree had sniffed a threatening scent. Desiree desired Armand’s assistance as she felt faint from the odor that she could not comprehend. Armand had denied the request his wife sent. Therefore, he cried out that she nor the baby were white. Thus, Desiree took the baby and herself and walked into the bayou and they were never seen again. In this short story, Chopin illustrates the psychological abuse Desiree faces from her husband.
Caroline lacks involvement in her children’s upbringing. After hearing Benjamin cry, Caroline, questions, “Cant I even be sick in peace. Do I have to get up out of bed […] with two grown negroes to take care of him” (59...
In her story, Desiree’s Baby, Kate Chopin underlined the contrast between lust and love, exploring the problem of a man’s pride that exceeded the love he has for his wife. Armand, the main character of the story, is a slave owner who lived in Louisiana during the era of slavery. He married an adopted young woman, Desiree, and together they have a son who eventually became an obstacle in the way of his father’s happiness, thus removing out the true character of Armand. Desiree’s Baby, by Kate Chopin is a love story, love that ultimately proved to be a superficial love, a story that shed light on the ugly relationships between people. “Lust is temporary, romance can be nice,
The body of Kingston's essay refers to a story her mother told her about her aunt. Her mother used stories reflecting events of the family's past to try to teach her important lessons of life. In the story, Kingston's aunt becomes pregnant outside of her marriage. Since the pregnancy occurred during a time period when f...
Marie, who is a product of an abusive family, is influenced by her past, as she perceives the relationship between Callie and her son, Bo. Saunders writes, describing Marie’s childhood experiences, “At least she’d [Marie] never locked on of them [her children] in a closet while entertaining a literal gravedigger in the parlor” (174). Marie’s mother did not embody the traditional traits of a maternal fig...