The Woman In Black

1
The Woman In Black
The Woman in Black is an EXAM text We are reading
it now so that you are familiar with it We will
revise it in Year 11 We are going to create a
Woman In Black folder which I will keep

• Lesson ObjectiveTo be able to show
  understanding of the genre and background to the
  novel

2
Pre-reading Activities Book cover predictions
3
Susan Hill
One evening I was browsing along my bookshelves
trying to hit upon just the right thing to read
when I came to The Turn of the Screw by Henry
James and as I settled down to re-read it, I
thought how much I had always admired it and how
brilliantly James creates the atmosphere of the
house called Bly in which it is set out of the
blue I thought I wonder if I could write a ghost
novel myself? Susan Hill
4
Ghost Story Genre

• In what ways do you think the Ghost Story is
  different to a horror story?
• Can you name any Ghost Stories?
• What are the traditions / conventions of a ghost
  story?

5
Pre-reading Literary Terms

• Gothic Literature
• Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic
  horror) is a genre of literature that combines
  elements of both horror and romance. Gothic
  novels concentrate on extreme emotions, the
  thrills of fearfulness and awe and a quest
  for atmosphere. 
• Frame Narrative
• A frame story is a story within a story

6
What is Gothic?

• A polysemantic term as it is a term that can be
  applied to many things
• Gothic anything out of the ordinary???

7
What to look for in Gothic Literature

• A strange or exotic Setting
• A fascination for the past
• Fear
• The eccentric and far-fetched
• Psychological insight
• Suspense
• Narrative framing

8
Create a front cover for your folder

• The title of the novel
• The authors name
• An image that you think will be relevant to the
  novel
• Words and phrases which are typical of ghost
  stories
• Predictions about what the story will be about

9
The Woman in Black

• Lesson ObjectiveTo begin to read and understand
  the plot of the novel

10
Pre-reading Activities

• Christmas Eve
• A London Particular
• The Journey North
• The Funeral of Mrs Drablow
• Across the causeway
• The Sound of a Pony and Trap
• Mr Jerome is Afraid
• Spider
• In the Nursery
• Whistle and Ill Come to You
• A Packet of Letters
• The Woman in Black

• Tasks
• What do you think might happen in each chapter?
• Write a brief synopsis in no more then 10 words
• As we read the novel, at the end of each chapter,
  remember to check whether your predictions were
  accurate!

11
Chapter 1

• The narrator, Kipps, introduces himself to the
  reader
• He is now an old man and he prepares to tell us
  the story of his past

• As we read, try and identify references to his
  past
• Are these references to the past positive or
  negative?
• How is Kipps preparing the reader for what is to
  come?