The Woman in Black

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1983

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

The Pony and Trap

The pony and trap symbolize a passage between worlds, whether that be from civilization to isolation or between the living and the dead. Keckwick takes Kipps in a horse-drawn cart to Eel Marsh House, where he will have to spend significant time alone and which pulls him further from civilization. The points in the novel where the characters endure the loss of a child occur in a horse-drawn cart, reflecting a transition between life and death.

Part of the suspense around the pony and trap on the Nine Lives Causeway exists in its ability to be heard and not seen. Kipps claims that the sounds coming from the incident with the horse-drawn cart are “terrifying because [the cart] had been only heard not seen” (99). Hill crafts the symbol to be a mysterious force, igniting fear due to its ability to remain unseen and, therefore, unknown. This mirrors the mystery behind death and the unknown that comes with transitioning between one state to the next. Furthermore, the loss of Stella and Joseph forces Kipps into another stage of life and grief, which also occurs in a horse-drawn cart. In this way, the pony and trap symbolize the past as well because it mirrors the death of Nathaniel and his nurse.

The Fog

In the novel, nature plays a large role in the setting of London and Crythin Gifford. Not only does the landscape create an eerie setting, but the use of fog serves to further the gothic environment while also acting as a portent. Fog symbolizes the trauma and pain that the characters endure. While still in London, Kipps depicts a dreary day riddled with “a yellow fog, a filthy, evil-smelling fog” (21). He even deems it as a bad omen in hindsight; however, the use of the fog serves to show the reader “a sense of foreboding” (21) that Kipps seemingly overlooks in the moment. At each point that Kipps undergoes a traumatic experience with the woman in black, fog appears before him, indicating that he will have to endure the pain that fuels her haunting.

In addition to creating a sense of ill will, the fog represents a dichotomy between illusion and reality. Kipps says, “the mist played tricks with sound as well as sight” (72), which disorients him because of how it affects different senses. Not only does Hill utilize the fog to foreshadow eventual plot points, but she also employs it to disorient the characters. Eel Marsh House is isolated from civilization and can only be seen when the fog is clear, implying that the property itself exists in a transitional state. By covering the property in fog, Kipps is forced to navigate the landscape without seeing or hearing clearly.

Eel Marsh House

Eel Marsh House symbolizes the past as well as tragedy in the novel. Being the central location for the woman in black’s haunting, Mrs. Drablow’s estate remains stuck in the past with its “old-fashioned” furniture and “dull portraits and oil paintings” typically found in old houses (67). The estate is modeled after a traditional gothic setting in which the past exists in its outdated architecture and furnishings. Therefore, on the one hand, Eel Marsh House symbolizes past literary movements, like the rise of the gothic novel, as well as the individual pasts of the characters.

Hill manipulates this setting to reflect the internal conflicts of its inhabitants. For Jennet, Eel Marsh House represents the grief and anger she feels at losing her son, and, for Kipps, it symbolizes the trauma of experiencing the haunting of the woman in black as well as the eventual loss of Stella and Joseph. In the same way, the estate holds tragedy within it, which becomes intrinsically connected with the past and present. The house exists in a timeless state, but its ability to hold onto the pain of its inhabitants forces them to stay isolated in their trauma. In its entirety, Eel Marsh House, being the center of the haunting, affects the characters physically and emotionally, and its gothic, eerie description aids its mysterious atmosphere.