Stage Monologue Essay

679 Words3 Pages
“Explore How Susan Hill Creates a Sense of Fear and Isolation in the Woman In Black” Introduction Susan Hill uses fear and isolation as major themes in the novel by using atmospheric pathetic fallacy, memorable characters, climax and anti-climax, the isolated setting and most of all, a mysterious narrator whose story is recounted in first person. The weather is a key theme used in the novel to create a sense of fear. In the following passage, “Fog was outdoors, hanging over the river, creeping in and out of the alleyways and passages, swirling between the bare trees of all the parks and gardens of the city, seething through cracks and crannies like sour breath” (p.25), adjectives appeal to the senses of smell, sight and taste such as “bare trees” and “sour breath”. In addition, verbs like “creeping” and swirling” convey that the fog is alive. Hill continues to describe the fog “ It was a yellow fog, a filthy, evil-smelling fog, a fog that chocked and blinded, smeared and stained” The word “choked” personifies the fog and makes it appear as a murderer. Furthermore, the fog suggests that Arthur Kipps vision of the future is blurred and little does he know what may happen when he sets off for Eel Marsh House. In addition, the gothic element is another theme which illustrates fear and isolation in the novel. Hill re-works this element of having a woman in distress who is usually being threatened by a cruel male, however in contrast, we read about Arthur Kipps in distress, threatened by the oppressive woman in black. She is portrayed as the more dominant and powerful one because of the effect she has on his emotions, for example, “for a moment I was as near to weeping tears of despair and fear, frustration and tension as I had ever been since my childhood” (p.125). In this quote, Hill displays frequent use of adjectives which allows the reader to picture his
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