Conspiracy of Silence Inquiry Question: How and why does Hill build a conspiracy of silence in The Woman in Black? Starter: Why might people deliberately hold back information from you?

Did you get any of the following? Fear Secrets Lies Withholding Information Grief Uncomfortable Desire to forget Sadness Conflict LonelinessPainSuffering

To Conspire: 1.to agree together, especially secretly to do something wrong, evil or illegal. 2. to act or work together toward the same result or goal. 3. to plot (something wrong, evil or illegal.

Conspiracy of Silence This is a term used to describe an agreement (spoken or unspoken) between a group of people to say nothing and to give no information to others outside the group. Very often, they do not discuss the secret within the group either.

Who is involved? Many of the characters in The Woman in Black are part of a conspiracy of silence. Hill builds this conspiracy throughout the novel and this is how she uses structure to create tension and suspense. Let’s investigate the evidence!

Foreshadowing There are several characters who are deliberately reluctant to explain to Arthur what they know about the mysterious Woman in Black. This creates tension as clues are given which build up a picture in the readers’ mind and creates mystery.

Close Textual Analysis We are going to analyse several sections of the novel that suggest that the characters create a conspiracy of silence. Your task is to highlight any punctuation or vocabulary choices which create a sense that a character is deliberately holding back information. We will do the first together.

‘You will find no one suitable.’ He was almost shouting at me. Then I said, very calmly and quietly, ‘Mr Jerome, what you mean is not that there is no one available, that no young person-or older person for that matter- could be found in the town or the neighbourhood able and free to do the work if a thorough search were to be made. There would not I am sure be many applicants but certainly we should be able to find one or two possible candidates for the job. But you are backing away from speaking out the truth of the matter, which is that I should not find a soul willing to spend any time out at Eel Marsh House, for fear of the stories about that place proving to be true-for fear of encountering what I have already encountered. Verb choice What does this suggest? Adverb choice Why has Hill chosen these words to describe how Arthur speaks to Mr Jerome? Choice of pronoun Why has Hill chosen to use this word? Why has Hill chosen to reveal that Arthur has experienced something negative at Eel Marsh House? Mr Jerome (page 106)

Mr Bentley Does Arthur’s employer deliberately hold back information from Arthur? If so, why?

‘Children?” ‘Children.’ Mr Bentley fell silent for a few moments, and rubbed at the pane with his finger, as though to clear away the obscurity, but the fog loomed, yellow-grey and thicker than ever…A church bell began to toll. Mr Bentley turned. ‘According to everything we’ve been told about Mrs Drablow,’ he said carefully, ‘no, there were no children.’ Mr Bentley (page 28) Your task is to highlight any punctuation or vocabulary choices which create a sense that a character is deliberately holding back information.

What is Mr Daily’s motivation ? Sam Daily meets Arthur on the train. He is part of the conspiracy of silence. What is his motivation?

Mr Samuel Daily (pages 37-38) ‘Ah! Bound for the funeral?’ ‘ I am.’ ‘You’ll be about the only one who is.’ In spite of myself, I wanted to find out more about the business, and clearly my companion knew it. ‘I gather she had no friends-or immediate family-that she was something of a recluse? Well, that is sometimes the way with old ladies. They turn inwards-grow eccentric. I suppose it comes from living alone.’ ‘I daresay that it does, Mr... ?’ ‘Kipps. Arthur Kipps.’ ‘Samuel Daily.’ We nodded. ‘And, when you live alone in such as place as that, it comes a good deal easier.’ ‘Come’, I said smiling, ‘you’re not going to start telling me strange tales of lonely houses?’ He gave me a straight look. ‘No,’ he said, at last, ‘I am not.’ Your task is to highlight any punctuation or vocabulary choices which create a sense that a character is deliberately holding back information.

The Landlord When Arthur arrives at the Griffin Arms the landlord is careful to not reveal anything about Eel Marsh house. Why? What might his motivation be?

The Landlord (page 44) ‘I’m here to attend a funeral- Mrs Drablow, of Eel Marsh House. Perhaps you knew of her? His face flickered with... what? Alarm, was it? Suspicion? I could not tell, but the name had stirred some strong emotion in him, all signs of which he endeavoured to suppress at once. ‘I knew of her, ‘ he said evenly. ‘I am representing her firm of solicitors. I never met her. I take it she kept rather out of the way, for the most part?’ ‘She could hardly do otherwise, living there, ‘ and he turned away abruptly in the direction of the public bar. Your task is to highlight any punctuation or vocabulary choices which create a sense that a character is deliberately holding back information.

Mr Jerome Mr Jerome is Mrs Drablow’s land agent. Mr Jerome attends Mrs Drablow’s funeral and is terrified. Why do you think this is?

Mr Jerome (page 51) And yet he told me nothing at all, nothing personal, nothing revelatory, nothing very interesting. ‘I take it she is to be buried in the churchyard?’ I asked. Mr Jerome glanced at me sideways, and I noted that he had very large, and slightly protuberant and pale eyes of a colour somewhere between blue and grey, that reminded me of gulls’ eggs. ‘That is so, yes’ ‘Is there a family grave?’ He was silent for a moment, glancing at me closely again, as if trying to discover whether there were any meaning behind the apparent straightforwardness of the question. Then he said, ‘No. At least... Not here, not in this churchyard.’ ‘Somewhere else?’ ‘It is... no longer in use,’ he said, after some deliberation. ‘ The area is unsuitable.’ Your task is to highlight any punctuation or vocabulary choices which create a sense that a character is deliberately holding back information.

Keckwick Keckwick drives Arthur to Eel Marsh but he does not respond to Arthur’s fear or his questions about Eel Marsh house. Why not? What do you think his motivation is?

Keckwick (page 96) He had turned away abruptly and was climbing into the driving seat. There, looking straight ahead of him, huddled into his greatcoat with the collar turned to cover his neck and chin, and he waited. That he was fully aware of my state, knew something had happened to me and was quite unsurprised, was clear, and his manner also told me unmistakably that he did not wish to hear what it was, to ask or answer questions, to discuss the business at all. He would fetch and carry and that reliably and at any hour and he would do no more. Your task is to highlight any punctuation or vocabulary choices which create a sense that a character is deliberately holding back information.

Keckwick and The Landlord (pages 98-99) The landlord had said I was to sleep on as long as I chose, no one would disturb me and a breakfast would be provided at any time. He, too, in his different way, had seemed as anxious for my welfare as Keckwick, though about them both there was the same extreme reserve, a barrier put up against all inquiry which I had the sense not to try and break down. Who could tell what they themselves had seen or heard, how much more they knew about the past and all manner of events, not to mention rumours and hearsay and superstition about those events, I could not guess. The little I had experienced was more than enough and I was reluctant to begin delving into any explanations. Your task is to highlight any punctuation or vocabulary choices which create a sense that a character is deliberately holding back information.

Point: Hill does not allow several characters to reveal what they know about Eel Marsh house and the Woman in Black. Through doing this she creates a conspiracy of silence amongst the characters which builds tension and suspense throughout the novel. Example: For example, when Arthur asks Mr Jerome a ‘straightforward’ question about the burial of Alice Drablow at her funeral he replies: ‘No. At least... Not here, not in this churchyard.’ Explanation: The use of the ellipsis in this quotation makes the reader feel that there is something Mr Jerome is keeping back from Arthur Kipps. The pause, indicated by the ellipsis, and pointed out in the narrative: ‘He was silent for a moment’, makes us doubt Mr Jerome’s reply. Through the use of this punctuation Hill creates the impression that Mr Jerome is not telling Arthur the full truth and is being secretive an evasive. This is particularly effective as it makes the reader want to know what Mr Jerome is withholding and what part it may play in Arthur’s ghost story. Hill has structured her novel so that we are constantly being shielded from the story of the Woman in Black. Hill uses her characters to hold back key information until the exact moment she wants it revealed. This conspiracy of silence tantalises the reader and makes us want to read on and discover the truth.

Point: Hill does not allow several characters to reveal what they know about Eel Marsh house, Example : (choose a quotation from your sheet) Explanation: The use of the (adjective/noun/simile/verb etc) makes the reader feel… This creates the impression… This is effective because… The connotations of the (adjective/noun/simile/verb etc) are… On the other hand… How to construct an answer: Remember this example is the bare bones and the explanation requires lots of detail.

Arthur’s emotions Return to your emotions graph and add a few quotations which represents how Arthur feels in the chapter Mr Jerome is Afraid.

Reading on: Chapter 8: Spider As we are reading this chapter, try to write down any quotations which suggest that Mr Daily does not want Arthur to return to Eel Marsh house.