The Woman in Black is an EXAM text

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 The Woman In Black Lesson Objective: To be able to show understanding of the genre and background to the novel

Pre-reading Activities: Book cover predictions

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

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?

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

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

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

Create a front cover for your folder • The title of the novel • The author’s 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

The Woman in Black Lesson Objective: To begin to read and understand the plot of the novel

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 I’ll 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!

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?