English Language A | Whistle and I’ll Come to You (from The Woman in Black), Susan Hill

Welcome to Your Study Guide: Whistle and I’ll Come to You

Hello future English experts! This chapter, "Whistle and I’ll Come to You", is an extract taken from Susan Hill’s classic ghost story, The Woman in Black. Don't worry if reading horror prose feels tricky—we're not just here to get spooked! We are here to learn how Susan Hill uses language and structure to manipulate our feelings and build terrifying tension.

Mastering this text is essential for your Edexcel International GCSE exam because it teaches you specific techniques used in prose writing to create atmosphere and suspense. Let's dive in!

1. Context and The Gothic Genre

The Author: Susan Hill (b. 1942)

Susan Hill is a contemporary writer, but her style deliberately echoes the great Victorian Gothic tradition (think of writers like Dickens or M.R. James). She aims to create 'literary' ghost stories—those that focus on psychology and atmosphere rather than just blood and gore.

• Did you know? The novel The Woman in Black was published in 1983, but the setting is firmly rooted in the late 19th or early 20th century, which helps enhance the feeling of isolation and lack of modern communication (no mobile phones or GPS to call for help!).

Understanding the Gothic Genre

The Gothic genre is key to understanding this extract. It relies on specific elements to create fear and dread.

Key Gothic Elements to Look For:

• Setting: Remote, desolate locations (e.g., the marsh, Eel Marsh House).
• Atmosphere: Mist, darkness, cold, and silence.
• The Supernatural: Ghosts and unexplained phenomena.
• Isolation: The protagonist is often alone and separated from help.
• Psychological Fear: Fear is built through suggestion and what the protagonist *imagines*, not just what they see.

Memory Tip (Genre): Think of Gothic as Getting Out To Heavy Isolated Castles (or houses!).

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2. Narrative and Characterisation

The Protagonist: Arthur Kipps (The Narrator)

The story is told using a first-person narrative (using "I"). This is crucial because we only experience events through Kipps's eyes, meaning we are restricted to his growing fear and confusion.

• Kipps as a Character: He is a rational, practical London lawyer. When faced with the supernatural, he tries to explain it logically, which makes the eventual impossibility of the events even scarier.
• Character Development: In this extract, Kipps moves from being merely curious and slightly annoyed by the weather to experiencing genuine, bone-chilling terror.

The Setting: The Eel Marsh Causeway

The physical setting mirrors Kipps's psychological state. The causeway is the narrow road connecting the mainland to the isolated Eel Marsh House.

• It is described using language associated with danger and impermanence: the path is often covered by the tides, suggesting the danger of being cut off, both literally and figuratively.
• The marsh itself is an oppressive presence, often personified as something alive or waiting.

Key Takeaway (Narrative)

The use of first-person perspective forces the reader into Kipps's experience, making the supernatural encounter feel immediate and personal.

3. Analysis of Language: Creating Atmosphere and Dread

The real power of this extract lies in Susan Hill’s meticulous choice of words. She uses language to build a deep sense of foreboding before anything frightening even happens.

A. Sensory Imagery (Sight and Sound)

Hill appeals heavily to our senses, often by describing the *lack* of them.

• The Silence and Sound: The silence is emphasized to make the eventual sounds shocking. When sound does occur, it is unsettling: "the thin, raw sound of a whistle." The use of adjectives like thin and raw suggests something unnatural, painful, or exposed.
• Sight (Mist and Gloom): Descriptive language focuses on concealment: "the dense, damp, clinging mist," and "the whole place seemed to be sleeping in a fit of deep, uneasy dreaming." This figurative language suggests the setting itself is unwell or hiding secrets.

B. Lexis (Word Choice) of Isolation and Decay

Look for adjectives and nouns that emphasize negativity, coldness, and emptiness.

• Examples of Negative Lexis: "desolate," "dead," "raw," "chill," "solitude," "oppressively silent."
• Analogy: Imagine painting a picture of fear using only cool, dull colours—that’s what Hill is doing with her vocabulary.

C. Simile and Metaphor (Figurative Language)

Hill uses comparisons to make the environment feel threatening and sentient (as if it has feelings).

• Personification of the Marsh: The marsh is often described as a living thing, hostile to Kipps. For example, "the wide, salt flats... glimmering and rippling like silk." This sounds beautiful, but the context of the vast emptiness makes the beauty unnerving—it feels like a dangerous trap waiting for him.
• Describing the Woman: When she appears, the description is deliberately vague yet impactful. She is a "figure," often obscured. This lack of clear definition makes her scarier than a full, clear description would be.

Focus Point: The Whistle

The climax of the extract centers on the sound. The phrase “Whistle and I’ll come to you” is a nursery rhyme or a common saying, but here it is used ironically and ominously. A sound that should signal companionship signals terror. The sudden, sharp whistle breaks the oppressive silence, creating a jump scare for both Kipps and the reader.

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4. Structure and Form: Pacing Tension

How Hill organises her writing (structure) is just as important as the words she uses (language). Structure dictates the rhythm of the fear.

A. Form: Prose Extract and Narration

As discussed, the first-person narrative is the primary form device. This form allows for internal monologue—we hear Kipps’s thoughts and doubts, which slows down the action but intensifies the sense of dread.

Don't worry if 'internal monologue' sounds complicated! It just means the writer includes the character's thoughts directly: e.g., "I told myself I was being foolish." This sharing of doubt makes the reader feel equally uncertain.

B. Structure: Building Up to the Climax

The extract follows a classic tension structure:

1. Establishment of Isolation: Long, detailed descriptions of the marsh, the weather, and the long journey (slow pacing). This makes the reader feel secure in the *knowledge* of the emptiness.
2. Rising Action/Foreshadowing: The introduction of small, unsettling details (e.g., the chill, the strange light) that hint at future danger.
3. The Moment of Impact (The Whistle): The structure shifts. Sentences become shorter and more immediate when the supernatural element arrives. This speeding up of the pace creates an immediate shock.
4. Sustained Dread: Kipps’s subsequent inability to explain the phenomenon, forcing the reader to share his confusion and terror.

Analysing Sentence Structure

• Long Sentences: Often used for descriptive passages about the setting (e.g., describing the endless expanse of the marsh). This slows the pace and immerses the reader in the atmosphere.
• Short, Sharp Sentences: Used at the moment of fear (e.g., "I heard it again. A whistle. It was close."). These create impact and emphasize the shock, much like a sudden loud chord in a movie soundtrack.

Key Takeaway (Structure)

Hill controls the pacing by alternating between long, descriptive sentences (to build atmosphere) and short, punchy sentences (to deliver shock), which is a characteristic feature of effective horror writing.

5. Connecting Language, Structure, and Context (Exam Practice)

In the exam, you need to show the examiner you understand how Hill creates her effects. You must always link *what* she says to *how* she says it.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Analysing Tension

Step 1: Identify the Effect (The Feeling)

Example: The writer creates a strong feeling of isolation.

Step 2: Find Evidence (The Quote)

Find a specific quote that demonstrates this feeling. Example: "...oppressively silent, a silence that felt weighted and absolute."

Step 3: Analyse the Technique (The How)

Identify the language/structure technique used. Example: This uses personification and auditory imagery.

Step 4: Explain the Impact (The Why)

Explain what the technique does to the reader. Example: The word "oppressively" suggests the silence is heavy and suffocating, making the setting seem actively hostile to the protagonist. This follows the Gothic tradition of using atmosphere to create psychological unease.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't just list techniques! Always explain *why* the writer used that specific word or structure. It’s not enough to say "She uses a metaphor"; you must explain what the metaphor *suggests* about the character or setting.

Summary of Key Techniques

• Focus on the senses: Especially the disruption of silence.
• First-person narrative: Limits information and heightens suspense.
• Descriptive language: Using lexis of coldness, decay, and dampness.
• Pacing: Slow build-up followed by sudden shock (the whistle).

You've made it through the analysis! Remember, this text is about feeling the environment. Keep practicing how to link those unsettling descriptions directly to the theme of Gothic psychological horror. Good luck!