The Woman in Black Foreshadowing

The novel The Woman in Black was written by Susan Hill. Survival is the central theme of this Gothic Horror book. This essay is going to be about how Susan hill uses the first three chapters of her novel to foreshadow events at Eel Marsh house and establish the character of Arthur Kipps. The author provides lots of events to indicate or warn Arthur of upcoming events. This essay will explore foreshadowing events and specific parts of the novel that develop the character of Arthur Kipps. The first chapter is set in the future and Susan Hill shows that something has happened to Arthur in his past that has changed him completely.
A the beginning of the novel, Susan Hill shows that Arthur has been very affected by his past. In chapter one (12 years after visiting eel marsh house and seeing the woman in black) Arthur said a lot of things to himself to give the reader knowledge that he had been hugely affected by his past. Arthur’s stepchildren wanted him to tell a scary story to them, but he is so affected by his past that he can’t even settle down for a cosy night telling ghost stories. This is because it brings to many memories from his past. He cannot and will never forget his past; “ I had always known in my heart that the experience wouldn’t never leave me” Susan Hill also shares with the reader that Arthur is a widow, which keeps the reader thinking that this may be one of the events that affected him (which it has. “ I was then 35 and I had been a widower for the past 12 years.” In the following chapter it goes back to his past where he had not been affected yet, therefore he was just an average happy man travelling to Crythin Gifford to sort out Mrs. Drablows papers.
On the way to Crythin Gifford we meet Arthur’s companion Samuel Daily who doesn’t have much to say about Mrs. Drablow or Eel Marsh house, although what he has to share is not good news. Mr Daily tells Arthur on the train that Mrs. Drablow was a very sad lonely person who did not have many friends or family members. As Mr. Daily says to Arthur, “ you’ll be about the only one that is going to her funeral.” This gives the reader suspicion to why she was lonely, maybe because of where she lived? Not only does Mr. Daily say this about Mrs. Drablow but he does not have nice things to share about Eel Marsh house either. “ And when you live alone in such a place as that, it comes a good deal easier to be alone,” Mr. Daily said referring to Eel Marsh house. Susan Hill also uses the first three chapters well not only to foreshadow events at Eel Marsh house but to set up the character Arthur Kipps.