The Woman in Black: Plot Summary (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

The Woman in Black: Plot Summary

Written by Susan Hill in 1983, the Woman in Black is a pastiche to traditional Victorian Gothic stories. The novella is split into twelve chapters, with the first chapter set in the narrative present and the rest set in the past. 

Arthur Kipps, the narrator of the story, joins his family in the drawing room on Christmas Eve, where his step-children are sharing ghost stories. The children urge Arthur to share a story but Arthur becomes agitated and abruptly leaves. As he walks outside alone, he reflects on a past experience that has left him scarred and horrified. He decides to record his story in the hopes that it will exorcise the demons that have haunted him.

Arthur begins to relay his story, which begins in London. He is a young lawyer who is told to travel to a town called Crythin Gifford to deal with the funeral of a client called Mrs Drablow. During his travels, he meets a man called Mr Samuel Daily. Samuel, who lives in Crythin Gifford, discloses that he knows Mrs Drablow but does not wish to elaborate. Samuel offers to drive Arthur to the inn where he will be staying and he accepts.

The next day, Arthur meets Mr Jerome, who accompanies him to Mrs Drablow’s funeral. During the service, Arthur notices a sickly looking woman dressed in black and when he mentions her to Mr Jerome, he appears unsettled and distressed. The men hurry back to town and Keckwick arrives to take Arthur across the causeway to Eel Marsh House. While exploring the grounds, Arthur stumbles upon an abandoned graveyard whereupon he sees the woman dressed in black once again. Convinced she is a ghost, Arthur begins to explore the house and finds Mrs Drablow’s extensive papers. He decides to leave and as he is walking, he hears the distressing sound of a pony and trap becoming stuck in the marsh, along with the terrifying cries of a child. Frightened, Arthur returns to the house where he remains until Keckwick rings the doorbell to bring him back to town. 

The following morning, Arthur meets Samuel Daily, who invites him to dinner. After dinner, Samuel warns Arthur not to return to Eel Marsh House but Arthur does not heed his warning. Defeated, Samuel offers Arthur his dog named Spider for company and he accepts. Arthur returns to Eel Marsh House. He finds a packet of letters addressed to Mrs Drablow from a woman named Jennet. The letters reveal Jennet had an illegitimate son who she was forced to give over for adoption to Mrs Drablow. Spider begins to growl and, while Arthur is outside, he hears the sound of the pony and trap again. He realises that these are ghostly apparitions. He returns to the house where he finds a neatly preserved nursery. He retires to bed. 

The next morning, Arthur takes Spider for a walk and she becomes trapped in a marsh. After saving her, Arthur carries her back to the house and sees the Woman in Black in the nursery window. This causes him to collapse. He wakes to find a concerned Samuel standing over him and they both return to town. Arthur, safe in the Daily’s home, returns to Jennet’s letters where he finds death certificates for a boy, a nanny and Jennet. Arthur realises that Jennet was the boy’s mother who died due to her grief and madness over losing her child. Samuel reveals that Jennet’s story is common knowledge and that her ghost has haunted the town, causing children to die suddenly. Arthur recovers from an illness and returns to London.

A short time later, Arthur is married to Stella and they welcome their first child. A year later, the family attend a fair. As Arthur happily watches them on a ride, he sees the Woman in Black. The Woman in Black steps in front of a pony and trap carrying his family and the carriage crashes into a tree. The child dies instantly and Stella is left paralysed. Stella never recovers and dies from her injuries ten months later. Arthur states that the Woman in Black has got her revenge and abruptly ends the story. 

Chapter-by-chapter plot summary

Chapter 1 – Christmas Eve

• A retired Arthur Kipps spends Christmas Eve with his family at Monk’s place

• He becomes uneasy as his step-children are sharing ghost stories around the fire and he leaves abruptly

• Outside, he decides to confront his past by writing down his own experiences with the supernatural as a type of exorcism

Chapter 2 – A London Particular

• The narrative moves to the past to Arthur as a 23-year old lawyer, working in London during a foggy November

• His boss, Mr Bentley, assigns him to handle the estate of a deceased client, Alice Drablow, in the rural town of Crythin Gifford

• Mr Bentley explains the assignment and instructs Arthur to attend Mrs Drablow’s funeral

• Arthur accepts the assignment and prepares to leave

Chapter 3 – The Journey North

• Arthur begins his journey with enthusiasm at the train station

• Another passenger, Samuel Daily, joins Arthur in the compartment

• Upon seeing Arthur’s envelope, Samuel mentions the late Mrs Drablow and shares insights about her reclusive nature 

• Samuel assures Arthur of the village’s hospitality

Chapter 4 – The Funeral of Mrs Drablow

• Samuel leaves Arthur at the Gifford Arms and gives him his card

• Inside, Arthur mentions Mrs Drablow to the landlord and he reacts in an unusual way

• The next day, Mr Jerome collects Arthur for Mrs Drablow’s funeral

• During the service, Arthur notices a mysterious woman in black

• He points her out to Mr Jerome, who almost collapses in shock, and they both leave the funeral in a hurry

• Mr Jerome advises Arthur to stay at the inn rather than at Eel Marsh House but does not offer a reason

Chapter 5 – Across the Causeway

• Keckwick arrives at the Gifford Arms with a pony and trap and takes Arthur to Eel Marsh House

• Before entering the house, Arthur explores the serene surroundings and discovers ruins and a graveyard

• Arthur encounters the same woman in black and feels malevolence emanating from her

• In fear, Arthur returns to the house and is convinced that she is a ghost

• He begins to search the house for Mrs Drablow’s documents

• Overwhelmed, Arthur decides to leave and begins walking back to town 

Chapter 6 – The Sound of a Pony and Trap

• Arthur walks hurriedly down the drive, wary of the Woman in Black following him

• On the causeway, Arthur becomes disorientated by the sea mist and decides to return to the house

• He hears Keckwick’s pony trap approaching but realises it’s moving away and hears a child crying in distress

• Unable to help, Arthur returns to the house and illuminates the lamps to signal for help

• Exhausted, Arthur falls asleep and is awoken by the arrival of Keckwick, who explains the delay due to the fog and tide

• Arthur realises someone else must have been in distress in the marsh

• They return to the inn, where Arthur has disturbing dreams of the events at Eel Marsh House

Chapter 7 – Mr Jerome is Afraid

• Arthur visits Mr Jerome to seek assistance with the Drablow estate, but Mr Jerome refuses 

• Mr Jerome shares information about Keckwick’s knowledge of Eel Marsh House and its history

• Arthur resolves to continue with the estate despite Mr Jerome’s warnings

• He updates Mr Bentley for the delay caused by the extensive papers at Eel Marsh House

• Arthur borrows a bicycle and sets out to explore the countryside

Chapter 8 – Spider

• After a rejuvenating bicycle ride, Arthur prepares to return to Eel Marsh House

• On the way back, he meets Samuel, who invites him to dinner

• Samuel warns Arthur again about the dangers of the estate but Arthur remains determined to return

• As a compromise, Arthur agrees to take Samuel’s dog, Spider, as a companion

Chapter 9 – In the Nursery

• Arthur awakens after a fitful sleep and receives a call from Mr Bentley, who insists he continue his work at Eel Marsh House

• Arthur returns to the manor and begins to sort through Mrs Drablow’s papers

• He revisits the graveyard and returns to the house to continue his work

• That night, Arthur experiences eerie occurrences and hears Spider growling at a locked room

• Arthur tries to open it but is unable to

• He discovers a packet of letters written by Jennet Humfrye to Alice Drablow and realises Alice adopted Jennet’s child

• Arthur hears the sound of the pony and trap

• He realises it is a ghostly apparition and that a child had previously died in the marshes

• He discovers the previously locked room is now unlocked and that it is a perfectly preserved nursery

• Arthur feels a sadness in the room and retires to bed

Chapter 10 – Whistle and I’ll Come to You

• Arthur is awakened by a strong wind and hears the cries of a child on the marsh

• He retrieves a torch from his bedroom but accidentally breaks it

• Despite his fear, Arthur enters the nursery to retrieve a candle and experiences overwhelming emotions of grief and despair

• Returning to his room, Arthur lights the candle and attempts to read until dawn

• In the early morning, Arthur takes Spider outside and she gets trapped in the mud of the marsh

• Arthur saves Spider and attempts to carry him into the house

• As he does so, Arthur sees the Woman in Black in the nursery window and collapses 

Chapter 11 – A Packet of Letters

• Disorientated, Arthur awakens in the parlour with Samuel by his side

• Samuel helps Arthur gather his belongings and the packet of letters, and they leave Eel Marsh House together

• Arthur discovers crucial information about Jennet Humfrye and the tragic events at Eel Marsh House

• Arthur shares the full story with Samuel, who reveals how the curse of the house has affected the town for decades

• Samuel tells Arthur about the Woman in Black’s connection to child deaths in the town

• Arthur becomes ill and is haunted by the nightmares of the child’s drowning

• After twelve days, Arthur recovers and is visited by Stella, his fiancée, who takes him back to London

Chapter 12 – The Woman in Black

• Arthur returns to London with Stella

• They marry within six weeks and have a son named Joseph Arthur Samuel

• A year later, Arthur and Stella take Joseph to a fair, where Arthur sees the Woman in Black

• The Woman in Black causes an accident with a pony and trap, which results in Stella becoming paralysed and Joseph dying

• Ten months later, Stella dies from her injuries, marking the culmination of Jennet Humfrye’s revenge

Sources:

Hill, S. (2011). The Woman in Black. Vintage Books.