Whistle and I'll Come to you (from The Woman In Black) (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)

Revision Note

Written by: Deb Orrock

Reviewed by: Kate Lee

Whistle and I’ll Come to You Analysis

Students studying the Edexcel IGCSE English Language A qualification will study all of the English language poetry and prose texts in Part 2 of the Anthology for Paper 2 (examined) or for Paper 3 (non-examined coursework).

If you are sitting the paper two exam, you will be asked to analyse one of the poems or prose texts, which will be included in the question paper. You will have one question to answer about one of these texts in the exam, and you will be asked to analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects.

The following guide to Whistle and I’ll Come to You (from The Woman in Black) by Susan Hill contains:

Whistle and I’ll Come to You overview
Whistle and I’ll Come to You summary
Themes, ideas and perspectives in Whistle and I’ll Come to You
How does Hill present her ideas and perspectives?

Whistle and I’ll Come to You overview

Whistle and I’ll Come to You is an extract from the 1983 gothic horror novel The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, about a spectre which haunts a small English town. The novel is set in the Edwardian era and tells the story of Arthur Kipps who encountered a vengeful ghost at Eel Marsh House, where he was working. The extract creates suspense and tension through the use of Gothic literary elements.

Whistle and I’ll Come to You summary

The extract is told from the first-person perspective of Arthur Kipps, the protagonist, who during the night becomes aware of the wind increasing. As he reflects on childhood memories, he hears a sound like a child crying for help on the marsh. Although he knows there is no child, the cry unsettles him enough that he goes down to the kitchen to make a drink. As he leaves his room, he feels as though someone is there with him and, at the same time, the lights go out. He senses that the presence went down the corridor to the nursery, the door to which had just opened.

Kipps starts to question himself, as he knows he is alone in the house with Spider the dog, but returns to his room to retrieve his torch. He stumbles over the dog, drops the torch and breaks it, reacting angrily until Spider licks his hand and cuddles with him until he calms down. He still hears the cry out on the marsh.

Themes, ideas and perspectives in Whistle and I’ll Come to You

Paper 2, Question 1 will ask you how the writer has presented a certain theme, idea or perspective in the text by analysing the language and structure the writer has used. Remember to support your answer with close reference to the text, including brief quotations.

What are the key themes in Whistle and I’ll Come to You?

Theme	Analysis
Gothic horror	Through the use of darkness, Susan Hill creates an atmosphere of dread and foreboding: She uses this to increase the tension as the extract progresses
	The howling wind and the cry heard on the marsh are typical of Gothic horror: These techniques serve to reflect Kipps’ increasing fear and dread
	The supernatural occurrences in the passage, such as the feeling of a presence passing Kipps in the corridor and the nursery door opening by itself, serve to increase the tension and sense of terror
Isolation, fear and tension	As the tension and fear in the passage increase, Arthur increasingly tries to rationalise the strange noises, feelings and sights he is experiencing: The nature of his reality seems to be shifting, and he begins to doubt his own judgement Desperate for a rational explanation, he searches for answers but concludes that “there was no living occupant of Eel Marsh House other than myself”
Isolation, fear and tension	The tension builds until Arthur explosively releases it by drumming his fists into the floorboards “in a burst of violet rage”: His only source of comfort is Spider the dog, who brings him back to reality by scratching at his arm and licking his hand Arthur’s former sense of isolation is emphasised by the comfort he feels when he hugs the dog to him

How does Hill present her ideas and perspectives?

Gothic literature tends to focus on an atmospheric setting, such as an old house, and aims to create feelings of fear and dread in the reader. It is therefore important to look for specific words that create tension and a Gothic atmosphere in the extract, as well as the following devices:

Technique	Analysis
Pathetic fallacy and simile	The passage opens with pathetic fallacy as it describes the strong winds and storm: Hill reinforces the sense of unease created with the simile that the house “felt like a ship at sea” to suggest insecurity and the increasingly fragile state of Arthur’s mind The house, and Arthur’s mind, are both vulnerable to external forces beyond their control
Personification	Hill personifies the wind in the “sound of moaning down all the chimneys”, “whistling through every nook and cranny” and “like a banshee”: A banshee is a female spirit which heralds the death of a family member, normally by wailing or shrieking This foreshadows the eventual death of Arthur’s child Arthur remembers the safety and security of his own nursery when he was a child, when he felt that the wind was “powerless” to reach him: That feeling of security vanishes as he realises the fragility of the old house — it is as though the wind is physically attacking the house
Light and dark	The imagery of light and dark are used in the passage to build the fear and tension: The torch represents Arthur’s waning rational thoughts, which he struggles to reconnect with It represents the loss of hope against the darkness, which represents the malevolent forces in the house taking over
Emotive language	Arthur’s emotional state is reflected in the emotive language used, such as “violent rage” and “despair and fear, frustration and tension”: He is worn down by the fear, sense of isolation and tension
Dynamic verbs	Arthur’s fear and panic are conveyed through the verbs “groped”, “stumbled” and “spinning”: These fearful verbs appear just as the tension reaches its climax Hill then gives the reader a reprieve as calm is restored by Spider comforting Kipps
Deliberately short sentences	Hill uses short sentences to reflect Kipps’ fragmented emotional state: “No light came on. The torch had broken.”