Historical Context (The Woman in Black)

This section explains the historical context of the novel The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, published in 1983, is a classic gothic ghost story set in the early 20th century, though it doesn't specify an exact date. The novel’s historical context plays an essential role in understanding its atmosphere, characters, and the society it depicts. The story reflects a time of change in British society, especially in terms of attitudes towards death, superstition, and the supernatural. Here are the key historical contexts that help to shape the novel.

Early 20th Century Britain

The novel is set in Edwardian or early post-Edwardian Britain, a time between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This period was characterised by significant societal shifts, yet it retained strong ties to Victorian traditions.

Victorian Influences: Despite being set in the early 20th century, the story is steeped in Victorian attitudes and values, especially regarding death, mourning, and superstition. The Victorians were fascinated by death, with elaborate mourning customs, such as wearing black for extended periods and preserving the memory of the dead through rituals. These customs are reflected in the novel’s sombre mood and themes of loss and unresolved grief.

Example: The character of Jennet Humfrye, the "woman in black," embodies the Victorian obsession with death and mourning. Her ghost is tied to her deep grief over the loss of her child, echoing the era’s fascination with death and the afterlife.

The Supernatural: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a strong cultural interest in spiritualism and the supernatural. Many people believed in ghosts, séances, and communication with the dead, which had become popular, particularly after the trauma of the First World War, though the novel is set slightly earlier.

Example: The villagers in Crythin Gifford avoid Eel Marsh House and have an almost superstitious fear of the woman in black, reflecting the era’s widespread belief in the supernatural.

Industrialisation and Rural Decline

The novel contrasts the modernising world of industrial London with the isolated and rural setting of Crythin Gifford, where much of the story takes place. By the early 20th century, Britain was becoming increasingly urbanised, with many people moving to cities for work and leaving behind rural communities.

Urban vs. Rural: Arthur Kipps, the protagonist, is a young solicitor from London, representing the modern, rational world. His journey to Crythin Gifford, a remote village on the English coast, exposes him to a world that seems trapped in the past, where traditional values and superstitions still hold power.

Example: The isolation of Eel Marsh House, cut off from the mainland by the tidal causeway, symbolises the separation between the rational, progressive world and the eerie, forgotten past.

Decline of Rural Communities: Crythin Gifford is depicted as a small, insular community, typical of rural Britain at the time. As industrialisation progressed, these communities became more marginalised, and their old ways of life, including beliefs in local superstitions and ghost stories, persisted longer than in urban areas.

Example: The reluctance of the villagers to speak about the woman in black reflects their deep-rooted superstitions and the insularity of rural life, where old legends and stories of hauntings are passed down through generations.

Social Class and Gender Roles

Class divisions and strict social hierarchies were still a significant aspect of British society in the early 20th century, and these are reflected in the novel’s characters and their interactions.

Social Class: Arthur Kipps belongs to the middle class, working as a solicitor. His interactions with characters like Samuel Daily, a wealthy landowner, highlight the distinctions between social classes in Britain at the time. Daily represents the upper-middle class, while the villagers, such as Keckwick, the pony and trap driver, represent the working class.

Example: Daily’s wealth and influence contrast with the modest, hardworking lifestyle of Kipps, who is eager to succeed in his profession and is sent on a challenging task by his firm, which reflects the increasing mobility and importance of the middle class in this era.

Gender Roles: The early 20th century was a time of strict gender roles, with women expected to be wives and mothers, conforming to societal expectations of passivity and respectability. Women who stepped outside these roles, like Jennet Humfrye, were often judged harshly.

Example: Jennet, as an unmarried mother, is ostracised by society, and her grief over the loss of her child and her anger at her treatment fuel her haunting. Her story reflects the limited roles available to women and the social stigma attached to those who did not conform to societal expectations of marriage and motherhood.

Attitudes Towards Death and Mourning

In the early 20th century, death was a more visible and accepted part of life, especially in rural areas. People often died at home, and funerals were important social events. The trauma of losing loved ones, especially children, was not uncommon due to the high infant mortality rates.

Victorian Mourning Traditions: The legacy of Victorian mourning customs is evident in the novel. The image of Jennet as the "woman in black" reflects these traditions. In Victorian and Edwardian times, widows or mothers in mourning would wear black for long periods, and mourning was a formal, socially recognised state.

Example: Jennet’s haunting presence, always dressed in black, symbolises perpetual mourning, both for her lost child and for her rejection by society. Her appearance evokes the cultural image of the grieving, ghostly woman in black, common in gothic literature of the time.

Grief and the Supernatural: The novel explores how unresolved grief can lead to haunting, both literal and emotional. Jennet's spirit, trapped by her loss and her inability to move on, reflects the era's interest in the supernatural as a manifestation of unresolved trauma.

Example: The lingering presence of Jennet in Eel Marsh House represents the way grief and unresolved pain can continue to haunt the living. This idea ties into the Victorian fascination with ghosts as symbols of unaddressed sorrow.

Legal System and Property Law

The legal profession plays a key role in the novel, as Arthur Kipps is sent to settle the affairs of Mrs Alice Drablow, who owned Eel Marsh House. This reflects the legal and bureaucratic processes of the time, especially regarding property and inheritance.

Solicitors and Probate: Kipps’ work as a solicitor, dealing with wills, estates, and property, was a common occupation in the early 20th century. His job involves sorting through the papers of the deceased, a task that leads him to uncover the dark secrets of Eel Marsh House.

Example: The slow and methodical process of going through Mrs Drablow’s papers mirrors the bureaucratic nature of the British legal system at the time, with solicitors like Kipps acting as intermediaries between the deceased and their heirs.

Inheritance and Property: The legal issues surrounding Eel Marsh House and Jennet’s child reflect the complexities of inheritance law in this period. Jennet, as an unmarried woman, would have had little control over her own life or the fate of her child, reflecting the rigid legal and social structures of the time.

Example: Jennet’s inability to claim her child as her own, due to her social status and gender, highlights the legal constraints placed on women, particularly those who were unmarried and seen as social outcasts.

The Gothic Tradition

The Woman in Black is part of the long-standing gothic literary tradition, which originated in the late 18th century but remained popular well into the 20th century. Gothic literature often explores themes of horror, the supernatural, isolation, and fear, all of which are present in Hill’s novel.

Gothic Tropes: The novel includes many typical gothic elements, such as the isolated, decaying mansion of Eel Marsh House, the presence of a ghostly figure, and the sense of terror and suspense that permeates the story. These elements were common in Victorian gothic literature and continue to be influential in Hill’s work.

Example: The eerie, isolated setting of Eel Marsh House, surrounded by marshes and cut off from the world, is a classic gothic trope, symbolising isolation, danger, and the unknown.

The Unseen and the Unknowable: The gothic tradition often deals with the fear of the unknown, and The Woman in Black reflects this through the gradual revelation of Jennet’s tragic story. The tension builds as Kipps uncovers the dark secrets of the house, leading to moments of supernatural terror.

Example: Kipps’ experiences with the woman in black are drawn from gothic conventions, where the haunting presence of the past continues to disrupt the present, symbolising unresolved trauma and guilt.

Conclusion

The historical context of The Woman in Black significantly influences its atmosphere, themes, and characters. The novel reflects early 20th-century attitudes towards death, class, gender, and superstition, while also drawing on the gothic tradition to create a sense of suspense and horror.