AQA GCSE The Woman in Black 2016 *official thread*

For 30 mark essays what word count should we be aiming for as a rough guideline?

For 30 mark essays what word count should we be aiming for as a rough guideline?

Has the Landlord of the Gifford Arms ever come up?

Hello lovely TSR people!

Does anyone have any advice about including whole book perspective in chapter specific questions? I'm worried that I'll end up with a chapter where I can't find any obvious foreshadowing or similar, and will have to go with the good old generic 'cyclical structure' point.

Secondly - sort of unrelated - did Hill really not intend to include so many gothic features? The book includes the sublime, in depth descriptions of the weather, a sense of mystery, the supernatural, ambiguity, an isolated house (and general themes of isolation), a sense of eventual 'justice', revenge, an unreliable narrator, dead children, a pursued protagonist, and, to a degree, marriage as a resolution. When I read the book, it felt a little like Hill had gone through a checklist of gothic features to include!

Also, have any questions about the following ever come up?
- Spider
- Day vs. night
- Eel Marsh House (how it manipulates Arthur, etc.)

Last year's questions were SO AWFUL yet both the 2014 questions were so good!

Also - I'd love to discuss anything and everything related to the book with anyone. I feel so unprepared for the exam - I've only read the book twice, and I don't think I've ever read chapter 11 properly to be quite honest!

I think - relating to your point about the chapter specific questions- they don't expect you to relate it to the entire book, however, there are ways which you can do this subtly within your answer to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the text. For example, if you were talking about the isolation of EMH, link this to how twib became isolated from her child (with evidence) - then blend the points by implying that the isolated aura of the house is a symbol of her grief.
And talking about structure is always a good bet to score marks.
I can see where you're coming from, she does use Gothic convention like graveyards etc.. in a very contrived sort of way.
I don't think Spider has come up - but is there really much to say about the chapter? Eel Marsh house has: it's presentation rather than Kipps' experience within it.
I don't feel prepared either so don't worry, I think we're all in the same boat

I don't think it's on the mark scheme or anything, but my English teacher said it's a good idea to try and get across your understanding of the book as a whole as much as possible. Linking the isolation is such a good idea! And it can be applied to so many questions! Thank you!

I agree, the gothic themes feel very forced - it just feels like she read as much gothic literature as she could and tried to bundle all the conventions into one!

When I mentioned Spider, I meant the dog herself as opposed to the chapter. The unreliable nature of Kipps shown through the reliability of Spider is quite possibly my favourite thing to write about - it's just so easy to get marks! You can link Spider going "rigid" when she sensed TWIB to when Arthur was "paralysed with fear" when he first saw her, showing how the dog wasn't just barking at nothing, and thus creating fear in the reader (which generally gets marks for whole book perspective and impact on the reader.) This similar reaction then leads the reader to trust Spider's responses, so when Arthur is feeling nostalgic in the nursery, it builds a sense of terror in the reader as the dog is "whimpering in a corner" or something. And, of course, an unreliable narrator is a Gothic convention, so you can write about that! So efficient!

I hope Eel Marsh House's effect on Arthur comes up. Would be such a good question, and quite a lot to write about.

Has anyone got any good ideas for writing about characters who aren't Kipps? I feel like I have very few notes on any of them, and am pretty much screwed if I don't get a question on place, Arthur, Spider, or isolation in the exam!

Haha that's true, she probably googled 'Gothic Convention' and ticked them off as she went along!
Ahh, I see what you mean about Spider - I didn't even think about that, I didn't think of him as a character. But that is a very perceptive point to make (how he enhances the readers fear), also in terms of the plot - you could say the dog is important in terms of plot development, do draw Kipps' out onto the marsh, resulting in the crux of the haunting at EMH.
I don't really know much about the other characters to be honest, I don't think they could ask about them, apart from possibly Jerome, also the woman in black herself of course.

I personally could probably handle either character or place, but I feel as though either a character or theme (e.g. unreliability) is likely to come up. Eel Marsh has already come up in a question before: 2013 paper; asking about how it evokes threat and fear. I think Keckwick, the Landlord, Samuel Daily and Mr Bentley all came up in one single question, which only leaves Jerome and Spider. I love to talk about Jerome and I would really adore a question on Spider and how she relates to the unreliability of the narrative.

My predictions are Jerome and the other question either being about a chapter or major theme

Do you really think there is a chance Spider will come up? I haven't revised her at all. I think Jerome might come up as well, and possibly the Sound of a Pony and Trap. I still need to revise Kipps as an unreliable narrator.. brilliant.

Spider's role is rather negligible in comparison to other characters so she would only come up if the examiners were feeling particularly churlish. My ideal situation is a question like:

How does Hill present the effect the Woman in Black has on different characters in the novel?

Bearing in mind we have a choice of two questions, if Spider comes up, I'll have to choose the other one.

That would be a dream, yet, I doubt it will materialise. I have a feeling they've chosen something ludicrously obscure, but I mean, it isn't hard to find quotes and analyse them, so if anything an obscure question makes for more interesting/abstract writing.

x

x

Indeed! I feel as though any quote can be manipulated and morphed to answer a question and this is exactly what I plan to do in the exam. Do you mind giving a quote for practise?

Spider's role is rather negligible in comparison to other characters so she would only come up if the examiners were feeling particularly churlish. My ideal situation is a question like:

How does Hill present the effect the Woman in Black has on different characters in the novel?