AQA GCSE The Woman in Black 2016 official thread

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If you were given this question what would you look to include?

How she initially invokes pity - at Drablow's funeral and in her letters. Shows how manipulative she is, but allows us to understand her?

Kipps is "paralysed with fear" at the mere sight of her, link in similar reaction from Spider.

Talk about how she manipulates Arthur to feel what she feels - showing her power over him. Could possibly talk about how this creates fear in the reader?

Her effect on the residents of the village - use quotes from Mr Jerome. Possibly talk about how she has struck dehabilitating fear into the heart of every resident? If anyone has any good points on this, pleasepleaseplease let me know.

Talk about the change in Arthur to get whole book perspective. Use quotes showing how he becomes less and less rational, and angry about it, and then accepts that there are some things he just doesn't understand. I wouldn't compare it with the Arthur at the beginning of the novel though, as that's after she's killed his wife and son, so his reactions are understandable, but before that, she has actually done very little to Kipps other than popping up in places, whistling to a dog and rocking a chair.

Structure, I use:
Point - use as many keywords as possible!
Evidence
Explain
Effect on the reader and on myself as a reader
Any structural significance and link to gothic convention
Additional piece of evidence
Explain
Effect on the reader
Effect on myself as a reader
Any structural significance/gothic convention
Alternative interpretations
Link everything back to the question

Usually I try to have two pieces of evidence per point, especially if they have a similar alternative interpretation.

Reply 101

Redcoats

Original post by etata

This is difficult:

Explore Kipps as an unreliable narrator in this quote/passage?

"As I went out onto the landing, Spider the dog following me at once, two things happened together. I had the impression of someone who had just that very second gone past me on their way from the top of the stairs to one of the other rooms, and, as a tremendous blast of wind hit the house so that it all but seemed to rock at the impact. I had not bothered to pick up my torch from the bedside table and now I stood in the pitch darkness, unsure for a moment of my bearings"

Hill makes Kipps appear as an unreliable narrator by allowing Kipps' character to not "pick up [his] torch". This is incredibly intriguing one would naturally take a light source if "the landing" was enveloped with "pitch darkness", particularly given the supernatural horrors Kipps' character has encountered. Taking this idea further, the idea of light further connotates to benevolence and hope that counteracts evil, and the fact that Kipps "had not bothered" to take the torch almost makes him seem as if he is seduced by the horror and almost wishes to experience it. This thus hints at Kipps' narration being unreliable as he constantly speaks of his fearful "impression" of the supernatural, yet he contradicts himself by almost being seduced by what he sees as ethereal rather than satanically supernatural, such relates to the admiration he exerted when he first saw the WIB. This paradox and contradiction thus alludes at Kipps' unreliability as a narrator.

Another more difficult quote and question please ...

Reply 102

etata

Original post by Redcoats

Does this contradiction between his confessed fear of the supernatural and the fact that he is seduced into intrigue in this passage connote the unreliability of his narration?
I would argue that it's his fear of the supernatural which draws him to be seduced by it, because terror expands the soul. I would approach this from the viewpoint of the improbability of these two events (the wind and the 'impression' of the woman) occurring simultaneously: which leads me to believe that, in retrospect, Kipps has dressed up the narrative with mystery and horror (also evidenced by his dramatic style). This firmly places him as an unreliable Gothic narrator.
I think it is your turn to give me a quote now.

Reply 103

Redcoats

Original post by etata

Nice Idea, but I think the idea of arguing how the two events occurring simultaneously is romanticised maybe a little weak.

Here's one:

How does Hill foreshadow the future security Kipps' character will be provided by Spider in the following passage?:

"I looked down. At my feet stood a sturdy little terrier with a rough brindle coat and bright eyes. She wagged her tail briefly, acknowledging me, but otherwise was still, close to Daily's heels."

Reply 104

etata

Original post by Redcoats

Well, I beg to differ, but that is the essence of analysis.
Hill constructs Spider as a metaphor of hope, evoking the possibility that love can dissolve isolation. She characterises the dog as 'sturdy' yet 'little' creating strength of character, a suitable companion to counteract the emptiness of EMH. The symbolism in 'bright eyes', suggests a certain moral value where the dog represents goodness, something greater than fellowship- more emotional, even spiritual .This determines the outcome of the supernatural episode in 'Whistle and I'll come to you', where this symbol of goodness refuses to be defeated by the malice of twin.

I would be interested to know how you would approach the 'character' of Spider.

Reply 105

TeenPolyglot

Original post by etata

Yeah, I know what you mean, algebra's ridiculously satisfying but that really applies to most aspects of maths unless its something that can't really be visualised like, say, imaginary numbers.
That's a good mix, I can tell you appreciate the arts, maths would fit in nicely too.

I certainly do!
But I just don't want to end up with some stupidly low grade...no one wants AAAD at AS Level :P

Reply 106

wab

Can anyone link an A* example response? Thanks

Nobody?

Original post by wab

Can anyone link an A* example response? Thanks

There are multiple earlier on in the thread, but you're essentially asking for answers to no particular question. Analyse the structures and points made in the other responses provided to other questions, and then apply that to whatever comes up tomorrow.

Reply 109

TeenPolyglot

And so the ultimate question arises-
How is everyone feeling for the exam? Overall, I'm feeling not overly confident, but not too worried either.

Annoyingly, I'm still SO much better on TKAM.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 110

haarithiop

Spider is used to symbolise the creation of tension and the equal relaxation of it. Throughout the novella Hill builds tension up to a climax before releasing it and Spider is used to do this. When Spider is aware of a supernatural occurrence he often makes Arthur alert to the situation .This creates a systematic build up of tension that renders many events predictable to the reader, alternatively when Spider does not react to a situation the reader is able to interpret the lack of severity it entails. Hill then has control over the reader through the use of Spider.

Reply 111

etata

Original post by TeenPolyglot

Terrified. Essay based subjects don't sit well with me, mostly because you can't really cram.
But, we'll see how it goes. Good Luck to all, hope it's a nice question which we can happily muse over later.
Bonne chance!

Reply 112

TeenPolyglot

Original post by etata

That's part of the problem with English- there's no way AT ALL about knowing what the question is.
But like you said- we'll see how it goes.

Bonne chance à toi aussi!

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Reply 113

etata

'The Supernatural' Thank you AQA. Thank you.
Whoever said Spider may come up, I'm sorry I doubted you..
How was it for everyone?

Reply 114

haarithiop

Original post by etata

'The Supernatural' Thank you AQA. Thank you.
Whoever said Spider may come up, I'm sorry I doubted you..
How was it for everyone?

good

Reply 115

11ahf

Original post by etata

'The Supernatural' Thank you AQA. Thank you.
Whoever said Spider may come up, I'm sorry I doubted you..
How was it for everyone?

Dream question! I almost screamed with happiness when I saw it haha!

67 - lets lurk

What did everyone write?

Reply 118

etata

Original post by Redcoats

What did everyone write?

I literally wrote about everything in the damn book, starting off with the foreshadowing of the supernatural interference in chapter one, the fog in chapter 2 - linking it to the other fog > how it was created by supernatural forces etc.., the woman in black herself (obviously) both sightings, the sublime in Kipps' journey to EMH and linked that in some obscure way to the supernatural. My language analysis was 12321 times weaker than anything I've posted in this thread.. but hey, it's over now. What about you?

Reply 119

Redcoats

Original post by etata

Let me first applaud the careless abandon with which you chose random digits to create a large number (12321). I wrote about the Woman in Black first where I analysed the sibilance in "stretched and strained" and the plosive in "blue white sheen". I spoke about the seduction of Kipps, Hill presents the supernatural as initially admirable - I linked this to the sublime. I then made a passing comment on the Oedipus Complex and repetitive compulsion.

I then explained how Hill presents the supernatural as malicious through the affect it has on Kipps. I analysed the sound of the pony and trap. He describes his nerves as "jangled" where the the metal connotations suggest the dehumanising of Kipps. I then spoke of Jerome's reaction and what this suggests about the supernatural. I then looked at the mere mention of the supernatural and its effect on the Landlord. The idea that his "face flickered" is intriguing as flickered connotates to a candle being blown out. However the fricatives in "face flickered" causes an exhale of breath in reading showing how the reader is almost blowing out the candle of the Landlord's life. This shows how the supernatural is so powerful that it can almost seep through the pages and affect the reader, possessing them almost.

I wrote 5 sides if I remember correctly (for the whole exam I wrote 11 sides). How much did you write?