CHARACTERISATION
“The Woman in Black” by Susan Hill
Arthur Kipps
• Main
character/protagonist
• In the first and last
chapters: we see him
as a retired lawyer
• Settled with his second
family at Monk’s Piece
Arthur Kipps and the ghost story
• First chapter
• Telling ghost stories
• Arthur begins to tell the
story of his encounter
with “The Woman in
Black” (Jennet
Humfrye) hoping he
can exorcise her once
and for all
How Arthur Kipps changes
• Before
• After
• Educated
• Rational (doesn’t believe in
• Fearful
• His belief has been
•
•
•
•
ghosts)
Adventurous
Arrogant
Brave
Thinks he’s superior to the
people of Crythin Gifford
shattered
• A broken man
• Emotionally frail
• Nervous
• Eventually finds peace
with Esme Ainley and her
family
Mr Bentley
• Lawyer
• Head of the family firm
of solicitors
• His former client was
Alice Drablow
Samuel Daily
• Late fifties
• Meets Kipps on the
train
• Wealthy landowner
• Friendly towards Kipps
• Acts as a guardian
angel to Kipps
• Down-to-earth
Keckwick
• A local man
• Drives the pony and
cart
• Blunt/reticent
• His father was killed in
the marsh along with
the child and the
child’s nurse
The Landlord of the Gifford Arms
• Unnamed
• His role: to provide an
air of mystery
• He is at the centre of
the village
• Part of the conspiracy
of silence
Alice Drablow
• Old client of Mr
Bentley’s
• Died alone – 87yrs
• She had an adopted
boy – Nathaniel
Pierston
• In reality her nephew
The Woman in Black and Revenge
The Woman in Black (Jennet Humfyre)
• Alice Drablow’s sister
• She was 18yrs old when
• The child Nathaniel
Pierston drowned (6yrs
old)
she gave birth to a son
• His nurse Rose Judd
• Boy was taken against
her will
• Adopted by Alice and
her husband
and Keckwick Senior
died with him
• Jennet Humfrye died
12yrs later – wasting
disease/heart failure
Mr Jerome
• Alice Drablow’s land
agent
• Strange man – wears
a ‘shuttered
expression.’
• He was one of the
woman in black’s
victims – lost a child
Stella
• Not a fully developed
character
• Young Arthur Kipp’s
fiancée.
• They marry and have a
child – a boy
• They both die later in an
accident in a pony and
cart at a park in London
Esme and her Family
• The Ainley Family
• Establishes a happy
domestic scene
• This contrasts with the
terrifying past events
• Used as a plot device to
begin telling a ghost
story