Horse (Symbol)
Readers can notice one animal in the novella: a horse. Somebody can think that it is just a coincidence, but it has a special symbolical meaning. Nathaniel, Jennet’s son, dies because the carriage sinks into the marshes together with him. Also there is one more tragic moment, when Arthur’s wife and son decide to watch a horse. The carriage with horse overturns and kills Stella (Arthur’s wife) and her son. This animal is a symbol of death of the innocent victims in the story.
Death (Allegory)
This horror novella is full of innocent deaths. All little and innocent children die. Arthur’s wife and son also suffer from death. It takes away many lives. It is present in every house and spies up every sinless child with an angelic heart. Arthur tries to stand against death, but the woman in black is stronger. Death realizes its insidious plan and forces all parents to feel pain of their loss. Death hurts people and remains in their memory forever.
Remote past (Motif)
If you want to unravel a secret, you should become a thing of the past. Arthur makes all efforts, because he wants to stop death and its negative consequences. Remote past helps him to realize his plan. He finds letters and papers, notices Nathaniel’s scream from the past and learns a lot of new things about Jennet Humfrye. He puts all past events of Eel Marsh House together and gets to know a real truth. And actually when Arthur tells the horror story his stepchildren, he returns to his past life and its nightmares. The past will never leave him.
