I'm the King of the Castle – Susan Hill

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课程笔记

Overview and Context

Susan Hill's×I'm the King of the Castle×(1970) explores how childhood bullying and parental negligence can lead to tragedy.
The title comes from the children's power game in which higher ground is seized after a struggle, reflecting the central conflict between the two boys.
The novel is set in Warings, an English country house that is impressive in size but neglected, near the fictitious village of Derne.
The story focuses on the relationship between two 11-year-old boarding school boys: Edmund Hooper and Charles Kingshaw.
Hill was born in 1942 and wrote the novel in 1969; it was published in 1970, a time of significant social and economic change in Britain.
The novel contains many gothic features, such as a remote sprawling house, death imagery, and dark, claustrophobic spaces.

Plot Summary

Charles and his widowed mother Helena (Mrs Kingshaw) arrive at Warings; she is to become the housekeeper for Joseph Hooper and his son Edmund.
Edmund immediately makes it clear he doesn't want Charles there, throwing a note saying 'I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO COME HERE' and later fighting him.
Edmund uses psychological torture, such as leaving a stuffed, dead crow on Charles's bed and locking him in the Red Room with the dead moth collection.
Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw grow closer and become increasingly blind to Edmund's cruelty and its impact on Charles.
Charles tries to run away but Edmund follows him into Hang Wood; they get lost, and Edmund shows fear during a thunderstorm.
After Edmund falls from a ruined castle wall, he accuses Charles of pushing him, and the adults believe him.
Charles makes a friend, Fielding, a working-class farm boy, but Edmund moves in on the relationship and Mrs Kingshaw invites Fielding and his mother to tea.
When Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw reveal they are to be married and Charles will attend Edmund's boarding school, Charles sees no hope and drowns himself in a pool.

Themes: Isolation and Loneliness

In her afterword, Susan Hill says the book is 'most of all' about isolation and the lack of love.
Warings is in an isolated position 'some distance from any other house', and the surrounding woods add to the feeling of being cut off.
Four of the five main characters—Edmund, Charles, Mr Hooper, and Mrs Kingshaw—experience loneliness, which influences their decision-making.
Edmund seems to prefer isolation: he resents Charles's arrival and 'wanted to do them alone'.
Charles feels he must prove he can get by 'alone in this place', but when attacked by a bird, he feels his extreme isolation.
Charles is physically isolated when locked in the Red Room and in a shed, and he dreads the isolation of being at Edmund's school.
Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw both crave companionship: he wants a physical relationship, while she seeks security and improved social status.
Charles's isolation is psychological as well as physical: he doesn't feel close to his mother, and his fears make him feel alone.

Themes: Lack of Love

Susan Hill cites lack of love as one of the book's main themes, with the exception of Fielding, who has 'known normal human love'.
Neither parent mentions love in relation to their deceased partners, their children, or each other.
The children do not mention love in relation to their parents; Edmund boasts about Christmas presents because he is important to his father, not because he is loved.
Mr Hooper did not have a loving father, which makes it impossible for him to show love to his own son.
Mrs Kingshaw's lack of love for Charles is shown by her neglect of his feelings and failure to understand his concerns.
Edmund's extreme cruelty is presented as a direct result of a lack of parental love.
Fielding's loving household forges his open, caring personality and contrasts sharply with the lack of love in Mr Hooper's household.

Themes: Power and Class

Power and class are inextricably linked: Mr Hooper is a wealthy property owner, while Mrs Kingshaw moves between jobs and temporary lodgings.
Edmund uses class differences as ammunition, stressing that Warings will be his and calling Mrs Kingshaw a servant.
Charles is at boarding school as a Governor's Bequest Boy (GBB), meaning he doesn't pay fees, which Edmund taunts him about.
Mr Hooper is 'acquiring a dynastic sense' in middle age and believes talking about Warings will lend him importance.
Charles briefly gains power when Edmund becomes hysterical in the woods, feeling 'overwhelmingly strong and powerful'.
The power in Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw's relationship shifts when she manipulates him into proposing by suggesting she hadn't made up her mind about her future.
Ultimately, Charles, the character with least power, ends up as the victim, suggesting a central message about despair rather than hope.

Themes: Childhood Cruelty and Fear

Childhood cruelty is the most dramatic theme, with Susan Hill describing Edmund as 'evil' in her afterword.
Edmund's cruelty is largely psychological and sadistic; he plays on Charles's fears and insecurities with skill.
Edmund challenges Charles about his late father, teases him about the crow, and locks him in the Red Room and a shed.
Charles's fears are widespread: he is scared of moths, the dark, thunderstorms, and has memories of being bullied at school.
Edmund also has fears—of being lost, of thunder, and of climbing—but Charles reflects that Edmund's fear is a response to an outside situation, whereas his own is different.
Edmund lies to the adults, saying Charles attacked him in the woods and pushed him off the castle wall, and the adults believe him.
Charles's fear of the future, both at home and at school, convinces him to take his own life.
When Charles's body is discovered, Edmund feels a 'spurt of triumph' that he caused Charles to do it.

Themes: Death

Death is a common gothic trope, and the novel features a dead moth collection, a stuffed crow, a dead rabbit, and a lamb on its way to slaughter.
The Red Room is filled with death and decay, such as the Death's Head Hawk moth, which disintegrates when touched.
Charles's suicide by drowning in the pool is the ultimate tragic conclusion, driven by his fear of the future and Edmund's cruelty.
Susan Hill says she refutes claims that Charles's suicide was unlikely; she sees it as inevitable because Charles saw no other solution.
Hill's intention was to show that extreme cruelty combined with heightened fear can result in suicide.
Edmund's reaction to Charles's death—feeling triumphant—shows his cruelty is beyond redemption.

Characters

Charles Kingshaw: an 11-year-old boy with a nervous disposition and multiple fears; he is the victim of Edmund's bullying and ultimately commits suicide.
Edmund Hooper: an 11-year-old boy who is cruel, sadistic, and skilled at psychological torture; he is described by the author as 'evil'.
Mr Joseph Hooper: Edmund's widowed father, a wealthy property owner who is lonely and seeks companionship; he is blind to his son's cruelty.
Mrs Helena Kingshaw: Charles's widowed mother, who becomes the housekeeper at Warings; she is manipulative in securing Mr Hooper as a partner and neglects Charles's feelings.
Fielding: a working-class farm boy who becomes Charles's friend; he is self-assured and comes from a loving family, contrasting with the other characters.

Writer's Methods and Techniques

Gothic setting: Warings is characterised by gloom, decay, and entrapment; Charles feels 'trapped' and hates the 'darkness and oldness of it'.
Pathetic fallacy: weather mirrors psychological terror, such as the violent thunderstorm in Hang Wood creating a 'feeling of tension'.
Symbolism: the dead moth collection, the stuffed crow, and the pool represent death and decay.
Contrast: Fielding's loving family contrasts with the lack of love in the Hooper household.
Narrative perspective: the novel is told in the third person, often focusing on Charles's thoughts and feelings, which builds sympathy for him.
Irony: the parents congratulate themselves on how well the boys have settled, while the reader knows the truth.
Foreshadowing: Charles's fears and Edmund's threats foreshadow the tragic ending.

Key Quotations

'I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO COME HERE' – Edmund's note to Charles, showing immediate hostility.
'most of all' – Susan Hill's afterword, stating the book is about isolation and lack of love.
'some distance from any other house' – description of Warings, emphasising isolation.
'alone in this place' – Charles's feeling of isolation.
'known normal human love' – description of Fielding, contrasting with other characters.
'acquiring a dynastic sense' – Mr Hooper's attitude to his property and status.
'overwhelmingly strong and powerful' – Charles's feeling when he briefly gains power over Edmund.
'spurt of triumph' – Edmund's reaction to Charles's death.
'evil' – Susan Hill's description of Edmund in the afterword.

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练习题

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1.In I'm the King of the Castle, who owns Warings, the country house where the novel is set?
Medium
- AJoseph Hooper
- BMrs Kingshaw
- CCharles Kingshaw
- DEdmund Hooper
2.In I'm the King of the Castle, what is the name of the fictitious village close to Warings?
Medium
- ADerne
- BHang Wood
- CLeydell
- DCoventry
3.In I'm the King of the Castle, when Charles first arrives at Warings, how does Edmund make clear that he does not want him there?
Medium
- AHe throws a note from an upstairs window which Charles reads
- BHe locks Charles in the Red Room
- CHe leaves a stuffed crow on Charles's bed
- DHe tells his father to send the Kingshaws away
4.In I'm the King of the Castle, which boy declares himself king of the castle at the ruined Leydell Castle?
Medium
- ACharles Kingshaw
- BEdmund Hooper
- CFielding
- DEdmund's father
5.In I'm the King of the Castle, why does Mrs Kingshaw invite Fielding and his mother to tea?
Hard
- AShe wants to meet the family of her son's new friend
- BShe wants Fielding to help with the housework
- CShe wants to warn Fielding away from Charles
- DShe wants to employ Fielding's father
6.In I'm the King of the Castle, what does Charles do to Edmund's battle chart after the Fieldings' visit?
Medium
- AHe steals it from Edmund's bedroom and shreds and burns it
- BHe hides it in the Red Room
- CHe gives it to Fielding as a present
- DHe throws it into the pool in Hang Wood
7.In I'm the King of the Castle, how does Charles die?
Hard
- AHe drowns himself in the pool in the woods
- BHe falls from the castle wall
- CHe is pushed into the stream by Edmund
- DHe is killed in a road accident
8.In I'm the King of the Castle, what is Charles's reaction when he sees himself in the mirror wearing his new school uniform?
Hard
- AHe feels that there is no more hope for him and that it has all begun
- BHe feels proud to be dressed like Edmund
- CHe decides to run away from the shop
- DHe laughs at how he looks

复习笔记

## I'm the King of the Castle – Susan Hill (1970) **Core idea:** the novel explores how **childhood bullying combined with parental negligence can lead to tragedy**. Its title comes from the children's power game in which higher ground is seized after a struggle. **Setting:** Warings, an English country house – impressive in size but neglected – near the fictitious village of Derne. Charles and his widowed mother Helena (Mrs Kingshaw) arrive; she is to become housekeeper to widower Joseph Hooper, whose son Edmund lives there. ### Plot in brief - Edmund makes it immediately clear he doesn't want Charles there; the boys fight and Charles, nervous and full of fears, is shocked by Edmund's belligerence and cruelty. - The relationship unfolds through **gothic set-pieces**: a room of dead moths on display, a stuffed dead crow left on a bed. Edmund uses **psychological torture** to play on Charles' fears. - Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw grow closer and become **increasingly blind** to Edmund's cruelty and its impact on Charles. - Edmund blocks Charles' attempts to escape, even following him into the woods. After they climb a ruined castle's walls, Edmund falls and hurts himself and **accuses Charles of pushing him** – an accusation Charles' mother seems to believe. - Charles befriends Fielding, a working-class farm boy, but Edmund moves in on the relationship. - When the parents reveal they will marry and Charles will attend Edmund's boarding school, Charles sees no hope and **drowns himself in a pool** in the woods. ### Themes - **Isolation and loneliness** – Hill says the book is "most of all" about isolation and the lack of love. Warings is "some distance from any other house"; four of the five main characters experience loneliness. - **Lack of love** – neither parents nor children mention love; Fielding is the exception, having "known normal human love, given and received". - **Power and class** – Mr Hooper is a wealthy property owner, Mrs Kingshaw drifts between jobs and temporary accommodation. Edmund uses class as ammunition: Warings is not Charles' place, his mother is a servant. - **Childhood cruelty and fear** – Edmund is described as "evil" in the afterword; his cruelty is largely psychological, sadistic and skilful in choosing words and actions that hurt. - **Death** – dead moths, a stuffed crow, a dead rabbit, a lamb on its way to slaughter. ### Writer's methods - **Gothic setting:** Warings is characterised by gloom, decay and entrapment; Charles feels "trapped", hating the "darkness and oldness of it" and the "queer smell". - **Pathetic fallacy:** weather mirrors psychological terror – during the Hang Wood confrontation a violent thunderstorm breaks, creating a "feeling of tension". - **Claustrophobic spaces:** Charles is locked in the Red Room and later in a shed. - **Contrast:** Fielding's loving household contrasts sharply with the lack of love in Mr Hooper's household. ### Exam focus Questions ask **how Hill vividly conveys** an idea (unfairness, impact of settings, disturbing impressions of childhood, failures of adults) or whether the writing makes you **feel sympathy** for a character. Support ideas with details from the text and relate the printed extract to the wider novel.

Gothic: A literary genre characterised by fear and horror. I'm the King of the Castle contains many gothic features: a remote, sprawling house, death imagery (dead moth collection, stuffed crow), dark, dank nature and claustrophobic spaces.
Pathetic fallacy: The use of weather to mirror the psychological terror of characters. For example, during the confrontation in Hang Wood, a violent thunderstorm breaks, creating a "feeling of tension" and "holding back some kind of violence" that parallels the tension between the boys.
Psychological torture: Edmund's method of bullying Charles: playing on his fears and insecurities rather than using only physical force. Examples include the dead moth collection, the stuffed crow on the bed, and locking Charles in the Red Room and a shed.
Class divide: The contrast between Mr Hooper, who has inherited wealth and property, and Mrs Kingshaw, who drifts between jobs and temporary accommodation. Edmund taunts Charles about their differing circumstances.
Isolation: A central theme: Hill says the book is "most of all" about isolation and the lack of love. Warings is "some distance from any other house" and the woods add to the feeling of being cut off.
Parental negligence: Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw grow closer and become increasingly blind to Edmund's cruelty and the impact it is having on Charles.
Governor's Bequest Boy (GBB): A boy who attends boarding school without paying fees. Charles is only able to continue at school as a GBB boy following the death of his father.
Reign of terror: Charles' description of Edmund's bullying, which he contrasts with the simply brutal behaviour of a boy called Crawford at school.

闪卡

Who wrote I'm the King of the Castle, and when was it published?

Susan Hill wrote it; it was published in 1970 (written in 1969).

Where is I'm the King of the Castle set?

At Warings, an English country house near the fictitious village of Derne.

What is the origin of the novel's title?

It comes from the children's power game in which higher ground is seized after a struggle.

Who are the two 11-year-old boys at the centre of the novel?

Edmund Hooper and Charles Kingshaw.

Why does Charles Kingshaw come to Warings?

His widowed mother Helena (Mrs Kingshaw) arrives to become the housekeeper.

Who owns Warings and how did he get it?

Joseph Hooper, a widower who recently inherited it after the death of his father.

What note does Edmund throw down to Charles on his arrival?

A note reading "I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO COME HERE".

What happens when the boys first meet and fight?

Charles gets a bloody nose, and afterwards he begins to cry.

What does Edmund do with the largest moth in the Red Room collection?

Against his father's wishes he enters the room, picks the moth up, and it disintegrates into dust.

How does Edmund use a crow to frighten Charles?

After Charles is attacked by a crow in the cornfield, Edmund leaves a stuffed, dead crow on his bed.

What happens to Charles in the Red Room?

Edmund locks him in; Charles cries, his fear worsened by a live moth flapping around the room.

What does Charles find in the house in Chapter 4?

A remote room where he can escape Edmund and concentrate on his own interests, such as model-making.

What happens when the boys are lost in Hang Wood during a thunderstorm?

Edmund panics, screaming and punching the ground, and Charles slaps him to bring him back to his senses.

How does Charles briefly gain the upper hand in the forest?

Edmund admits he hates thunder and is scared; Charles feels "overwhelmingly strong and powerful".

What lie does Edmund tell the adults after they are found?

He claims Charles pushed him into the stream and "bashed" him, and the adults readily believe it.

What does Charles shout when he is ignored by the adults?

That he wishes Edmund had died, which horrifies them.

What secret does Mrs Kingshaw hint at after the forest rescue?

That she intends to marry Mr Hooper, meaning Charles will be forced to live at Warings forever.

What does Edmund reveal to Charles while he is locked in the shed?

That he will be "head of Dorm" next year at Charles's new school and will be able to make his life hell.

What happens at Leydell Castle?

Charles climbs the walls and declares himself king of the castle; Edmund follows, is paralysed by fear and wets himself, then falls from the wall.

Who is Fielding and why does he matter to Charles?

A working-class farm boy Charles befriends; he gives Charles a part of his life unique to Edmund, and his easy, self-assured manner impresses Charles.

What does Charles do to Edmund's battle chart?

He steals it from Edmund's bedroom, takes it outside, and shreds and burns it.

Why is the trip to the circus distressing for Charles?

Mrs Kingshaw knows he was extremely frightened of circuses in the past but assumes he is no longer; he is terrified by the sights and sounds and is violently sick.

How does the novel end?

Charles heads to the woods at dawn, enters the pool he swam in with Edmund, and drowns himself; Edmund finds the body and feels triumphant.

What does Susan Hill say the book is "most of all" about?

Isolation and the lack of love.

How does Hill describe Edmund in the book's afterword?

She calls him "evil" and says the novel is about cruelty and the power of evil, which can possess even a young child.

Why does Hill consider Charles's suicide inevitable?

Because Charles saw no other solution; extreme cruelty combined with heightened fear can result in death by suicide.

How is Fielding used as a contrast in the novel?

He has "known normal human love, given and received", which forges his open, caring personality and contrasts with the loveless Hooper household.

What is the significance of Warings as a gothic setting?

It is characterised by gloom, decay and entrapment; Charles feels "trapped" there, hating the "darkness and oldness of it" and the "queer smell".

How does Hill use pathetic fallacy in the novel?

Weather mirrors the characters' psychological terror, such as the violent thunderstorm in Hang Wood creating a "feeling of tension" and "holding back some kind of violence".

What is a Governor's Bequest Boy (GBB)?

A pupil who does not have to pay fees; Charles attends school as a GBB boy, contrasting with wealthy Edmund.

How does class difference fuel Edmund's bullying?

He stresses the Hoopers belong at Warings while the Kingshaws have nothing, calls Mrs Kingshaw a servant, and says Charles is only there because his mother is in their employ.

Why do Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw marry?

More from mutual need and loneliness than romantic love: he wants companionship and a physical relationship, while she seeks security and improved social status.

What does Mrs Kingshaw say about people like her and Charles?

That people are very mean and unthinking and "do not understand how hard it is for people like us to live decently".

What does Mrs Kingshaw ask of Charles about school?

"as long as you make the very best of your chances there, that is all I ask of you".

How does Mrs Kingshaw describe Charles's hatred of Edmund?

She dismisses his remarks as "silliness".

What does Charles call Edmund's bullying, comparing it to Crawford?

A "reign of terror" — Crawford was simply brutal, whereas Edmund's bullying is calculated.

How does Hill present the failures of the adults?

Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw grow closer and become increasingly blind to Edmund's cruelty and its impact on Charles, and they readily believe Edmund over Charles.

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