Warings

Warings Symbolism
Setting (Chapter 1)
Susan Hill has been very precise in describing the nature surrounding Warings - from the
choice of trees, to the descriptions of land and soil, which all bear symbolic meaning.
A device which Hill effectively employs in naming Warings is onomatopoeia. Warings can
either be pronounced as war-ings, or wear-ings. Both have militaristic connotations:
war-ing suggests that the house represents a battlefield for Hooper and Kingshaw, who are
constantly at war with each other. Alternatively, the pronunciation wear-ing could be
referring to Hoopers method of tormenting Kingshaw, by baiting and wearing him down
with threats and destructive lies (attrition is a common military tactic, which again reflects
Hoopers militaristic character). These inferences suggest that Warings symbolize a
battleground on which the boys vie for the position of King of the Castle, and where one
boy will face an inevitable defeat (Kingshaw). This concept is further addressed in Chapter 3,
where the phrase bruise-colored clouds (pathetic fallacy) is used to describe the weather as
the boys near their first physical fight, on the battlefield of Warings.
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Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Nature
Nature Symbolism
Setting (Chapter 1)
Susan Hill has been very precise in describing the nature surrounding Warings - from the
choice of trees, to the descriptions of land and soil, which all bear symbolic meaning.
Susan Hill describes in great detail the setting of ITKOTC, Warings, and has chosen
specifically to focus on the botany surrounding the house. This is evident in the quote the
yew trees stood before the house the first Joseph Hooper had admired their solidity and
denseness. The choice yew trees is significant as they are a classic symbol of death and
sorrow; the fact that they stood before the house highlights that not only is the house itself
permeated with death (see Moths page), it is also surrounded by death and despair. It can also
be inferred that the house has an evil presence (reflected by the dark and gloomy interior) and
anyone who intrudes on Warings (Kingshaw, in particular) has to surrender to that presence.
The phrase solidity and denseness suggests that the trees had been a line of defence for the
first Hooper, and now for Edmund Hooper; he sees it as not just protection for him from
foreign intruders (like Kingshaw and his mother), but also an army of nature to cause death

and destruction. This relates to Hoopers sense of militarism and strategic nature, and his
powerhungry need to be King of the Castle. It is relevant that Hill often uses nature as a
symbol for atmospheres, conflicts or characters.

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Monday, 16 September 2013
Crow
Crow Symbolism
The crow is an important symbol in I'm the King of the Castle; it is one of the clearest
representation of a character (Hooper) as opposed to a symbol for a concept/idea.
Crows are birds which have deep symbolic roots and there is a clear intextertual link between
ITKOTC's crow and Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven.
Susan Hill has chosen very powerful diction to emphasize the crows violent movement and
its symbolic nature. The phrase it rose up suddenly, circled overhead, and then dived (p.40)
is used to describe the crows violent movements. The use of the phrase circled overhead
hints at the predatory nature of the crow, and suggests that Kingshaw is the disoriented prey
and victim at this instance. It also reminds us of Hoopers instinctive knowledge of
Kingshaws whereabouts at all times, and the crows overhead position is reminiscent of
Hoopers desire to be high up, at a vantage point at all times, ever-watchful. (This is evident
in Hoopers decision to choose the narrow room with a tall window. Above him, there were
only the attics (p. 16).) Furthermore, the crows vantage position may indicate that, to
Kingshaw, it is blocking out the light similar to Hoopers malicious character
overshadowing all the other problems in his life. The specific use of the diction dive
connotes a very violent, vicious action and implies that the crow is a threatening creature
attempting to wound Kingshaw, symbolizing Hoopers hurtful and spiteful bullying. The
crow possesses all of Hoopers characteristics: hatred, mercilessness, cruelty, persistence,
deviousness, protectiveness of his property, and is an animalistic representation of Hooper. It
is especially significant that the chosen bird is a crow, an animal closely linked with sorcery
and evil, and often depicted in myths as capable of conscious thoughts and emotion. This
differs from Poes The Raven as it is the narrator in the poem who attributes the bird with
evil emotions, whereas in ITKOTC the crow is given a malevolent spiteful presence from the
start.

Another literary device which Hill effectively employs is juxtaposition, which is specifically
applied to colors and serves to highlight the crow's evil nature which mirror's Hooper's traits.
The juxtaposition of "[the crow's] shining black [feathers]" against "butter-colored
cornstalks" depicts the image of the brightly colored cornfields, which represent the
innocuous surroundings and the safety that it provides, which sharply contrasts with the
immediate threat of the crow. While "butter" has connotations such as soft, harmless,
innocent, suggesting that the nature surrounding Kingshaw is benign and harmless, black is a
color often associated with evil, fear, death and hatred and implies that the crow, representing
Hooper, is a force of evil able to inflict its darkness on nature just by being nearby.
Furthermore, the phrase "shining black" itself is a juxtaposition which conjures the image of
a black void swallowing up Kingshaw's vision, which again symbolises the extent to which
Hooper is now dominating his life. In addition, the color "scarlet" which is used to describe
the inside of the crow's mouth, also contrasts with the "shining black" of its feathers and is a
color associated with bloodlust and violence (qualities which the crow and Hooper both
share). The use of these vivid colors combine to exaggerate the crow's extreme violent and
malevolent nature, and its resemblance to Hooper; the crow is a symbol of evil, and
specifically the evil inherent in Edmund Hooper.
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Sunday, 15 September 2013
Moths
Moths Symbolism
Personification
Susan Hill uses many animalistic symbols within I'm the King of the Castle to represent
different characters and concepts. Moths are an important symbol within the novel, and are
representative of the decay of the Hooper dynasty (as well as the general concept of death).
The moths located in the Red Room of ITKOTC are symbolic of the death and disintegration
of the Hooper generations. This can be shown through the simile "glass showcases of moths
and butterflies... It was a like the room of a museum. Firstly, butterflies in particular are
synonymous with beauty and freedom, and to have them locked up in a glass cabinet, slowly
decaying, represents a resistant against the laws of nature. It is clear from Hill's description of
Joseph's childhood (Chapter 1) that he was fairly isolated from the village boys and the world
around him, which bears resemblance to the moths and butterflies' isolation and suggests an
unnatural, artificial upbringing. This idea links in with Edmund's traits: sullenness, morbidity
and cruelty - traits deemed unnatural for a young boy. This unnatural and isolated upbringing
has also been employed by Joseph in regards to Edmund Hooper (this is further reflected in
the setting: Warings, an old, decaying, isolated house). The butterflies and moths represent

Joseph, and to an extent, Edmund's imprisonment in their isolation, and the gradual decay of
the Hooper dynasty, beginning with the death of Grandfather (who is strongly associated with
the moths). Moreover, there is also the slow diminish of happiness, pride and internal beauty
(concepts associated with life) as well as the physical side of death.
Moths are also a foreboding symbol of death used by Hill at the end of Chapter 1. This is
shown through the quote "at once, the whole moth, already years dead, disintegrated,
collapsing into a soft, formless heap of dark dust". The image moth in question, 'Death's Head
Hawk Moth' (a very ominous name which invokes the word 'death'), disintegrating under the
hands of a young boy, is disturbing and extremely gruesome. It is symbolic of Hooper's evil
and cruelty, and foreshadows Kingshaw's surrender and death under the hands of Edmund
Hooper. The idea of a dead creature being further humiliated and disembodied emphasises
Hooper's cruelty, disregard for his Grandfather's belongings, but also a sense of callousness
and dispassion through which he destroys the moth with such ease.
Hill often uses animals to represent specific characters within ITKOTC; the moths very much
represent the Grandfather and his values. The moths are often referred to as "worth a great
deal of money". This highlights Grandfather's (and later Joseph's) perceived value of owning
material wealth and further emphasises his high opinions on having status and respect in the
community. The moths are therefore representative of material wealth and value - this is
further supported by the fact that Joseph has often contemplated disposing of the moths
collection but has never been able to actually commit the act.
In addition, the moths also represent Grandfather himself. Hill has, many times, compared
Grandfather to the moths. For instance, the simile "all he looks like is one of his dead old
moths" implies that Grandfather, like the moths, is seen as devalued, no longer significant,
and associated with decay and death. Edmund's tone, emphasised in the word "all", is
disrespectful and disconnected, further highlights Grandfather's insignificant. The quote
"moth-like whiteness of the very old skin" also highlights the physical appearance of a moth:
pale (the spots), dark (the bodies), dull, very much unlike the colorful appearance of a
butterfly. This further supports the idea of the moths representing death, which is a dull and
uncolorful concept in itself. The use of the adjective "whiteness" in this case suggests a
bleached, lifeless color, symbolic of Grandfather's current appearance but also his
insignificance now that he has passed away.
Moths are generally associated with dark browns and black, dull dark colors which generally
have connotations such as evil, death and emptiness.
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The Red Room
The Red Room Symbolism

Intertextuality between I'm the King of the Castle (Chapters 1 and 3) and Jane
Eyre (Chapter 2)
There exists intertexual links between the Red Room in ITKOTC and the red-room in Jane
Eyre - firstly, the characters associated with the Red Room itself experience similar emotions
upon stepping within its walls.
In ITKOTC, the Red Room symbolises a chamber of imprisonment for both Joseph and
Kingshaw. This is evident in the quote "he [Joseph] had not dared to rebel, he had gone back
into the red room every holiday, feigning interest, acquiring knowledge, disguising his fear".
The phrase "he had not dared to rebel" shows that although Joseph was obliged to follow his
father's instructions, he felt isolated from the world outside and trapped by the room;
particularly fearful of the moths held within it. Furthermore, he is trapped by his father's
shadow, achievements and expectations, for "he had known he would never do so [make a
name for himself]", and is reminded of his failures every time he enters the room, suggesting
the room's eternal imprisonment of his mind.
Similarly, Kingshaw experiences the same fear and frustration when locked in the Red Room
by Edmund Hooper in Chapter 3. This is shown clearly in the quote "he was ashamed of
being so afraid, and could not help it, he only wanted to get out, to stop having to see the
terrible moths". Both Kingshaw and Joseph experience fear, but also the embarrassment of
being afraid, within the Red Room in ITKOTC. This suggests that the room is more than just
an empty shell and embodies the spirit of their [Kingshaw and Joseph's] figure of authority
[Grandfather, and Edmund Hooper, who is the dominant character in the boys' dynamic] and
forces both characters to disguise their fear and loathing of the room; to stand strong despite
their internal turmoil. The pauses in Kingshaw's thoughts imitate the gasping breaths of a
panicked victim, implying that Kingshaw feels suffocated and also entrapped within the
room, thus conveying the concept of the Red Room being a symbolism for imprisonment,
fear and death (visit the 'Moths' page to find out more).
The same concepts of imprisonment, fear and death are evident in the red-room in Jane Eyre.
Jane Eyre's exclamation "Alas! yes: no jail was ever more secure" following her banishment
to the red-room demonstrate the hatred and desperation she feels within the room. The phrase
"Alas!", paired with the exclamation mark, mimics a sigh of equal measures of frustration
and exasperation, and suggests that while distraught, Jane is resigned to her fate and knows
she cannot escape the room, both physically and mentally. The metaphor "jail" implies that
Jane felt the same sense of imprisonment and suffocation felt by Kingshaw and Joseph
in ITKOTC's Red Room. However, unlike Kingshaw and Joseph, she does not feel the need
to be strong and disguise her fear, instead she suffers several panic attacks and ghostly
hallucinations while being in the room. Both red rooms are strongly associated with death
(and the supernatural, in Jane Eyre's case) as the rooms' previous owners: Mr Reed and
Grandfather, are now both deceased, yet their belongings and presence still dominate the
room.

Some of the connotations of red are: danger, violence, blood, passion, anger. The idea of
'danger' being associated with the red room is very important as it hints at the red room being
a placed filled with death and unpleasant things, and the room's name serves as a warning for
everyone to stay away from it. Both red rooms (in Jane Eyre and ITKOTC) are painted red on
the inside and have furniture of different shades of red: "crimson cloth...walls of soft fawn..."
to suggest a mental anguish when one enters the room (although in Jane Eyre the room has a
white Marseilles counterpane and a white throne, representing Jane's innocence and purity, to
counter the red violence and anger of the room).