Down a Dark Hall
Encyclopedia
Down A Dark Hall is a novel
for young adults
by Lois Duncan
. It is a supernatural
/suspense
novel and is her only gothic fiction
. It tells the story of a girl who starts at a boarding school
where she is one of only four students.
After her mother gets re-married and plans a honeymoon, Kit is forced to attend Blackwood Boarding School, run by Madame Duret, although Kit feels something dark coming from the school. She was originally planning to attend with her best friend, Tracy, but Tracy didn't get accepted even though she had better grades. When Kit arrives, she immediately confirms something evil about the house. She sees her personal room but is disturbed by the locks only usable from the outside, and meets the teachers: Madame Duret, Professor Farley, and Jules. Jules is the son of Madame Duret, and teaches piano, who seems very interested in Kit. The following day three other girls arrive, Lynda, Ruth, and Sandy.
At Blackwood, each student is taught according to their 'level of learning and ability', independently of the other students. Only three other students show up: Lynda, blonde, beautiful, and rather ditzy, her best friend Ruth, lonesome and rather plain-looking, but smart, and friendly, redheaded
Sandy, Madame Duret stating that the school is very exclusive. Each girl held some talent in addition to their imaginations. Lynda Hannah transforms into the next Van Gogh, Ruth can perform and solve complicated math problems, and Sandy writes detailed poetry, this being odd because none of them had been able to do these things before. Kit discovers her inner specialty as well: composing wonderful piano music. Ruth identifies this as "ESP" or extra-sensory perception, and is excited, but Kit is further disturbed, especially after waking up to playing the piano with Jules recording it, confirming her earlier suspicions of hearing music she recognized from somewhere else. After investigating, Kit learns that former students at Blackwood were famous artists who died young and continue their contributions of creativity by using the current students as puppets. Kit asks Natalie, the maid, who had tried to help but was subsequently let go by the seemingly nice instructor, taking a letter from Kit to Tracy. Of the twenty former students, three committed suicide
, one fell from the third floor of a building (considered an accident), and the other sixteen students were put in insane asylums. Kit devised a plan for escape, after seeing some of Lynda's paintings - in particular, one of a woman being horrifyingly tortured - and realizing her health is deteriorating. Kit learns in horror that Madame Duret has been selling the student's works as long-lost artist's inventions, and brushes off Lynda's terrifying painting by saying they simply won't sell it. Natalie, the maid, had tried to help but was let go by the seemingly nice instructor, taking a letter from Kit to Tracy. Jules, who was formerly supportive, is appalled by his mother's actions and tries to help the girls leave while they still can. Ruth, enraged by being used, throws her math equations into the fireplace. The home catches fire, spurred on by the angered 'ghosts'. Kit tries to help Lynda, who has been locked in her room, but is forced to jump out the window after her, the flames dangerously close. A familiar spirit tells her to run outside, where Tracy and her family is waiting for her, at Blackwood. She runs to be saved by her friend, and the book ends.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
for young adults
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
by Lois Duncan
Lois Duncan
Duncan is best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title...
. It is a supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
/suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
novel and is her only gothic fiction
Gothic fiction
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story"...
. It tells the story of a girl who starts at a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
where she is one of only four students.
Plot summary
Kit is accepted into Blackwood boarding school for girls. The place is far out in the country and upon glimpsing the restored ancient building, Kit senses something evil about the old but renovated mansion.After her mother gets re-married and plans a honeymoon, Kit is forced to attend Blackwood Boarding School, run by Madame Duret, although Kit feels something dark coming from the school. She was originally planning to attend with her best friend, Tracy, but Tracy didn't get accepted even though she had better grades. When Kit arrives, she immediately confirms something evil about the house. She sees her personal room but is disturbed by the locks only usable from the outside, and meets the teachers: Madame Duret, Professor Farley, and Jules. Jules is the son of Madame Duret, and teaches piano, who seems very interested in Kit. The following day three other girls arrive, Lynda, Ruth, and Sandy.
At Blackwood, each student is taught according to their 'level of learning and ability', independently of the other students. Only three other students show up: Lynda, blonde, beautiful, and rather ditzy, her best friend Ruth, lonesome and rather plain-looking, but smart, and friendly, redheaded
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
Sandy, Madame Duret stating that the school is very exclusive. Each girl held some talent in addition to their imaginations. Lynda Hannah transforms into the next Van Gogh, Ruth can perform and solve complicated math problems, and Sandy writes detailed poetry, this being odd because none of them had been able to do these things before. Kit discovers her inner specialty as well: composing wonderful piano music. Ruth identifies this as "ESP" or extra-sensory perception, and is excited, but Kit is further disturbed, especially after waking up to playing the piano with Jules recording it, confirming her earlier suspicions of hearing music she recognized from somewhere else. After investigating, Kit learns that former students at Blackwood were famous artists who died young and continue their contributions of creativity by using the current students as puppets. Kit asks Natalie, the maid, who had tried to help but was subsequently let go by the seemingly nice instructor, taking a letter from Kit to Tracy. Of the twenty former students, three committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, one fell from the third floor of a building (considered an accident), and the other sixteen students were put in insane asylums. Kit devised a plan for escape, after seeing some of Lynda's paintings - in particular, one of a woman being horrifyingly tortured - and realizing her health is deteriorating. Kit learns in horror that Madame Duret has been selling the student's works as long-lost artist's inventions, and brushes off Lynda's terrifying painting by saying they simply won't sell it. Natalie, the maid, had tried to help but was let go by the seemingly nice instructor, taking a letter from Kit to Tracy. Jules, who was formerly supportive, is appalled by his mother's actions and tries to help the girls leave while they still can. Ruth, enraged by being used, throws her math equations into the fireplace. The home catches fire, spurred on by the angered 'ghosts'. Kit tries to help Lynda, who has been locked in her room, but is forced to jump out the window after her, the flames dangerously close. A familiar spirit tells her to run outside, where Tracy and her family is waiting for her, at Blackwood. She runs to be saved by her friend, and the book ends.