Ghost Wall is a 2018 novella by author and academic Sarah Moss.
Sometime in the late 80s or early 90s, Sulevia "Silvie" Hampton is dragged by her domineering, ancient-history obsessed father, Bill, into spending two weeks living as ancient Britons in the Northumberland woods alongside an experiential archaeology class. She's long become used to life under her father's thumb, but things begin to change when she befriends an archaeology student named Molly - and when the behavior of the men in the group becomes gradually more disturbing.
Ghost Wall contains the following tropes:
- Abusive Parents: At first, Bill appears to be merely strict and humorless. As the story progresses, however, it becomes clear that he is physically and emotionally abusive towards Silvie, and that she's absolutely terrified of him. By the end, he's even willing to ritually murder her.
- Big Damn Heroes: Molly and Trudi arrive, along with the police, to stop the ritual sacrifice.
- Bittersweet Ending: The police show up right in the nick of time to stop the ritual murder, and Bill is arrested, but Silvie is traumatized by a lifetime of his abuse, in a way that still shapes her narration - she describes it as "her fault" that he got arrested. That said, her burgeoning friendship/romance with Molly suggests that there's hope for her yet.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Trudi, a cashier at the supermarket Molly and Silvie stop at in the middle of the story, invites them to swing by her house if they get sick of their expedition. Molly takes her up on it, and Silvie doesn't. She's part of the group that stops the ritual sacrifice.
- Distant Prologue: The prologue is set thousands of years before the beginning of the novel, detailing a bog sacrifice.
- Domestic Abuse: Bill is just as abusive to Alison, his wife, as he is to his daughter, to the point where she's become a meek, compliant shell of a person.
- Embarrassing First Name: Silvie is short for Sulevia, the name of an ancient Celtic goddess, as her father wanted her to have a "proper British name."
- Extreme Doormat: After years of abuse from her husband, Alison has become this. She quietly does the housework, never dares to defy Bill, and seems to have no passions or opinions of her own.
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Downplayed. When it comes to the history of ancient Britain, Bill is a very enthusiastic amateur, and he knows a great deal about it. However, that knowledge is colored by his own biases, reinforcing his view of ancient Britain as a sensible, patriarchal society unified against foreign invaders. Professor Slade debunks a few of his views in a way that clearly embarrasses and angers him.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: The "ghost wall," which the ancient Britons would build to ward off spiritual enemies. The men of the expedition build their own version of it, which they quickly become obsessed with, and after its building they become willing to ritually sacrifice Silvie. That said, it's unclear if it's just a manifestation of their unraveling mental state or if there's something else going on.
- Oop North: The Hamptons are from northern England, with the typical accent and speech patterns. This serves as a contrast with the comparatively posh archeology class, and Silvie has a bit of a chip on her shoulder about it.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: In addition to his misogyny, Bill is xenophobic and racist, casually using ethnic slurs and lionizing Britain's battles against foreign invaders.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Professor Slade initially plays this straight: he's friendly and understanding to his students and Silvie, and doesn't mind if they indulge in modern life a little bit. By the end, however, he's become as fixated on the Ghost Wall and the ancient world as Bill, and he goes along with the ritual sacrifice.
