The Woman in White

The Woman in White

by

Wilkie Collins

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The Woman in White: The First Epoch: Part 3, Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Marian and Laura are back at Limmeridge House and Marian writes in her diary that her fears have come true; a date has been fixed for the wedding before the end of the year. While they were away in Yorkshire, Sir Percival wrote to Mr. Fairlie and told him that, because of some renovations which need to be carried out on his house in Hampshire, he would like to fix a date for the wedding so that the couple can be settled before this long-term project begins. Mr. Fairlie, therefore, recalls Marian to Limmeridge so that she may negotiate the date with Sir Percival and so that Mr. Fairlie does not have to go to the trouble of arranging it.
The renovation of Sir Percival’s house gives him a convincing reason to marry Laura quickly—before she turns twenty-one and takes possession of part of her inheritance.
Themes
Evidence and Law Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
Just as Marian is about to meet with Sir Percival, Laura momentarily loses her nerve and begs Marian not to set the date for the wedding too soon. Marian says that she will be delighted to postpone the wedding, and that this is a woman’s right. However, Laura holds her back and implores Marian to do her best to please Sir Percival; after all, Laura says, she has caused him so much trouble already. Marian becomes enraged and cries furiously that men tear women away from their loved ones and families and then expect women to think of their peace of mind and the trouble their wives are causing them. Laura soothes Marian, however, and tells her that it is too late and there is no point putting off the inevitable.
Marian is extremely frustrated by the position of women in her society. Although women technically have the right to postpone their weddings, this behavior is frowned upon by society because men’s desires are seen as more important than women’s. Therefore, women are made to feel guilty for asking for things for themselves or trying to protect themselves, and are pressured into acting against their own best interests for the sake of men’s convenience. With this monologue Marian breaks from convention once more.
Themes
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
Quotes
Before Marian leaves the room, Laura asks her falteringly about a letter she received while they were in Yorkshire. Although Laura does not say it, Marian knows she refers to the letter from Walter announcing his departure. Laura begs Marian not to tell Walter the date of her wedding and Marian conceals from her sister that, even if she did write to Walter again, he would not receive the letter on board his ship or in the heart of the South American jungle where his expedition has taken him.
Marian does not want Laura to know that Walter has gone on a dangerous expedition abroad because Laura might, quite reasonably, fear for his safety and become even more distraught.
Themes
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
Furious about the position that Laura has been placed in, and her inability to do anything to prevent the wedding, Marian storms to Mr. Fairlie’s room, bursts inside and shouts at him that Laura agrees to the proposed date—the 22nd of December—then rushes out of the room once more.
Although Marian realizes there is nothing that she can do to stop Laura’s wedding, she refuses to accept her powerlessness gracefully, and is openly hostile and rebellious. This is in keeping with Marian’s more stereotypically masculine character.
Themes
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
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The morning after these events, Marian reads Walter’s letter once more and wonders whether she should burn it because it contains evidence about his love for Laura and his interactions with Anne Catherick. She is concerned about his reports of being followed in London and his final note, which insists that the “mystery” of Anne Catherick is not yet cleared up. In his letter, he implores Marian to do her best to solve it if she ever has the opportunity. Marian decides, in the end, to burn the letter.
Marian burns the letter because she is worried that if it is found, it may damage Laura’s reputation as a married woman. She is also worried that it may implicate Walter in whatever mystery or crime has been committed against Anne Catherick.
Themes
Evidence and Law Theme Icon
Morality, Crime, and Punishment Theme Icon
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
Preparations commence for Laura’s wedding and Laura submits to them all with a remote and despondent resignation. Marian thinks sadly about how different Laura would be if she were getting ready to marry Walter instead of Sir Percival. They receive regular updates from Sir Percival about the renovation of his house and his plans to take Laura on a tour of Rome once they are married. Marian knows that she cannot go with them but hopes that the traveling will be good for Laura and bring her renewed hope for the future. Marian feels strange writing about Laura’s wedding, as though she is not writing about a wedding at all, but about a death.
Marian now regrets sending Walter away and wishes that Laura could be with him instead. Marian feels an even greater sense of foreboding about her sister’s upcoming marriage. She believes that it will separate her from Laura and, therefore, is like a death.
Themes
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
Class, Industry, and Social Place Theme Icon
Laura brightens up temporarily at the prospect of the honeymoon tour but is distraught when she learns that Marian will not go with her. She begs Marian to come but Marian wisely insists that, if she upsets Sir Percival before the wedding, he may not let the sisters live together once Laura is his wife. In a hasty note, Marian says that she always writes negatively about Sir Percival and wonders why she is so prejudiced against him. Perhaps Walter’s bias as a jaded lover and Anne Catherick’s letter have turned her mind unfairly against him. She resolves to try harder to get along with him and see him in a positive light.
Marian is acutely aware of how little power she and Laura have to choose their living arrangements after Laura’s marriage. Marian is obliged to keep Sir Percival happy so that he does not refuse to let her live with her sister after he and Laura are married. Since the wedding is now certain, Marian tries to convince herself to see it as a good thing and to give Sir Percival the benefit of the doubt. After all, she still has no real evidence that he has done anything wrong.
Themes
Evidence and Law Theme Icon
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
As December progresses, the family prepare for the wedding, which will take place in the village church and will be a small private affair with very few guests. Sir Percival arrives on the 17th of December and brings Laura several pieces of jewelry for a wedding present. Marian notices that Laura has developed a dread of being alone or unoccupied. Sir Percival perceives her energy as excitement about the wedding, but Marian can see that her sister is putting on an act and thinks it is horrible to watch.
Laura does not wish to be left alone because she does not want to think about her situation, which she is very unhappy with. She keeps herself occupied all the time so that she will not be miserable. Marian knows her sister well and is able to see through her pretense, while Sir Percival Glyde, who does not know her at all, takes it at face value (or simply doesn’t care).
Themes
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
Marian continues her efforts to write only positive things about Sir Percival in her diary. She notes that he is extremely handsome—although she is not attracted to him—and notes that his only flaws seem to be a habit of snapping at the servants and a constant restlessness which puts her on edge.
Marian does her best not to judge Sir Percival too harshly. She dislikes his irritability, however, and worries that it may be a sign of his true nature underneath the polite public persona which he adopts.
Themes
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marian wakes up the next morning feeling low, and goes for a walk to clear her head. On her way, she meets Sir Percival, who is marching briskly along. He tells her that he has been to Todd’s Corner to enquire after Anne Catherick again. He asks Marian if, by any chance, Walter has heard anything of her. Marian says no and notes that Sir Percival speaks as though he is vexed by this but looks very relieved. Marian tries to convince herself that this is even more evidence of Sir Percival’s virtue—that he is so determined to find a lost, vulnerable woman even when he is preparing to marry another.
Marian believes that Sir Percival is very worried about Anne and is dedicated to finding her because she is the daughter of his old friend. Her suspicions are aroused, however, when she notices that Sir Percival says one thing but looks as though he believes another. This suggests that he is putting on an act and what he says does not reflect his true feelings.
Themes
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marian writes that she is shocked again by Sir Percival’s good nature. She asks him if she will be permitted to live with him and Laura in their new home, and Sir Percival answers enthusiastically that she should. Sir Percival tells Laura and Marian that they will spend part of their honeymoon tour with his friend Count Fosco, the husband of Laura’s aunt, Madame Fosco.
Marian still finds no tangible reason to dislike Sir Percival and continues to reassure herself that he may be a genuinely kind and sincere person who means well towards Laura.
Themes
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
Marian is pleased to hear this, as she feels that, perhaps, the friendship between Sir Percival and Count Fosco will heal the family rift between Laura and her aunt. She remembers her aunt—now Madame Fosco—as an outspoken and vivacious woman and wonders if her husband has calmed her at all. She is quite embarrassed that Laura’s father objected to Count Fosco simply because he is foreign and wonders what sort of man he is. All she knows about him is that he once saved Sir Percival’s life when Sir Percival was attacked in Rome, and that this was the basis of their friendship. She tells herself, determinedly, that she is sure to like him if he is a friend of Sir Percival’s, whom she is making a great effort to view as a friend.
Marian is curious to meet her aunt, who she has not seen for a long time. She is embarrassed by her father’s xenophobic attitude towards Count Fosco. As she is making an effort to give Sir Percival the benefit of the doubt, she also extends this to his friend and tells herself that Count Fosco must be a good man if he once saved Sir Percival’s life.
Themes
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marian’s good intentions towards Sir Percival collapse, and she opens her diary to write that she hates him. She decides this when a number of cards arrive addressed, not to Laura, but to the future Lady Glyde. While Laura is opening them, Sir Percival whispers something in her ear which stops Laura in her tracks and makes her turn pale. Witnessing this, Marian can no longer suppress her hatred of him.
Marian can no longer deny her instinctual hatred of Sir Percival. Marian is a very honest and open person and she decides to trust her judgement, which she has tried to suppress. She can tell from the interaction between Laura and Sir Percival that he is not kind and well-intentioned, and she suspects that he will be a bad husband for Laura.
Themes
Morality, Crime, and Punishment Theme Icon
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
Quotes
As the wedding draws closer, Marian feels her own anxieties—and the anxieties of those around her—increase. She confides in her diary that she has maintained a wild, desperate notion that something will—must—happen to prevent the wedding. Strangely enough, she believes that Sir Percival suspects this too; his agitation increases, and he questions servants who come to the house about their intentions. Laura and Marian remain very gloomy, certain that Laura’s marriage will bring about a terrible separation between them.
Marian is deeply invested in the idea that the wedding cannot proceed. She can see that Sir Percival, on the other hand, is deeply invested in marrying Laura and is terrified that something will happen to prevent it. This suggests that Sir Percival stands to gain a lot from his marriage to Laura. Marian suspects that his motives are not positive and that eventually the marriage will drive the sisters apart.
Themes
Morality, Crime, and Punishment Theme Icon
Identity and Appearance Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon
On the night before the wedding, Marian looks in on Laura while she is sleeping and thinks, sadly, how “friendless” Laura is despite her fortune and position in society. She also thinks of poor Walter, far away on a ship somewhere, and wishes that he was there to help them. The next morning Laura seems calm and prepared. The marriage flies by in a blur and, after Laura and Sir Percival have left, Marian sets her diary aside, exhausted from crying.
Laura is “friendless” because she has no one to protect her. Although she has women in her life like Marian and Mrs. Vesey, who care about her, she knows no one with the social or legal power to protect her from her future husband or from other predatory forces in the world.
Themes
Evidence and Law Theme Icon
Morality, Crime, and Punishment Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Theme Icon