Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Woman in White, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Evidence and Law
Morality, Crime, and Punishment
Identity and Appearance
Marriage and Gender
Class, Industry, and Social Place
Summary
Analysis
When Walter arrives at Mrs. Clements’ house, she is desperate to find out if he knows where Anne is. Walter sadly informs her that he does not think Anne will ever be found alive, and the poor old lady is very distressed by this news. Despite this, she agrees to try and help Walter and tells him what happened when she and Anne left Todd’s Corner. First, they returned to London, but Anne was so afraid of being found by Sir Percival that they left for the rural town of Grimsby. Anne became ill while they were there and remained ill for several weeks.
Walter does not want to tell Mrs. Clements about his suspicions in case she is approached by Sir Percival and Count Fosco and cannot keep his plans a secret. However, he feels sorry for her and does not want to give her false hope, so he implies that Anne is probably dead. Mrs. Clements confirms that Anne’s heart problems started before her death in London, so she probably died of natural causes.
Themes
When Anne recovered, she became obsessed with going to Blackwater to speak to Laura. Mrs. Clements eventually agreed to take her, and the pair rented a house in a village nearby. Mrs. Clements tried to keep their visit a secret, but Anne insisted on walking to Blackwater several times to speak to Laura at the boathouse. The long walks exhausted Anne and she became ill again and could not meet with Laura at the time they had arranged, so Mrs. Clements agreed to go to the boathouse for her.
Anne was clearly a very compassionate and well-meaning person and was desperate to warn Laura about Sir Percival, even if she could not help Laura in any other way and even if she did herself damage in the process. Anne’s loyalty to Mrs. Fairlie is also evident in her determination to help Laura.
Themes
When she got there, she did not find Laura but an overweight man who said that he had been sent by Laura to receive a message. Mrs. Clements told him that she was the person he should give the message to, and the man told her that Laura wanted Anne to leave Hampshire as soon as possible, for her own safety, and go to London, where Laura would meet her. Mrs. Clements lamented that Anne was ill and could not easily travel, and the man said that he was a doctor and would visit Anne for her.
Mrs. Clements is not a suspicious person and does not suspect the man she meets, who is obviously Count Fosco. Count Fosco orchestrates Anne’s return to London so that he can take her to his house, where he expects her to die, and complete his plan to fake Laura’s death. Count Fosco is extremely devious and reacts spontaneously to each new piece of information he receives. His decision to pretend to be a doctor is opportunistic and takes advantage of Mrs. Clements’s naivety.
Themes
The man was shocked when he saw Anne’s condition and went out to secure her some medicine, which worked wonders, Mrs. Clements says. Mrs. Clements and Anne met the man and his wife again on the train to London. After Anne and Mrs. Clements had been in London for a few days, the man’s wife came to their house and told Mrs. Clements that she had been sent by Laura, who was at a hotel nearby. Mrs. Clements agreed to go with the woman to see Laura, but halfway there, the lady exited the carriage to go to a shop and did not return. When Mrs. Clements returned home, Anne was gone, and Mrs. Clements was told that she had been lured out of the house by a letter delivered by a boy. Mrs. Clements went to ask at the asylum, but no one had seen Anne there and Mrs. Clements has not seen her since.
Count Fosco obviously has some knowledge of medicines, as he uses drugs on Laura, Marian, and Anne throughout the story. This demonstrates the eclectic range of his skills and criminal experience. Count Fosco orchestrates Madame Fosco’s visit to London (to fetch a nurse for Marian, as he told Mrs. Michelson) to coincide with Anne’s journey to London. This allows Madame Fosco to recognize Anne and Mrs. Clements and to grow acquainted with them so that she can carry out her role in distracting Mrs. Clements while Count Fosco kidnaps Anne.
Themes
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