Wilkie Collins regularly explores binaries in The Woman in White. During Walter Hartright’s initial encounter with Miss Marian Halcombe, one such exploration is depicted as Miss Halcombe lists the ways that she and her sister, Laura Fairlie, differ from each other:
My father was a poor man, and Miss Fairlie’s father was a rich man. I have got nothing, and she has a fortune. I am dark and ugly, and she is fair and pretty. Everybody thinks me crabbed and odd (with perfect justice); and everybody thinks her sweet-tempered and charming (with more justice still). In short, she is an angel; I am—Try some of that marmalade, Mr. Hartright, and finish the sentence, in the name of female propriety, for yourself. (37)
The picture that Marian paints of herself is admittedly bleak. She is “dark and ugly” while her sister is “fair and pretty.” She grew up “poor” and remains so now while her sister “has a fortune.” Unlike Laura, Marian is thought to be “crabbed and odd” and decidedly unpleasant while Laura is “sweet-tempered and charming.” Marian even goes so far as to say that Laura “is an angel” while intentionally refusing to outwardly state what Laura’s presumed “divinity” would make her based on the binary that she has presented thus far: a demon. The negative way that Marian views herself when placed up against her sister seems to suggest that she has internalized society’s views of what it means to be the perfect lady (as embodied by Laura), and she has found herself decidedly lacking according to society’s standards. Marian’s internalized negative self-image is emphasized by the asides she includes in her speech, where she argues that the dispositions that she and Laura have been labeled with are perfectly justifiable. However, what I find so interesting about Marian’s introduction is that she does not attempt to share this view with Hartwright to garner sympathy; rather, she treats her perception of herself and her sister as fact. Here, Collins seems to present the tension between the complexity of feelings and the narrative structure that he has chosen for his text (that of a strict recording of facts, much like a court document). Marian elaborates on this tension, explicitly stating that despite the reason for it appearing to be “unaccountable,” she and Laura “are honestly fond of each other” (37). Thus, Marian makes clear that despite the way that she and her sister seem binarily opposed to each other, they are in fact as close as two people can be. Therefore, I would argue that implicit in Marian’s assertion is the notion that perhaps the binaries that Collins presents in The Woman in White are not as clear-cut as they seem, and by extension, neither are the characters that they attempt to categorize.
Joyce, this is a great post! I’m interested in your thoughts on how Anne Catherick fits into the binary you’ve suggested. Outwardly, Anne and Laura share an “ominous likeness” (Collins 62). Inwardly, however, the two women seem to be complete opposites. Laura is composed, demure, and steadfast, whereas Anne is wild, forthright, and flighty. By Hartright’s estimation, Anne is a “shadow,” while Laura is a “bright creature” (62). These two images are also diametrically opposed. Does this mean Anne tends to be more akin to Marian? Or, rather, does Anne once again demonstrate the limitations of binary thinking?
I think that this is a really great idea, and it also makes me think about the comparisons made between Laura Fairlie and Anne Catherick, and how while they are mostly describing the similarities between them, there is still a sense of something binary in their relationship to each other. In some ways I think that Anne is presented as everything Laura is not- rash, overly neurotic, and hyper-focused on the past. For example, I always thought it was interesting that Anne talked of the late Mrs. Fairlie far more than Laura did- her nostalgia balances out Laura’s seeming indifference. At the same time, there are such striking similarities between the two, that it is hard to place them in a binary manner, showcasing this less clear-cut idea that you mentioned.