Author: djungelskog

“I had taken Anne to the north with me; having my whims and fancies, occasionally, about my child, and getting, at times, jealous of Mrs. Clements’s influence over her. I never liked Mrs. Clements…and I was, now and then, not averse to plaguing her by taking Anne away. Not knowing what else to do with my girl… I put her to school in Limmerridge. The Lady of the manor, Mrs. Fairlie… amused me wonderfully, by taking a violent fancy to my girl. The consequence was, she learnt nothing at school, and was petted and spoilt at Limmeridge House. …They put some nonsense into her head about always wearing white. Hating white and liking colors myself, I was determined to take that nonsense out of her head as soon as we got home again.” (Collins 535)

This passage from Mrs. Catherick’s letter to Walter emphasizes the unequal and superficial nature of her relationship with Anne as well as establishing the self interest that drives her character. This is presented through the excessive use of commas and denigrating terms that she uses to describe other’s affection for Anne.

First, the excessive use of commas in the first sentence of the passage disrupt the sentence’s flow and implies that for Mrs. Catherick, admitting jealousy over someone she dislikes and considers beneath her, deeply hurts her pride to admit. The pauses of the commas in turn are read as empathic pauses or slow and careful formulation of thoughts. Both imply a truth that she is not willing to admit. In contrast, if the admittance of jealousy had a continuous uninterrupted flow, it would signify it as a comfortable truth that has no underlying negative association through how easy and smooth the formulation of phrasing for the sentence would be. 

Mrs. Catherick continues the depiction of her lack of affection for Anne by describing Mrs. Farlie’s affection and care for her as “violent fancy”. This phrase undermines and downplays the sincerity and depth of their connection through “violent” and “fancy”’s shared association with a sense of uncontrolled irrational judgement. Through this, she implies affection for her daughter as irrational. She cannot understand why Mrs. Fairlie would hold such affection for Anne and is only interested in maintaining and having “influence” over her daughter. In fact, she blames Mrs. Fairlie for causing Anne’s “horrible” attachment to only wearing white. She dismisses something that brings Anne comfort for her own preference for colors and indicates through this that she is not interested in knowing Anne, but rather in controlling her. 

Lastly, Mrs. Catherick’s negative portrayal of the pseudo maternal figures’s care indicates that she views her daughter as beneath her, similar to the way that she would view an animal or a pet. Her pointed use of “petted and spoilt” to describe Anne’s treatment at Limmeridge along with her attempts to control the focus of Anne’s affections and the way she dresses is reminiscent of the way that one would talk about and treat a pet. Specifically, petted is a term that one would very rarely use to describe another human being as the action can be a demeaning way of showing affection for an equal. While wanting control over the education and treatment of her daughter can fit into expectations of parenthood, the desire for control over appearance and affection, along with the usage of “petted” indicates that her interest is on a more superficial level. The jealousy she feels isn’t due to desire for familial love but rather stems from her desire for control, respect and attention. The repeated use of “My girl” and “my child” also supports this claim through the emphasis on possession and control created by repetition of the phrases. She claims possession in response to the care of Mrs. Fairlie and Mrs. Clements, and uses it as a reminder of her parental control over Anne. 

Through sentence flow, usage of phrasing that diminishes Anne and implies affection for her daughter as irrational, Mrs. Catherick repeatedly emphasizes that her only concern is her power and influence. This understanding of character shows how the intensity of her commitment to reputation drive her actions and character in the plot and brings her to callously disregard the harm caused to others .

“…she was fond of white in her lifetime; and here is white stone about her grave- and I am making it whiter for her sake. She often wore white herself and always dressed her daughter in white. Is Miss Fairlie well and happy? Does she wear white now, as she used to when she was a girl?” (Collins 102). 

In this conversation between Anne and Walter at the graveyard, the repetition of white works in conjunction with the flow of the passage emphasizes the emotional weight of the basis for Anne’s focus on warning Laura of the betrothal’s reality. First, repetition of “white” along with the color being connected to markers of Mrs. Fairlie’s life and death (the color of her grave) shows the emotional significance that color had for her. It was a constant throughout much of her life to the end of it, showing the depth of her fondness for it. By dressing both Anne and Laura in the color, she marks her deep affection for the girls. It connects something she loves to the people she loves. This establishes why Anne cares so much about warning Laura of the true nature of her betrothed. Mrs. Fairlie’s monumental impact on Anne’s life leads her to protecting her daughter as repayment for the love and understanding that she showed Anne. Furthermore, the use of assertive sentences adds to this sense of strong will and attachment to her ambition as the flow of them gives the feeling of leaving no space for pushing against her in this. 

The flow of sentences and repetition of white in the passage is broken by Anne asking if Laura is “well and happy” (Collins 102). The phrasing of the question gives a sense of child-like hope and care through the use of simplistic adjectives and phrasing. The question is short and only asks about Laura’s sense of “happiness” which is often a concern of and similar to questions that children ask. Of course, adults can have similar inquiries but their phrasing of them is complicated by the focus on status and the constant awareness of the harsh nature of reality that comes with adulthood. 

Anne also further emphasizes the connection between happiness and white in her mind with the second question. After asking about Laura’s wellbeing, she asks if she continues wearing white in the present, a color that represents the innocence and joy of childhood. The back-to-back questions along with the continued mention of white brings a sense of slight frantic energy from Anne as it shows the significance of white as the emotional basis for her actions and questions. 

The flow of the passage’s phrasing and structure along with the recurrence of white’s significance provides greater understanding of the history and values of that direct Anne and her great focus on preventing Laura’s marriage. With this, the emotional basis and dramatic tone of the novel is heightened.