THE WOMEN IN THE WHITE : ANNOTATED

WOMEN IN WHITE
The events described in the novel take place in the 1850s in England. A young painter from London, Walter Hartright, secures a position as an art teacher at Limmeridge House in Cumberland, which belongs to Frederick Fairlie. On a hot summer night prior to his departure, Walter meets a very strange woman on the empty street, who is dressed in a completely white dress. The woman in white shows a sudden agitation when Walter explains about his new job, but also speaks with love about Mrs. Fairlie, the late owner of Limmeridge House. Walter helps the strange woman to catch a cab, only to encounter two men looking for a “woman in white,” who has escaped from a mental asylum.
Upon his arrival at Limmeridge, Walter meets those residing there: Marian Halcombe, a daughter of the late Mrs. Fairlie from her first marriage, her sister Laura Fairlie, and Laura’s bachelor uncle, Frederick Fairlie. Walter tells Marian about the strange woman he met in London. Intrigued, Marian finds mention of a girl named Anne Catherick in her mother’s letters. Mrs. Fairlie became attached to the little Anne because of her resemblance to Laura, and Anne in her turn became attached to Mrs. Fairlie. Meanwhile, Laura and Walter fall in love, but Walter is devastated to learn that Laura is already engaged to Sir Percival Glyde, the owner of Blackwater Park in Hampshire, a wealthy and respected person. The engagement was arranged at the request of Laura’s father prior to his death, and she therefore considers herself bound to honor it, despite her love for Walter, and increasing sinister hints about Sir Percival, which suggest he had some connection to Anne Catherick, and may have been responsible for placing her in the asylum. Because of his grief and love for Laura, Walter leaves Limmeridge and departs for Central America.