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The First Epoch: Part 2, Chapter 1
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
Mr. Gilmore spends the next few days at Limmeridge with Laura, Marian, and Sir Percival, who remains cheerful and lively despite Laura’s continued disinterest in him. On Tuesday morning, Sir Percival visits Todd’s Corner to enquire about Anne and, on Wednesday, a letter arrives from Mrs. Catherick which corroborates Sir Percival’s story about her daughter.
Mr. Gilmore feels that Sir Percival is a patient and good-natured man who tolerates Laura’s treatment of him, which Mr. Gilmore feels is sulky and unnecessary. The letter from Mrs. Catherick seems to support this and prove Sir Percival’s version of events.
Themes
Marian approaches Mr. Gilmore when they are alone in the library and concedes that they have done everything they can to investigate Sir Percival. Mr. Gilmore is irritated that she seems to want more proof of Sir Percival’s innocence after what has already been provided, and thinks that Marian just dislikes him. Marian denies this and tells him that Sir Percival has taken her aside and told her that, if Laura wishes to break off the engagement, then she must feel free to do so.
Mr. Gilmore believes that Marian has a personal bias against Sir Percival. He feels that she is looking for evidence, despite the fact that Sir Percival has proved his innocence, to implicate him in an injustice that he did not commit. Mr. Gilmore does not examine his own potential bias in favor of Sir Percival.
Themes
Mr. Gilmore insists that this is perfectly reasonable of him. Marian, however, feels that this is an impossible thing to ask of Laura as Laura is an extremely honorable person and will never willingly give up her father’s dying wish, which was that she should marry Sir Percival. Mr. Gilmore feels that either Marian and Laura are being flighty and fickle or that they have a secret reason for rejecting the marriage.
Mr. Gilmore feels that Sir Percival has been very patient and transparent with Laura, who he feels is teasing Sir Percival and leading him on unfairly. He believes that he genuinely wants to release Laura from her engagement if she does not wish to marry him. Marian, however, feels that Sir Percival is manipulating Laura. She thinks he is using what he knows about Laura’s loyalty to her father against her by implying that if she does not want to marry him, she must go against her father’s wishes.
Themes
Later that day, Laura decides that she would like to postpone the marriage and sends Marian to speak to Sir Percival on this matter. Mr. Gilmore is put out because he must arrange the marriage settlement with Laura before the wedding and will not easily find another opportunity to come to Limmeridge if the marriage is postponed. Sir Percival, however, accepts Laura’s request.
Mr. Gilmore wishes to give Laura as much legal power as possible in her marriage and wants to draw up the marriage settlement with her in person so that she is happy with it. He does not wish to draw the settlement up remotely where he cannot be sure that Laura agrees with what is being arranged for her. This shows that Mr. Gilmore sincerely cares about Laura’s happiness and wants to protect her from losing her power in the marriage, which was a significant concern for Victorian women.
Themes
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Mr. Gilmore goes to speak to Laura alone before he returns to London. He finds her rather melancholy, looking through a sketchbook of drawings in her room, and speaks very kindly to her about her wedding. He tells her that, since he may not be able to come to Limmeridge again, that she should tell him her wishes now, so that he may draw up the marriage settlement remotely if necessary. He tells her that she must decide on arrangements for her inheritance, which she will receive when she comes of age.
The sketchbook belonged to Walter and this suggests that Laura misses Walter and regrets that she cannot be with him. Mr. Gilmore makes it clear to Laura that he is trying to protect her financially as she enters her marriage. As women did not have as many rights as men, it was easy for men to control their wives’ money and assets in a marriage.
Themes
To his surprise, Laura begs him not to let her be parted from Marian even if she is married. Mr. Gilmore tells her that this is a private matter and that the marriage settlement is for her to decide who she will leave her inheritance to in the event of her death. Laura announces that she wishes to leave it all to Marian and one other person whom she does not name. When Mr. Gilmore presses her on this, she breaks down in tears and he gently tells her that they will drop the subject for the day. Mr. Gilmore then departs for London, feeling that, despite his personal admiration for Sir Percival Glyde, he would rather do anything than allow him to marry Laura Fairlie since the prospect seems to make her so unhappy.
Mr. Gilmore feels that Laura’s worries about leaving Marian are unnecessary. He likes Sir Percival and believes he would not wish to separate the sisters, as it would make Laura so unhappy. He also has no power to influence Sir Percival in this matter, as it is not a legal one. Mr. Gilmore is surprised that Laura would like to leave all her money to Marian rather than her husband, and is confused and saddened by Laura’s lack of affection towards Sir Percival. Although he likes him personally, Mr. Gilmore would like to protect Laura from marrying a man she clearly does not love.
Themes
