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The Third Epoch: Part 1, Chapter 10
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
Walter writes to Marian to tell her of Sir Percival’s death. He asks her to keep this from Laura for the time being because of Laura’s fragile mental health. He stays in Welmingham for the inquest into the fire but is dismissed quickly as a stranger in the village. His own belief is that Sir Percival Glyde broke into the vestry to destroy the forgery which he committed in the marriage register. Walter believes that the fire started by accident, and that Sir Percival found himself locked in because of the broken lock. His body is identified by his watch, which has his name engraved on it.
Here is another connection between a piece of physical written evidence (Sir Percival’s engraved watch) and a public identity that turns out to be false. Sir Percival will be remembered on his tomb and his death certificate as the Baronet of Blackwater, even though this is not his legal identity. This mirrors the written evidence on Laura’s tombstone which wrongly marks the grave as belonging to Laura. This supports Collins’s thesis that the supposed facts do not always reflect the truth of events, even if they are backed up by official records.
Themes
Walter is disheartened by the fire because it has destroyed the evidence of Sir Percival’s illegitimacy, which would have helped Walter in his mission to win Laura her name and fortune back.
Although Walter is glad that Laura and Marian are no longer in danger from Sir Percival, the destruction of the evidence means that he cannot publicly or legally dispute Sir Percival’s reputation as a nobleman, and people will be even less likely to take Laura’s side over a presumably respectable man after his death.
Themes
Literary Devices
Walter must stay in Welmingham for the term of his bail and considers going to see Mrs. Catherick again. The thought of her is repulsive to him, however, and he decides not to. When he arrives back at his hotel one night, he finds that he has a letter from her and he places this letter into the story now, word for word.
Walter may be able to get some more evidence from Mrs. Catherick about Sir Percival’s secret, which Mrs. Catherick knew all along.
Themes
