Literary Devices:
Allusion:
An allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. They might refer to other books, famous people, historical events, or big ideas. This helps add extra meaning to their own work by connecting it to these other things.
Explanation and Analysis—Life Like Smooth Stream:
In the novel “The Woman in White” Walter describes his time in Cumberland with Laura and Marian as being very pleasant and easy, like a smooth stream where everything flows calmly. He uses this simile to show how happy and relaxed he feels during these months.
However, he also hints that trouble is coming. He compares his carefree time to a swimmer floating down a calm stream, but with a warning that dangerous rocks are ahead. Although everything seems peaceful and he has pushed away any worries or fears, he is actually getting closer to a dangerous situation without realizing it. This simile helps show the contrast between the calmness of his current life and the upcoming danger that he is not yet aware of.
Dramatic Irony:
Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that a character in a story does not. This helps create tension and add layers to the plot.
Explanation and Analysis—Fairlie Meets Fosco:
In one chapter of the book, Mr. Fairlie writes a letter where he talks about his meeting with Count Fosco. Mr. Fairlie thinks that Count Fosco has come to ask him for money because he is a foreigner and Mr. Fairlie does not trust foreigners. This is an example of dramatic irony. The audience knows that Mr. Fairlie’s suspicion is actually true, even though he doesn’t realize it. Count Fosco and Sir Percival are indeed plotting to get Laura’s inheritance, which involves money.
Mr. Fairlie’s first impression of Count Fosco was that he must be asking for money. He even suggests to his servant Louis that they should give the Count five shillings to make him leave. Louis is surprised and points out that Count Fosco looks very rich and well-dressed, which makes Mr. Fairlie’s assumption seem a bit silly.
Ethos:
Ethos is one of the three main ways to persuade an audience, along with logos (logic) and pathos (emotion). Ethos focuses on the credibility and authority of the speaker or writer. When someone has a high position, is an expert, or has relevant experience, they use ethos to show they are trustworthy and knowledgeable.
Explanation and Analysis—Credentials of Narrators:
In the novel, whenever a new narrator appears, they use ethos to show why their perspective is important. They might share their background, expertise, or experiences to convince readers that they are reliable and their views matter. This helps the readers trust what the narrators are saying and understand their role in the story.
Foil:
A foil is a character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight particular qualities or differences between them. The differences between the two characters make each one’s traits stand out more clearly.
Explanation and Analysis—Sisters:
Marian and Laura are foils, meaning they are very different from each other in many ways. Marian and Laura are half-sisters, but they have almost opposite qualities. Laura fits the ideal Victorian image of a beautiful and virtuous woman, while Marian does not. Marian is described as dark and plain, and she has a tough personality, while Laura is fair, pretty, and sweet-tempered.
Marian herself points out these differences when she first meets Walter. She explains that, although they are both orphans, they are very different in every way. Marian’s family was poor, while Laura’s family was wealthy. Marian has no money, but Laura has a fortune. Marian feels that people see her as awkward and unfriendly, while they view Laura as charming and kind. Marian knows that Laura is seen as an angel, and she feels very different from that ideal.
Forshadowing:
Foreshadowing is a way writers hint at things that will happen later in a story. It can be done by directly telling readers what will happen or by giving small clues. For example, if a story mentions a gun hanging on a wall early on, it’s likely that the gun will be used later in the story.
Explanation and Analysis—Dreams:
In The Woman in White, dreams play a big role. The main female characters all have dreams and share them with each other or the reader. These dreams give hints about what will happen later in the story and help build suspense. By talking about their dreams, the characters are giving clues about future events, making the story more exciting and keeping readers guessing.
Hyperbole:
Hyperbole is when someone makes an exaggerated statement to make a point, not to be taken literally. For example, saying “My backpack weighs a ton” doesn’t mean the backpack actually weighs a ton. It just means it feels very heavy.
Explanation and Analysis—Mr. Fairlie’s Nerves:
In The Woman in White, even though the story is suspenseful and intense, it has funny characters and moments. Mr. Frederick Fairlie is one such character who provides comic relief. He often describes himself in exaggerated terms, saying he’s “a bundle of nerves dressed up to look like a man.” This hyperbole helps show how nervous and dramatic Mr. Fairlie is, adding humor to the story.
Imagery:
Imagery is descriptive language that helps readers experience a scene through their senses, like sight, touch, sound, and movement. For example, in Robert Frost’s poem “After Apple-Picking,” imagery lets readers feel the ladder swaying and hear the rumbling sound of apples being collected.
Explanation and Analysis—Woman in White:
In The Woman in White, the most important imagery comes from the character in the title. The title suggests that someone dressed in white will play a big role in the story. When Walter walks through London at night, he meets a woman dressed entirely in white. He describes her in detail: her face is pale and sharp, her eyes are serious and attentive, and her hair is a light, brownish-yellow. She carries a small bag, and her white clothing looks simple and not very fancy. This imagery helps set the tone for her mysterious and central role in the novel.
Irony:
Irony is when things turn out to be very different from what they seem. It comes in three types: verbal irony (saying one thing but meaning another), dramatic irony (when the audience knows something that the characters do not), and situational irony (when what actually happens is the opposite of what was expected).
Explanation and Analysis—Anne Catherick’s Grave:
Anne Catherick’s story is tragic because she wishes to be buried next to Mrs. Fairlie after her death. She feels this can never happen due to her troubled life. Ironically, the villains, Sir Percival and Count Fosco, ensure her wish comes true. They take advantage of her mental state and loneliness to achieve their own goals, leading her to be buried exactly where she wanted.
When Walter first meets Anne at Mrs. Fairlie’s grave, she expresses her deep wish to be buried with Mrs. Fairlie. She speaks these heartfelt words to the grave, showing her longing to be close to the dead woman she admires.
Logos:
Logos is a way of persuading people by using logic and reason. It involves presenting facts, data, or clear explanations to make a point. For example, if someone talks about scientific research, explains their argument step-by-step, or provides historical details to support their view, they are using logos.
Explanation and Analysis—Credentials of Narrators:
In the novel, whenever a new narrator, especially a minor one, comes into the story, they use logos, ethos, or pathos to show their importance and credibility. They might use logical arguments (logos), emphasize their own reliability or expertise (ethos), or appeal to the reader’s emotions (pathos) to make their role in the story clear and convincing.
Metaphor:
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. For example, saying “Time is a thief” means that time takes away moments from our lives, not that time is actually a thief.
Explanation and Analysis—A Literary Trial:
In the novel, the narrators talk about their story as if it were a trial. They see themselves as witnesses and defendants, and the idea of law and justice is very important. The novel uses this metaphor of a trial to show how the story unfolds. The detailed writing and careful presentation of events make the novel feel like a legal case being examined.
Paradox:
A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself, but when you look closer, you find some truth or reason behind it.
Explanation and Analysis—Marian’s Feminism:
Marian’s character shows several paradoxes. She is an unmarried woman who doesn’t want to marry but feels powerless as a single woman in her society. Although she criticizes the weaknesses and lack of depth in women, she deeply loves her sister Laura. Marian says she doesn’t have the qualities to be a caregiver or mother, yet she takes on the role of a mother figure to Laura and excels in it.
Pathos:
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three “modes of persuasion” in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is an argument that appeals to an audience’s emotions. When a speaker tells a personal story, presents an audience with a powerful visual image, or appeals to an audience’s sense of duty or purpose in order to influence listeners’ emotions in favor of adopting the speaker’s point of view, he or she is using pathos.
Explanation and Analysis—Credentials of Narrators:
In The Woman in White, when new narrators take over the story, especially those who aren’t main characters, they often use different techniques to convince the reader that their version of events is trustworthy. Sometimes they use logos, which means they provide logical reasons or evidence to back up their claims.
Other times, they use ethos, where they highlight their own credibility or authority on the matter. And in some cases, they use pathos, appealing to the reader’s emotions to make their account more persuasive. By sharing personal experiences, emotions, or even using vivid imagery, these narrators aim to connect with the reader on an emotional level, making their story feel more compelling and believable. This blend of strategies helps build a more convincing and engaging narrative.
Personification:
Personification is a way of using language to give human qualities to non-human things. For example, if someone says, “The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans,” they are using personification. Rain can’t actually feel or show indifference like a human can, but saying it is “indifferent” makes the rain seem uncaring and emphasizes how it ruined the wedding plans.
Explanation and Analysis—Destiny as Puppet Master:
In The Woman in White, Count Fosco uses personification and metaphor to explain how he sees the world and human life. After he and Madame Fosco leave at the end of the third part of the Third Epoch, the story shifts to a narrative that Count Fosco writes for Walter. In this narrative, he compares humans to puppets, suggesting that we are all controlled by a powerful force he calls “Destiny.” He imagines Destiny as a puppet master who controls our lives by pulling our strings, determining everything we do. By personifying Destiny in this way, Fosco expresses the idea that our lives are not fully in our control, and we are at the mercy of larger, unstoppable forces.
Simile:
A simile is a way of comparing two different things using the words “like” or “as.” This comparison helps to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind by showing how one thing is similar to another, even if they are not alike in reality.
Explanation and Analysis—Noise Like a Knife:
The first time Walter meets Mr. Fairlie, the reader also gets introduced to him. This meeting shows that Mr. Fairlie is extremely nervous, overly dramatic, and very focused on himself. As Mr. Fairlie says goodbye to Walter, he uses a simile to describe how even a small noise affects him greatly. He says that the slightest noise “goes through me like a knife.”
This comparison exaggerates his sensitivity, making it clear that even a little sound feels painfully sharp to him, just like being cut by a knife. This simile helps to highlight how delicate and overly sensitive Mr. Fairlie is, showing the reader his exaggerated and fragile nature.
Parallelism:
Laura Fairlie and Anne Catherick are presented as very similar characters. They look almost identical, making them seem like doubles of each other. Walter first meets Anne but later falls in love with Laura. Even though he may not realize it, his feelings for Laura might be connected to his earlier feelings for Anne.
Anne’s emotional pain and time in the asylum hint at the struggles Laura will later face, making Anne a kind of mirror image of Laura. The story suggests that Laura’s marriage is like a prison, similar to the asylum that Anne was locked in. This comparison shows how Laura’s marriage drains her emotionally, leading to memory loss and a weakened state, just like what happened to Anne.
In the end, it’s revealed that Laura and Anne are actually half-sisters, explaining their physical similarities and shared experiences. However, Laura has a happier ending because she was born into a wealthy and privileged family, while Anne’s life is much harder due to her upbringing in poverty with little support.
Metonymy and Synecdoche:
Marian Halcombe uses metonymy, a figure of speech, when she talks about being a “slave to patience and petticoats.” Here, “petticoats” represent the traditional gender roles that women were forced into during the Victorian era. Petticoats are also a synecdoche, meaning they are just one part of the larger restrictions placed on women, like the lack of access to education and career opportunities.
Situational Irony:
Anne Catherick is a tragic character in the story because her deepest wish is to be buried next to Mrs. Fairlie, a woman she deeply admires. While she is alive, both Anne and the reader believe that this wish will never come true. However, in an ironic twist, the evil actions of Sir Percival and Count Fosco actually make it possible for her wish to be fulfilled. These villains take advantage of Anne’s mental struggles and loneliness for their own gain, but in doing so, they ensure that she is buried exactly where she wanted to be—next to Mrs. Fairlie.
When Walter meets Anne Catherick for the second time, he finds her at Mrs. Fairlie’s grave. In this moment, Anne expresses her deepest desire to be at rest with Mrs. Fairlie. She whispers her wish to the grave, saying, “Oh, if I could die, and be hidden and at rest with you!” This shows how much Anne longs for peace and how strong her connection is to Mrs. Fairlie, even after death.
Verbal irony:
Verbal irony happens when someone says something, but they actually mean the opposite. For example, if there’s a big storm outside and someone says, “What beautiful weather we’re having,” they don’t really mean it’s nice. They’re using verbal irony to show that the weather is actually very bad.
Explanation and Analysis:
In The Woman in White, the story takes place in different locations across England. The main places are London, Limmeridge (in the north of England), Blackwater (in the south), and the countryside around these estates.
Limmeridge is linked with happy memories, safety, and love. It’s where Laura has a joyful childhood. On the other hand, Blackwater represents danger, illness, and fear. After Laura marries Sir Percival, she and Marian move from the familiar and safe Limmeridge to the far-off and threatening Blackwater. This shift in setting highlights the dramatic change in Laura’s life, from a place of comfort to one filled with secrets and trouble.
