The Woman in White*

*Note: I only read 40 pages..

Part of me believes that Walter Hartright’s heart is in the right place when he starts to question his own actions: “What had I done? Assisted the victim of the most horrible of all false imprisonments to escape; or cast loose on the wide world of London an unfortunate creature, whose actions it was my duty, and every man’s duty, mercifully to control?” Then again, he is arguing that it is every man’s duty to mercifully control women which, to give him the benefit of the doubt, is likely what he was raised to believe, and he may not understand any differently. But he could also use some critical thinking skills and realise that women are humans too. “Or was she still capable of controlling her own actions?” Yes, she was capable of controlling her own actions as a woman, but that does not mean she possesses autonomy over them. What needs to be asked here is whether he thinks this way because she has “escaped” from an asylum or because of her gender.

I fear that his attitude towards Marian Halcombe suggests her gender is at least part of it. He initially looks upon her as an object, something to be desired and lusted over by him: “The instant my eyes rested on her, I was struck by the rare beauty of her form, and by the unaffected grace of her attitude.” His admiration quickly changes when he realises that her face is not attractive to him. (Listen, I am not saying that you cannot have preferences regarding what you find attractive, but Hartright does not express it this way.) He decides that she lacks the feminine qualities “without which the beauty of the handsomest woman alive is beauty incomplete.” It does not matter that she is “bright, frank, and intelligent”; her intelligence simply becomes secondary to whether she is physically desirable to him.

It seems that Halcombe understands this and has internalised the misogyny that surrounds her daily: “We are such fools, we can’t entertain each other at table. You see I don’t think much of my own sex.” This could be an attempt to fit in despite her supposed lack of beauty and the masculine qualities attributed to her. Her rejection of her own sex may also function as a form of self-protection. By separating herself from other women, she makes herself more acceptable within a society that respects her intelligence only by treating her as an exception to womanhood. (Hey, I get it. I used to pretend to be one of the lads before I realised it was okay to be feminine and not everyone’s type.) Personally, however, I would argue that a woman can be masculine and beautiful.