Rissah K - The Woman in White Reading Blog - no spoilers

    People who read The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins will find themselves facing more than a straightforward Victorian mystery. The character Anne Catherick created the most frightening and unforgettable experience in the novel. From her very first appearance alone at night and dressed entirely in white, she feels less like a normal person and more like a living secret. The story presents her as delicate and unusual, yet her character develops into a vital part of the narrative who demonstrates how society overlooks people who lack power. 

    The gradual development of Anne Catherick's character importance through Collins's writing makes her character appealing to audiences. The characters who interact with her character believe she exhibits mental illness which triggers immediate response from readers who want to understand society treatment towards people who differ from established social standards. Walter Hartright is one of the few characters who listens to her and treats her with kindness, and through his perspective, we see that Anne is not dangerous or foolish, but instead frightened and desperate. The information she possesses about Sir Percival Glyde reveals her understanding of forbidden knowledge which creates suspense and draws readers to discover the hidden information she possesses. 

    The character of Anne serves as a major force that advances the novel's exploration of identity throughout the story. The character shares physical traits with another character which leads to disturbing events that occur throughout the story. The novel demonstrates that identity involves more than personal identity because it also includes the labels which others use to identify you. The absence of social power makes Anne Catherick susceptible to exploitation by others, which Collins uses to demonstrate how Victorian society employed the label of madness to silence women through mental illness classification. 

    The character of Anne Catherick remained in my mind after I finished reading the book. Her presence in the story remains constant although she does not appear throughout the entire plot.