The other main character in the book is Count Fosco. He appears in the story when Laura (now Lady Glyde) returns from her honeymoon with Sir Percival, Count Fosco, and his wife, Madame Fosco. One of the important relationships he has within the book is with Miss Halcombe. At first, Miss Halcombe states that, ‘the man has interested me, has attracted me, has forced me to like him’. As she becomes further acquainted with him, is becomes clear that his favourable exterior is merely a cover, and he is in fact a ‘villain’. This becomes clear in Miss Halcombe’s diary, when she is listening to a conversation, taking place between Sir Percival and Count Fosco.
Sir Percival is another character who creates suspense in his relationship with Count Fosco. The two men are discussing the gain to be made for both of them if Lady Glyde should unexpectedly die, after she has refused to sign a contract allowing them the money. Count Fosco is clearly a scheming man, as even when discussing this, he defends his character, crying passionately, ‘I am a man of the antique type! I am capable of the most exalted acts of virtue. My conception of friendship is sublime!’ This creates suspense, as the reader is unsure which speech my Count Fosco is the most truthful representation of his character. Also, it is not yet clear if he truly intends to harm Lady Glyde for the financial benefit he would gain from this. Clearly Miss Halcombe feels that he does, as she describes herself as ‘a useless, helpless, panic-stricken creature’. The reader is affected by her concern, and is eager to learn the eventual outcome of the situation.
This situation also confuses the reader’s perception of Fosco’s relationship with Laura Glyde, as until this point he has protected her, and defended her. Now, it is clear he has no feeling towards her, and has no guilt about the fact that he intends to harm her. The reader is now certain of their dislike for him, and is cautious of believing any remark he makes at further points in the book.
Count Fosco’s other important relationship is with his wife, Madame Fosco. Madame Fosco becomes very submissive and quiet when her husband appears, which is mysterious as at other points she is very strong-willed, although still defensive of any criticism made about her husband. In public, ‘he habitually addresses her as “my angel”’. She sits in the corner of the room and rolls him cigarettes, and in return, he patronises her, treats her like a child, presenting her with sugarplums, ‘which he puts into her mouth playfully’, and seems to oppress her. Their relationship seems on the surface to be loving, but looking closely reveals that they are not as happy as they seem.
Count Fosco and Walter Hartright also have a relationship with interesting developments. One of the chapters in the book that builds suspense between them is near the end, in chapter five of Walter Hartright’s final narrative. Mr. Hartright is at the Opera with Pesca when he notices Count Fosco turns to look at them, ‘using his glass for a few minutes’. This moment builds suspense as the reader is unsure who the count is looking at, and for what reason. The reader’s first impression is that he is looking at Mr. Hartright, but this turns out to be a false assumption. Count Fosco’s eyes meet with Pesca’s, and Walter states that, ‘Pesca did not know the Count. The instant afterwards, I was equally certain that the Count knew Pesca.’ This comment is intriguing, as it is clear that none of the three people involved know what is happening; yet they have a very complicated relationship. The story gradually unfurls from each point of view, continually building suspense.
Once the relationship is revealed by Walter, and shortly afterwards, the Count is killed, and Mr. Hartright sees ‘the dreadful end of that long life of degraded ability and heartless crime’. Mr. Hartright states perfectly calmly that he had been ‘struck by a dagger or knife exactly over his heart’. The reader conceives his calmness as coldness, but the following sentences remind the reader of the terrible nature of the chain of events he controlled, and the reader can relate to Walter Hartright, and is eager to learn how the book finishes.
‘The Woman in Black’ has very few characters in comparison to ‘The Woman in White’, and so uses their relationships to create suspense in different ways. In my opinion, the two main characters in the book are Arthur, from whose viewpoint the book is written, and the woman in black herself. This is similar to the good and evil relationship of the two main characters in ‘The Woman in White’. Most of the points of interest and suspense in the book are in the relationship between these characters, and their relationships with others.
Arthur makes very few personal relationships in the book, as he is in an unknown town and is very much isolated. One of the relationships he does make is with Samuel Daily. One of the strongest moments in their friendship is in chapter 11. Arthur is troubled by his repeated sightings of ghosts and being uncertain of what he has seen and heard. Arthur sees Samuel as a ‘reassuring presence’, and the reader can see that Mr. Daily is trying to protect Arthur, as he obviously knows a lot more about the situation than Arthur does. Arthur also mentions that Samuel treated him ‘with as much care and concern as an invalid’, and their relationship seems to have become strong in a very short period of time. This is not unlike Mr. Hartright’s relationship with Miss Halcombe in ‘The Woman in White’; a bond formed very quickly, and shared knowledge of troubling events. This relationship builds suspense, as the reader is aware that Samuel Daily knows a lot more about the woman in black than he is telling Arthur, and the reader is eager to learn more.
Arthur also has a brief relationship in the book with Mr. Jerome. This takes place in chapter seven. Mr. Jerome is evidently nervous around Arthur, because Arthur expresses a desire to leave Eel Marsh House, the home of Mrs. Drablow, which would require Mr. Jerome to send a replacement for him. He is reluctant to do this, and informs Arthur that he will find no one willing to take the position. This makes the reader apprehensive; as it is obvious that everyone is aware of the strange occurrences caused by the Woman in black.
Arthur also has a relationship of a different sort with a dog, known as Spider. Samuel Daily gave the dog to him as protection. Their relationship causes the most suspense in chapter ten.
‘Spider’s small form receded into that great open expanse. I could see no one out there, but the whistle had been real, not a trick of the wind. Yet I would have sworn it had not come from any human lips. Then, even as I looked, I saw the dog falter and slow down and finally stop and I realised with horror that she was floundering in mud’.
This is an encounter with the Woman in black, and as the story continues, Arthur saves the dog from dying the death of a young child when the woman in black was alive. The relationship between the man and the dog is important, as the reader realises that the woman in black seeks to hurt Arthur, and also that she has great power.
Another of Arthur’s relationships is the relationship between him, his wife, and his child. In the concluding chapter of the book, suspense is built well as Arthur realises early on what is going to happen, but the event repeatedly fails to occur at each opportunity, building suspense each time. The suspense is at a climax as Arthur waits for his wife and child to return in a pony and trap. The reader is expecting the next events to end badly, as the circumstances are similar to those when the woman in black lost her own child. Therefore, the author has to use a method other than anticipation to build suspense. She chooses to use the personal relationship that the character that writes the story has with the other characters involved. The reader can relate to the character’s emotions when he realises what is going to happen and the events have a more personal effect. The end of the book is very dramatic, and is very suitable for the story. The final words are, ‘they asked for my story. I have told it. Enough.’
‘The Woman in black also has some powerful relationships in the book. Those that build the most suspense are through letters from the woman in black to a relation, about her child. She expresses strong emotions about the child, saying, ‘love him, take care of him as your own. But he is mine, mine, he can never be yours. Oh, forgive me. I think my heart will break’. The relationship between her and her child create suspense because she obviously has very strong feelings about him, and is passionate enough to mourn him years after her own death, and seek revenge. The reader is always trying to anticipate her next move.
The Woman in black has a relationship with all the characters in the book, as she is a part of anyone’s life who has lived in the village. She has strongly effected many people, including Keckwick, who’s own son died, as a result of intervention from the woman in black. These relationships create suspense, as the reader knows little about them, for ‘those who have suffered worst say least’.
The relationship between Arthur and the woman in black begins at Mrs. Drablow’s funeral, when he notices, ‘the young woman with the wasted face’. From the beginning of their relationship, it builds suspense, for at this moment we discover that she is a ghost. Arthur enquires about the woman, and Mr. Jerome, the person he asks, reacts with enough distress for the reader to know that she is harmful.
Arthur comes across the Woman in black at various other stages in the book, although he does not always see her. One of these occasions is in chapter nine. The door that Arthur was ‘unable to open’ upon his arrival at Eel Marsh House mysteriously opens, and a faint rocking sound comes from within. Suspense is built up as Arthur enters the room, as the reader is aware that the Woman in black must be involved. It is evident that there is a presence in the room, as the dog begins to ‘whine, a thin, pitiful, frightened moan’. The reader wants to know how the relationship between the woman in black and Arthur will develop. The
Suspense builds up even more when Arthur discovers that the woman in white is not in the room, and the mystery continues.
The two books have many similarities in the way the relationships are used to create suspense. In both cases, there is a hero and villain relationship with the two main characters, with Walter Hartright and Count Fosco in ‘The Woman in White’, and Arthur and the woman in black in ‘The Woman in Black’.
There are also similar relationships with the other characters. In ‘The Woman in White’, Laura Fairlie and Walter Hartright is a loving relationship similar to the one of the woman in black and her son in ‘The Woman in Black’. The relationship is one where one of the people involved is trying to protect and care for the other, and in each case, the couple is separated, although in ‘The Woman in White’, Walter and Laura are re-united.
Another similar relationship is one of friendship. The friendship of Samuel Daily and Arthur in ‘The Woman in Black’ can be compared top two relationships in ‘The Woman in White’. The first is the friendship between Laura Fairlie and Marian Halcombe. In these relationships, Miss Halcombe and Samuel know more about the situation than they are willing to tell their friend, and, again, are trying to protect them. The other relationship is that of Walter Hartright and Marian Halcombe, as each pair are sharing a secret and anticipating the villains next move together.
The relationship between Walter Hartright and Anne Catherick can be compared to the relationship between Arthur and the Woman in black, as in each case, one of the characters is very mysterious, and the other character is very occupied with unravelling the mystery. This final comparison is the most important as it is the basis of each book, and in this way the books are very similar. However, the way the relationships are used to create suspense is very different in each book.
In my opinion, ‘The Woman in White’ is the better book. I think that the relationships between the characters are more complicated, which makes the book more enjoyable to read, and builds suspense more. Also, the motive of the villain is more complex, and therefore the ending is more surprising, and the plot contains more twists. However, each book uses the relationships between the characters well to develop the story and build suspense.
