The Woman in White: What has Collins to say about class in "The Woman in White"?

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The Woman in White:

What has Collins to say about class in

“The Woman in White”?

19th century Britain was a very heavily divided nation, in terms of social status and class. The small, upper class minority were well educated and were the only people able to write novels, therefore only depicting England from their point of view.  Wilkie Collins ‘The Woman in White’ gives an insight into the upper class lifestyle of Laura Fairlie, a seemingly stereotypical young Victorian woman.  Collins uses this novel as a vessel to display some important points and views about the social class divide.

Collins attitude to social classes is displayed fairly early on in the book, during the first meeting between Walter Hartwright and Mr. Fairlie. Neither of these characters is lower class, but they do have very different views on how the lower classes should be treated.  Walter is sympathetic towards them, but Mr. Fairlie is most opposed to them and actually despises the lower classes, portrayed through his descriptions of his servants as “asses” and the children being “plebeian brats”. Fairlie is also shown to be a very weak, frail and feminine character, and the vision Collins wishes readers have of the upper classes is immediately put across through him.

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Mr. Fairlie is also shown to be very ungrateful for his belongings, which include priceless paintings he stores in folders and portfolios rather than hanging them on the walls and displaying how fortunate he is. Collins links this arrogance to Fairlie’s ever worsening nerves.  Fairlie uses his nerves throughout the story as a reason to be a social recluse and accentuates Collins’ view of the aristocracy as a frail society.    

Another upper-class issue Collins raises in the book is that of the upper class women. Compared to his description of the male aristocracy (Mr. Fairlie) he is ...

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