“How can you expect four women to dine together alone everyday and not quarrel? We are such fools, we can’t entertain each other at the table.”
She seems resolute in her position at Limmeridge House, and lacks ambition in any pursuit other than care and support of her half-sister, Laura Fairlie. Walter’s narration identifies Marian to be a major character of the novel with her intense curiosity in the matter of the woman in white, whom Walter met on his journey to Cumberland (36-7). “Are you quite sure of those words referring to my mother?… You said I think, that she denied belonging to this place?... And you entirely failed to find out her name?”
Marian’s narrative, in the form of edited entries in her diary, sheds new light on her own character. Her admiration and dedication to the protection of Laura is apparent from the beginning of her narration. Her entries allude to her inherent modesty as she refers to herself as a “helpless, useless woman” (197). From her diary, readers are impressed with her capability and uncanny skill of observation. Her curiosity is confirmed in her willingness to eavesdrop on the conversations of other characters, and her interest in matters that do not directly concern her.
Marian can be seen as remarkable heroine for the time, being so strong in mind and spirit that she might be a modern creation rather than a Victorian novelist's. In fact the character has been used in another modern book, as late as 2001 with ‘The Dark Clue’ which shows just how before its time this book was.
Through the eyes of Count Fosco, we view Marian as a charming, ingenious and beautiful woman. From his narrative, readers become aware of her physical attractiveness and feminine charm. His adoration of Marian contradicts her asexual nature that has been demonstrated up to the point of his narrative. Fosco, who has been shown to be incapable of modesty, bows to her courage and perseverity, as well as the skill that she employed in pursuing him, both in his postscript to her diary (343)
“The tact which I find here, the discretion, the rare courage, the wonderful power of memory, the accurate observation of character, the easy grace of style, the charming outburst of womanly feeling” and his confession letter, where he names her “the first and last weakness of Fosco’s life” (627).
In comparison to Marian, Count himself, readers receive a favorable impression of him before he even appears in the story line, whereas Marian is at first described as ugly by Walter. In Marian’s diary, his virtue is demonstrated by the account of his rescue of Sir Percival in Rome (193). When Fosco arrives at Blackwater Park, his charisma is apparent in Marian’s reaction to him. We perceive him as a well-mannered gentleman, polite in his dealings with everyone, especially the servants of the household. His sensitivity is expressed in the way that he deals with his pet animals. Among the endearing qualities that Marian shows the readers in her diary, there are also a few points that raise suspicion. His tendency toward domination and his ability to manipulate the characters around him become apparent early in Marian’s narrative (224-5).
From Walter Hartwright’s second narrative, the Count’s malicious nature becomes readily evident, unlike Marian. Readers become aware of the underhanded way in which he orchestrated the false death of Laura. All the virtues of Count Fosco become irrelevant as we inherit Walter’s hatred for the Count, and his desire for revenge. Fosco’s malicious nature is highlighted in Walter’s final confrontation with him, when Fosco contemplates murder (602).
In Fosco’s own narrative, in the form of his confession letter, he appeals to readers with the comedy of his own self-centeredness, and the exaggerated drama of his defeat. We are influenced by his self-righteousness and his testimony to the sacrifices that he made in taking Laura’s identity, instead of taking her life. In this case he refers to himself as “comparatively innocent” and “indirectly virtuous” (628). We are again forced to like Count Fosco in spite of his grand conspiracy.
Rather than giving us a cut and dry description of the characters, the different points of view allow us to learn about the true nature of the characters through the eyes of each other. The advantage of this over a single narrator is that we are forced to draw our own conclusions about the roles that people will play, based on often-conflicting points of view. For example, when Marian Halcombe first meets Count Fosco she admits in her narrative a:
“Half-willing, half-unwilling likingness for the Count.”(194)
In this sense we see how Marian’s no-frills demeanour commands a very flattering respectable attitude from the Count, and his inherent fondness of animals make him pleasing to her. But at the same time his obese physical features, the ease of which he can manipulate others (including her), and her dear half-sister Laura’s general distrust of him leave Marian unsure of how to judge him.
In contrast, the narrative from Frederick Fairlie, the undoubtedly eccentric uncle of both Marian and Laura, describes the count as “...an alarmingly large person...refreshingly dressed in summer costume; his manner was delightfully self-possessed and quiet-he had a charming smile.”(Collins 309) Because of his apparent concern and good intentions for the well-being of Marian and Laura, and the counts attention to minding all of Mr. Fairlie’s sensitivities; we are at this point left with an almost pleasant taste in our mouths regarding the Count.
Overall we can see that the one of the ways Wilkie Collins managed to make Marian intelligent and clever, as well as modest is due to the book being written in different perspectives. She also shows care and compassion when she seems to have no ambition but to offer support to her half-sister Laura. She then proves this by writing by writing about her admiration towards Laura. Then she is described as being beautiful and charming by Count Fosco. It is perhaps all these qualities together that make her seem such as good character.
