# The First Epoch explained — The Woman in White > Chapter companion for The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. ## What happens Walter Hartright, a young drawing master, encounters a mysterious woman dressed in white on a lonely road. She speaks of a woman named Anne Catherick and seems to know of Limmeridge House. After helping her, Walter learns of her escape from an asylum. He then travels to Limmeridge House to take up a position as a drawing master, where he meets his pupils, Laura Fairlie and Marian Halcombe. He is struck by Laura's resemblance to the woman in white, and a bond forms between them, though Laura is engaged to Sir Percival Glyde. Walter struggles with his feelings and eventually leaves England after Laura's marriage. ## Themes in this chapter ### Identity and Appearance The physical resemblance between Laura Fairlie and Anne Catherick introduces questions of identity and mistaken identity. ### Secrecy and Conspiracy Anne's escape from the asylum and her cryptic warnings hint at a hidden conspiracy involving Sir Percival Glyde. ## Character check-ins ### Walter Hartright Narrator and protagonist; encounters the Woman in White and becomes drawing master at Limmeridge House. ### Anne Catherick Mysterious woman in white who speaks of Limmeridge and claims to have been wrongfully imprisoned. ### Laura Fairlie Walter's pupil at Limmeridge; bears a striking resemblance to Anne Catherick and is engaged to Sir Percival Glyde. ### Marian Halcombe Laura's half-sister and companion; intelligent and observant, she becomes Walter's confidante. ### Frederick Fairlie Laura's invalid uncle and master of Limmeridge House; eccentric and self-absorbed. ## Key lines > The woman was dressed in white. Her figure was tall and slight, and her face was pale and anxious. The woman wore white clothes, was tall and thin, and looked worried. _First description of Anne Catherick, emphasizing her ghostly appearance._ > I had seen her before—the woman in white! I recognized her—it was the woman in white! _Walter's shock upon seeing Laura's resemblance to Anne._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters/the-first-epoch - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_woman_in_white_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_woman_in_white_se/chapters