The Woman in White · Chapter
Chapter VII explained
Walter Hartright meets Mr.
What happens
Walter Hartright meets Mr. Frederick Fairlie, the master of Limmeridge House, who is a frail, effeminate, and hypochondriacal man obsessed with his own comfort and nerves. Their conversation covers Walter's employment, the studio, and the terms of his engagement, with Mr. Fairlie displaying a selfish affectation and a disdain for the local gentry. Walter is relieved to leave the interview and resolves to avoid Mr. Fairlie unless invited. He spends the morning preparing drawings and grows restless as luncheon approaches, anticipating his introduction to Miss Fairlie and the resolution of the mystery of the woman in white.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Social Hierarchy
Mr. Fairlie's condescending treatment of Walter and his disdain for the local gentry highlight class distinctions and the precarious social position of an artist in Victorian society.
Identity and Appearance
Mr. Fairlie's effeminate appearance and delicate manner challenge conventional gender norms, while Walter's anticipation of meeting Miss Fairlie ties into the theme of identity and the mystery of the woman in white.
Characters to notice
- Walter Hartright
Narrator and protagonist; meets Mr. Fairlie and finds him disagreeable; prepares drawings and anticipates meeting Miss Fairlie.
- Frederick Fairlie
The master of Limmeridge House, portrayed as frail, effeminate, and self-absorbed, with a querulous voice and a fixation on his nerves.
- Marian Halcombe
Mentioned as having searched through her mother's letters, with the anticipated result of clearing up the mystery of the woman in white.
- Laura Fairlie
Miss Fairlie; Walter is about to be introduced to her, and she is described as fond of art and conscious of her own defects in sketching.
Key passages
“I grew restless and unsettled, and felt unable to fix my attention on work, even though that work was only of the humble manual kind.”
Walter became too anxious to concentrate on his simple tasks.
Walter's restlessness foreshadows the impending introduction to Miss Fairlie and the resolution of the mystery.
“He had a frail, languidly-fretful, overrefined look—something singularly and unpleasantly delicate in its association with a man, and, at the same time, something which could by no possibility have looked natural and appropriate if it had been transferred to the personal appearance of a woman.”
Mr. Fairlie's appearance was unnervingly delicate for a man, yet would have seemed unnatural on a woman.
Walter's description emphasizes Mr. Fairlie's effeminacy and the discomfort it causes, highlighting themes of gender and appearance.
“In the wretched state of my nerves, movement of any kind is exquisitely painful to me.”
Mr. Fairlie claims that any movement causes him severe pain due to his poor nerves.
This line exemplifies Mr. Fairlie's hypochondria and selfish affectation, which Walter quickly recognizes as a guise for laziness.