Woman in white by wilkie collins

Laura Fairlie
An exceptionally beautiful twenty-year-old heiress. She is the main heroine of the story who undergoes many trials and tribulations before achieving happiness at the end. Laura is the typical damsel in distress figure. In the story, she endures unhappiness, heartbreak, imprisonment, poison, physical abuse, the loss of her legal identity and her social position. Laura is an orphan who lives under the guardianship of her invalid uncle Frederick Fairlie. She also lives in the company of her half-sister Marian. Laura Fairlie embodies the qualities and the virtues of a Victorian upper-class lady. She is kind-hearted, truthful and obedient. Her facial features are delicate and soft, her demeanor quiet and unassuming, and her bearing is always dignified and graceful. Laura is an accomplished musician and is fond of painting. Her penchant for white dresses, flowers and music turns her into a living symbol of docility, beauty and grace, which are highly prized female characteristics in the Victorian era. Laura’s extreme femininity makes her self-effacing and weak. She is incapable of defending her interests without the protection of Walter, Marian and her lawyer. Laura falls in love with her drawing teacher but is compelled to marry the middle-aged baronet Sir Percival Glyde. After her marriage, Laura is completely under the control of her husband and his co-conspirator Fosco and her happiness and vitality are completely destroyed by her unhappy marriage. She is unable to resist the evil devices of her enemies without the protection of Marian and Walter. She is drugged by Fosco and is incarcerated in an asylum under the name of Anne Catherick. She briefly loses her wits under the influence of drugs and incarceration. Laura eventually regains her social position after the evil plots of her enemies are overturned. She marries Walter, and her son inherits Limmeridge House after Frederick Fairlie’s death.
Marian Halcombe
Marian Fairlee, Laura's half-sister, is one of Victorian literature’s most memorable and powerful heroines. Marian and Laura are contrasting characters. Laura is beautiful, artistically talented, self-effacing and weak; while Marian is physically plain, strong-willed, resolute, brave and strong. Marian possesses a beautiful feminine form but has very masculine facial features. Unlike the wealthy Laura, Marian has no fortune of her own, and displays little inclination to get married. Marian is Laura’s chief protector; she continues to live with Laura even after her marriage. She is fiercely devoted to her sister and is resolved to undertake every measure to protect Laura’s interests and to frustrate the designs of Laura’s enemies. Marian challenges the Victorian gender expectation which requires women to be meek and compliant towards men. Marian is not only a powerful woman, she is often described as being more powerful than many of the male characters. Her bravery and intelligence are such that even her arch enemy Fosco is impressed by her. Marian’s sudden illness in the middle of the story robs Laura of her only protector.