Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

shoulders, and a little straw hat of the natural colour, plainly and sparingly trimmed with
ribbon to match the gown, covers her head, and throws its soft pearly shadow over the
upper part of her face. (48-49)
Walter’s physical description of Laura is much more flattering than his description of Marian, but Marian’s
strangeness intrigues the reader and Laura is dull and colorless in comparison. Laura is not at all masculine,
but there nothing bold or vivacious about her; her transparent and lackluster character suggests that a
woman’s role as an angel of the house deprives her of life and a personality. Not even the description of
Laura’s eyes is able to compel the reader to feel interested or sympathetic for her. Walter describes Laura’s
eyes as “soft, limpid, turquoise blue, so often sung by the poets, so seldom seen in real life” (49).Walter
suggests that Laura’s ideal beauty is almost too perfect to be real, and this perfection is not as invigorating
or exciting as Marian’s ugliness. When comparing her own appearance to Laura’s, Marian says, “I am dark
and ugly, and she is fair and pretty. Everybody thinks her sweet-tempered and charming (with more justice
still). In short, she is an angel” (34). While Marian intends to compliment Laura in this statement, the
reader eventually realizes that Marian’s role as an angel is preferable to Laura’s role. Laura’s compliance to
traditional femininity renders her a lifeless and spineless being.
As a traditional Victorian woman, Laura is lifeless and childishly dependent. After Marian rescues
her from the Asylum, Laura is “[a] live in poverty and in hiding. Alive, with the poor drawing-master to
fight her battle, and to win the way back for her to her place in the world of living beings.” (421) Laura’s
apparent helplessness makes her unable to fight for herself or demand her former position in society.
Instead, she lazily submits to life and has Walter fight for her. Ann Cvetkovich argues that Walter is a
“commodity fetishist” because Laura’s social class is the only explanation for loving her over Anne Catherick
(90). This suggests that Laura’s traditional innocence and beauty are not enough to win a man’s interest or
affection: her wealth and social position are the only qualities that are valuable to Walter. Marian’s
intelligence and strength interest Walter more than Laura’s weakness and innocence, and this suggests that
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