Book Report

Book Report


1) MLA CITATION
Author: Wilkie Collins
Book Title: The woman in White
City of Publication: England
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date: 1993 Number of Pages: 100

2) RESPONDING TO THE PLOT
If I were a character in the story, I would not have told the way to London to the woman who is strangely in all white. I would say “I don’t know” when I was asked. I don’t want to be in trouble afterward. If I were the author of this story, I would change

“To be in love with my sister, Mr. Hartright, will only hurt you.” Page9
This is said to Walter Hartright from Marian Halcobe. Marian Halcobe told Walter Hartright that her sister, Laura Fairlie, who he love has a fiancé and going to marry quite soon. And this was the first time for Walter Hartright to hear about this shocking fact.

3) ANALYZING 7 LITERARY TERMS
Setting: This story took place in London.

Point of view: This story is told by the minds and emotions of some characters. Therefore, the point of view of this story is omniscient.

Conflict: The conflict in this story is Walter Hartright versus himself that he could not keep himself from loving Laura Fairlie who marries Sir Parcival Glyde.

Climax: I think the climax of this story is that Walter Hartright and Marian Halcombe, Laura’s half-sister, expose the plot of Sir Parcival Glyde.
Symbol: The symbol of this story is money. This is a story about succession to property, and if there were no big money, such an event would not happen.

Irony: The irony in this story is Walter Hartright that he did not ask anything to Anne Catherick, who is in all white, when he met her first.

Theme: This story tells us that money changes people. Money is a very important thing and it is impossible to live without. However, too big money sometimes changes people to evil.

4) REFLECTING ON THE STORY
The appearance of the woman, who is all in white, attracts my attention to read the story. Compared with my life, the character’s life is too different. In the story, there are some positions like baronet, but here in Japan such a thing does not exist now. If the book has been made into a film, I think I would check how the woman in white appears mysteriously.

I think the encounter with his friend, Charles Dickens, might have inspired him to write the book. I agree with the author’s view of people and life, because it is little extravagance, but the problem about the succession to property may happen in my life too. What I learned from this story is how difficult problem the succession to property is. I did not changed my ideas about anything after reading this book but, it made me realize that people argue over same kinds of things in any age. I thought that at last Walter Hartright will marry Laura Fairlie and it really happened.