The Woman in White

The Woman in White

by

Wilkie Collins

Mrs. Catherick Character Analysis

Mrs. Catherick is the mother of Anne Catherick and the co-conspirator of Sir Percival Glyde; in her youth, she helped him cover up the forgery he made on a church register which suggested that his parents were married when they were not. Mrs. Catherick is a vain, bitter, and spiteful woman who cares little about her daughter and allows Sir Percival to place Anne in the asylum so that the girl will never reveal his secret (though Anne doesn’t actually know what the secret is—she just knows that there is one.) Mrs. Catherick also removes Anne from Mrs. Clements’ care even though she knows that her daughter had a strong bond with the old lady. Mrs. Catherick agrees to help Sir Percival forge the marriage register because he promises to buy her a gold watch, which shows she is a shallow, materialistic individual. She is also a devious and dishonest woman and marries her husband, Mr. Catherick, because she is pregnant with Anne—by Mr. Philip Fairlie, Laura Fairlie’s father—and wants to cover up the child’s illegitimacy. Sir Percival blackmails Mrs. Catherick to stay in the village where the scandal took place because he knows that here, she will be an outcast and will have no friends to share his secret with. Mrs. Catherick withstands this cruelty through her sheer malice and determination and is slightly appeased by the fact that Sir Percival pays her to live in the village. Through strength of will and perseverance, Mrs. Catherick remodels herself in the eyes of the local community so that she is seen as a respectable woman. When Walter pays her a visit, he notices that even the minister bows to her when he passes. Mrs. Catherick hates Sir Percival and insinuates to Walter that she would like him to kill him. Mrs. Catherick, however, is quite loyal to Mr. Philip Fairlie, who she still feels was too good for Mrs. Fairlie, despite the fact that he wronged her when she was still a young woman.

Mrs. Catherick Quotes in The Woman in White

The The Woman in White quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Catherick or refer to Mrs. Catherick. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Evidence and Law Theme Icon
).
The Third Epoch: Part 5, Chapter 1 Quotes

It was strange to look back and to see, now, that the poverty which had denied us all hope of assistance, had been the indirect means of our success, by forcing me to act for myself. If we had been rich enough to find legal help, what would have been the result? The gain (on Mr. Kyrle’s own showing) would have been more than doubtful; the loss – judging by the plain test of events as they had really happened – certain. The Law would never have obtained me my interview with Mrs. Catherick. The Law would never have made Pesca the means of forcing a confession from the Count.

Related Characters: Walter Hartright (speaker), Count Fosco, Professor Pesca, Mrs. Catherick, Mr. Kyrle
Page Number: 620
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Woman in White LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Woman in White PDF

Mrs. Catherick Quotes in The Woman in White

The The Woman in White quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Catherick or refer to Mrs. Catherick. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Evidence and Law Theme Icon
).
The Third Epoch: Part 5, Chapter 1 Quotes

It was strange to look back and to see, now, that the poverty which had denied us all hope of assistance, had been the indirect means of our success, by forcing me to act for myself. If we had been rich enough to find legal help, what would have been the result? The gain (on Mr. Kyrle’s own showing) would have been more than doubtful; the loss – judging by the plain test of events as they had really happened – certain. The Law would never have obtained me my interview with Mrs. Catherick. The Law would never have made Pesca the means of forcing a confession from the Count.

Related Characters: Walter Hartright (speaker), Count Fosco, Professor Pesca, Mrs. Catherick, Mr. Kyrle
Page Number: 620
Explanation and Analysis: