The Woman in White

The Woman in White

by

Wilkie Collins

Mrs. Michelson Character Analysis

Mrs. Michelson is the housekeeper at Blackwater. She is a proud, religious woman—the widow of a Protestant minister, as she enjoys telling people—and takes pride in her role in the household. At times, Mrs. Michelson seems slightly self-righteous and self-important. She is extremely taken in by Count Fosco, who flatters Mrs. Michelson by paying her attention and respecting her role in the house. She is adamant that the Count is innocent of the conspiracy acted against Laura Fairlie—Count Fosco and Sir Percival switch her identity with that of Anne Catherick, who dies in London, and lock Laura in an asylum in Anne’s place in order to steal her fortune—and blames the whole thing on Sir Percival Glyde. It is Mrs. Michelson who innocently takes Laura to the train station and sees her off to London, where she is met by Count Fosco and taken to the asylum. Mrs. Michelson suspects that there is something strange going on at Blackwater but cannot say what it is. She feels sorry for Laura and Marian and is convinced that they are being tricked or mistreated. Mrs. Michelson’s testament provides evidence that Laura is tricked into going to London—Sir Percival tells her that Marian has already left Blackwater and that Laura is travelling to meet her—because when she returns from taking Laura to the station, she finds that Marian is still at the house and has been hidden in a separate wing. Mrs. Michelson is horrified by this and only remains in Sir Percival’s service to care for Marian, who is extremely ill.

Mrs. Michelson Quotes in The Woman in White

The The Woman in White quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Michelson or refer to Mrs. Michelson. 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 Second Epoch: Part 1, Chapter 1 Quotes

The bare anticipation of seeing that dear face and hearing that well-known voice to-morrow, keeps me in a perpetual fever of excitement. If I only had the privileges of a man, I would order out Sir Percival’s best horse instantly, and tear away on a night-gallop, eastward, to meet the rising sun – a long, hard, heavy, ceaseless gallop of hours and hours, like the famous highwayman’s ride to York. Being, however, nothing but a woman, condemned to patience, propriety, and petticoats, for life, I must respect the housekeeper’s opinions, and try to compose myself in some feeble and feminine way.

Related Characters: Marian Halcombe (speaker), Laura Fairlie, Mrs. Michelson
Page Number: 197-198
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Woman in White LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Woman in White PDF

Mrs. Michelson Quotes in The Woman in White

The The Woman in White quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Michelson or refer to Mrs. Michelson. 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 Second Epoch: Part 1, Chapter 1 Quotes

The bare anticipation of seeing that dear face and hearing that well-known voice to-morrow, keeps me in a perpetual fever of excitement. If I only had the privileges of a man, I would order out Sir Percival’s best horse instantly, and tear away on a night-gallop, eastward, to meet the rising sun – a long, hard, heavy, ceaseless gallop of hours and hours, like the famous highwayman’s ride to York. Being, however, nothing but a woman, condemned to patience, propriety, and petticoats, for life, I must respect the housekeeper’s opinions, and try to compose myself in some feeble and feminine way.

Related Characters: Marian Halcombe (speaker), Laura Fairlie, Mrs. Michelson
Page Number: 197-198
Explanation and Analysis: