In the Midst of Life · Character

Irene Marlowe

A young wife in an isolated forest cabin whose unremembered nightmare of disaster comes true the moment her husband walks out the door with his rifle.

supporting

Also known as Irene

First appearance: The Eyes of the Panther

As a supporting figure in In the Midst of Life, Irene Marlowe is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Irene has made a cheerful home of her awful isolation, finding sufficiency in light chores, her child, her husband, and a few foolish books. When she begs Marlowe not to hunt because of a dreadful dream she cannot fully recall, he laughs, and she yields because she lacks the gift of humor to hold out against his kindly badinage. Her dream—a second cradle, a dead father, barred windows, a child's face that is a wild animal's—is the story's dark prophecy, and her long night of waiting is the vigil the reader keeps with her.

See Irene Marlowe in The Eyes of the Panther Book page

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Character Web

5 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Feuds, secrets, and tragic fates
Protagonist
Strange marriages and suitors

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this excerpt, the narrator’s emotional and psychological peak occurs as she confesses her intense, almost i…

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In the story

Irene Marlowe appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Man Out of the Nose
Mentioned as Mrs. Barwell, the woman with whom Hardshaw had an affair; she later fell from a window to her death, an event that haunts Hardshaw.
A Lady from Redhorse
The recipient of the letter, a confidante to Mary.
The Eyes of the Panther
Central character whose eyes are described as panther-like, linked to a childhood trauma.
One Does Not Always Marry When Insane
Reveals she is insane and refuses to marry Jenner Brading despite loving him.
A Room May Be Too Narrow for Three, Though One Is Outside
Marlowe's wife, who dreams of disaster and accidentally suffocates her child while protecting it from a panther.
III: The Theory of the Defense
Reveals her belief that she is insane due to being born after her mother's death; recounts her family's tragic history.
IV: An Appeal to the Conscience of God
The beautiful but eccentric daughter of Old Man Marlowe; she rejected Brading's marriage proposal and is later found dead in the forest.

Chapter companion notes

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See Irene Marlowe in The Eyes of the Panther