Point Counter Point · Character

Marjorie Carling

Walter's mistress of two years, pregnant and painfully self-controlled, whose quiet dignity and unspoken jealousy expose the slow cruelty of a love already ending.

supporting

Also known as Carling, Marjorie, Maggie

First appearance: ii

As a supporting figure in Point Counter Point, Marjorie Carling is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Pregnant and emotionally vulnerable, she pleads with Walter to stay, but he leaves for the party.

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Marjorie left her husband to live with Walter, but Carling's Christian scruples and quiet sadism have denied her a divorce, leaving her socially exposed and dependent on a man whose affection is visibly dying. Pregnant and ill, she clings to principles of self-restraint that forbid her the 'scenes' her feelings demand, so that her only outlet is a pleading 'Half-past twelve, Walter.' Her exhausted patience and the physical toll of her pregnancy make her the moral counterweight to the novel's more flamboyant seekers of sensation.

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The fuller portrait of Marjorie Carling sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Marjorie Carling in ii

Character Web

24 connections

A slice of how Marjorie Carling sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Romantic
Other

Character groups

Central characters and lovers
Political and social rivals
Minor characters and extras
Minor family and servants

+19 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this excerpt, the narrative climax occurs as the psychological and emotional peak of Sidney Quarles’s hypoc…

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Relationships

Walter Bidlake
romantic · negative
Marjorie is Walter's long-suffering, devoted mistress whom he neglects and emotionally… How this plays out →
Walter Bidlake
romantic · negative
Marjorie is Walter's long-suffering, devoted mistress whom he neglects and emotionally… How this plays out →
Walter Bidlake
romantic · negative
Marjorie is Walter's long-suffering, devoted mistress whom he neglects and emotionally… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Marjorie Carling in ii

In the story

Marjorie Carling appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
Pregnant and emotionally vulnerable, she pleads with Walter to stay, but he leaves for the party.
V
Rereads Walter's old letters, recalling his kindness and her love for his gentle nature, now shattered by his cruel behavior.
XII
Confronts Walter about his neglect and infidelity, initially angry but later comforts him after his emotional breakdown.
XIII
Sews at home, detects Lucy's perfume on Walter, and angrily confronts him, leading to his departure.
XV
Pretends ignorance of Walter's affair, playing a comedy of silence and courtesy; considered leaving but lacks resources and is still attached to Walter.
XXI
Questions Elinor about why Walter is obsessed with Lucy, expresses anguish over Walter's infatuation.
Chapter XXX
Finds comfort in Rachel Quarles's Christian counsel, experiences a mystical trance of divine nothingness, and feels distant from Walter's distress.
XXXI
Mentioned as having had a talk with Mrs. Quarles at the cottage.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Marjorie Carling unlock in the free preview.

See Marjorie Carling in ii

See Marjorie Carling in I