# Laura Dearborn — The Pit character guide

> Laura Dearborn in The Pit by Frank Norris.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Laura, Dearborn, the Laura Dearborn

**First appearance:** 0004-i

## Snapshot

A regal, coal-haired Chicago beauty who keeps three suitors circling while insisting she will never marry, discovering that her cool command of courtship may not survive the men themselves.

## Who they are

Laura Dearborn arrives in Chicago from a narrow New England upbringing and finds herself the still center of a social whirl — the Cresslers' steps, Corthell's studio, Jadwin's trotters. She manages Landry with a lifted finger and holds marriage at arm's length, refusing to let any one admirer exclude the others. Her poise and refusal to be rushed set up the novel's central contest: which version of ambition, art, or appetite will finally claim her.

## Relationships

### [Laura Jadwin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/laura_jadwin)

_psychological_

Laura Dearborn and Laura Jadwin are the same person, representing her internal conflict and transformation from a naive girl to a wealthy but disillusioned woman.

### [Page Dearborn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/page_dearborn)

_family_

Page Dearborn is Laura's younger sister, and their relationship is one of close familial affection and mutual support.

### [Landry Court](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/landry_court)

_romantic_

Landry Court is a devoted suitor to Laura Dearborn, representing her early romantic ideal before her marriage to Jadwin.

### [Mrs. Cressler](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/mrs_cressler)

_friendship_

Mrs. Cressler is a close friend and confidante to Laura, offering guidance and companionship through Laura's social and marital struggles.

### [Sheldon Corthell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/sheldon_corthell)

_romantic_

Sheldon Corthell is a sophisticated artist who becomes Laura's romantic temptation and emotional affair, representing her longing for beauty and passion.

### [Cressler Jadwin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/cressler_jadwin)

_family_

Cressler Jadwin is Curtis Jadwin's brother, and Laura's brother-in-law, with a relationship marked by family obligation and mild tension.

### [Samuel Gretry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/samuel_gretry)

_social_

Laura Dearborn knows Samuel Gretry as a peripheral figure in Chicago's business and social circles, with no deep personal connection.

### [Aunt Wess](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/aunt_wess)

_family_

Aunt Wess is Laura's elderly aunt, providing a maternal figure and domestic stability in Laura's early life.

### [Curtis Jadwin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/curtis_jadwin)

_romantic_

Curtis Jadwin is Laura's eventual husband, a powerful financier whose obsessive love and ambition both attract and suffocate her.

### [Grossmann](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/grossmann)

_social_

Grossmann is a minor acquaintance in Laura's social circle, likely a fellow attendee of parties and cultural events.

### [Mrs. Cressler](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/mrs_cressler)

_friendship_

Mrs. Cressler is a close friend and confidante to Laura, offering guidance and companionship through Laura's social and marital struggles.

### [Laura Jadwin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/laura_jadwin)

_psychological_

Laura Dearborn and Laura Jadwin are the same person, representing her internal conflict and transformation from a naive girl to a wealthy but disillusioned woman.

## In the story

### [Principal Characters in the Novel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/chapters/principal-characters-in-the-novel)

Introduced as protégé of Mrs. Cressler.

### [The Pit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/chapters/the-pit)

Introduced as a central character, likely to be involved in the personal and social dynamics.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/chapters/i)

Laura is the central figure in this chapter, waiting at the opera with her sister and aunt. She takes the initiative to speak to Curtis Jadwin when the Cresslers fail to appear, showing her assertiveness and composure.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/chapters/ii)

Reflects on her upbringing in Barrington, her education, and her decision to move to Chicago after her father's death.

### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/chapters/iv)

Laura listens intently to Cressler's warnings about speculation, participates in the play rehearsal, and reflects on her feelings toward her three suitors, asserting she loves no one.

### [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/chapters/v)

Announces her engagement to Curtis Jadwin, expresses doubts about her feelings and whether she truly loves him.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters/laura_dearborn
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pit_se/characters