Sarah Thornthwaite

Eliza of Blindbeck

Eliza and Sarah share a deep, supportive bond, often confiding in each other and offering mutual aid.

Simon Thornthwaite

Sarah and Simon are siblings, with a close but occasionally strained relationship due to family responsibilities.

May Fleming

May and Sarah are loyal friends, often seen together in social and domestic settings.

Geordie Thornthwaite

Geordie is Sarah's younger brother, often teasing her but also protective and affectionate.

Will Thornthwaite

Sarah and Will are siblings, sharing a warm, playful bond with occasional sibling rivalry.

Jim Thornthwaite

Jim is Sarah's father, a stern but caring figure who often worries about her future.

Jamie Lowther

Jamie is a suitor to Sarah, with a gentle courtship that is both hopeful and uncertain.

Elliman Wilkinson

Elliman views Sarah as a rival for attention and status, leading to snide remarks and coldness.

Mrs. Addison

Mrs. Addison is Sarah's employer or housekeeper, with a formal but kindly authority over her.

Eliza of Blindbeck

Eliza and Sarah share a deep, supportive bond, often confiding in each other and offering mutual aid.

Simon Thornthwaite

Sarah and Simon are siblings, with a close but occasionally strained relationship due to family responsibilities.

Simon Thornthwaite

Sarah and Simon are siblings, with a close but occasionally strained relationship due to family responsibilities.

The Splendid Fairing

Protagonist; learns she is going blind, lies about Geordie's return, rejects May's help.

Part I: Simon and Sarah

Travels to Witham with Simon, learns she is going blind, encounters May Fleming, dines with her, is confronted by Eliza, tells a lie about Geordie, and rejects May's help.

I

Reveals her eyesight is failing; bitter and grim about their plight; stares ahead at an inner image.

II

Struggles with her failing eyesight and is deeply affected by the gull's cry, which reminds her of a past loss.

III

Feels faint and shaky, avoids entering the inn upon hearing Mrs. Will is inside, and reluctantly agrees to see the doctor with May's help.

IV

Learns she is going blind; struggles with telling Simon; refuses May's offer to help bring Geordie home.

V

Sarah is shopping with May, enjoying a brief respite from her troubles. She is confronted by Eliza, who taunts her about her blindness and poverty. Sarah responds with dignity, but is visibly shaken.

Chapter VI

Simon remembers Sarah's failing eyesight and her animosity toward Eliza, but fails to mention her condition to Mr. Dent.

Part II: Eliza

Sarah is subjected to Eliza's harsh judgments and must navigate the tense dynamics of the Blindbeck household, revealing her vulnerability and resilience.

I

Struggles with the doctor's verdict of impending blindness, feels depressed and anxious, and reflects on her wedding day and the impending loss of her home.

II

Endures Eliza's constant comparisons and struggles with her feelings toward Geordie and Jim.

III

Arrives late with Simon, feels the hostility of the room, and is pressured into lying about Geordie's return.

Chapter IV

Discussed as being blind and proud, refusing help; her conflict with Eliza is a central concern.

V

Sits in the rocking-chair, lost in a dream of Geordie's return, feeling both triumphant and guilty.

V

Leads Sarah to the parlour, feels pity and awe, and questions the truth of the news about Geordie.

VI

Sarah doubles down on her lie about Geordie's return, using her blindness as a shield. She feels a moment of pity for Eliza but is trapped by her own deception.

VII

Sarah is the target of Eliza's mockery; she sighs in resignation upon learning Simon may work at Blindbeck.

Chapter VIII

Sarah has finally abandoned her dream of Geordie's return after confronting the limits of her lie. She is sardonic and disapproving of Simon's arrangement with Will.

Part III: May

Recipient of May's offers, struggles with pride and loss.

I

Has rejected May's offer to help bring Geordie home; is tired and discouraged after the day's events.

II

The object of May's mission; May hopes to convince her to accept help regarding Geordie's return.

III

Sarah is curt and rejecting towards May, denying any plan for Geordie's return and refusing May's offer of money. She is tired and resolute, shutting the door on May's pleas.

I

Weary but defiant, she refuses May's help and asserts her pride, while grappling with her failing eyesight and the shame of Simon's new job.

II

Sarah is the central consciousness of the chapter, reflecting on Simon's feelings, her own hatred of Eliza, and her memories of childhood and Geordie's gifts.

III

Cold and unwelcoming toward Jim, still fixated on Geordie and unable to accept Jim's return.

IV

Sarah experiences a delusional episode where she imagines Geordie drowning, feeling a surge of power and revenge against Eliza, before her exultation fades and she confronts her blindness.