The Woman in White · Chapter
IV: The Narrative of the Tombstone explained
The chapter presents the inscription on the tombstone of Laura, Lady Glyde, recording her birth, marriage, and death, which serves as a stark marker of the conspiracy against her.
What happens
The chapter presents the inscription on the tombstone of Laura, Lady Glyde, recording her birth, marriage, and death, which serves as a stark marker of the conspiracy against her.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because the narrator experiences a psychological crisis of paralysis, u…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Identity and Appearance
The tombstone falsely declares Laura's death, erasing her true identity and replacing it with a fabricated narrative.
- Secrecy and Conspiracy
The inscription is a public lie, part of the conspiracy to imprison Laura and steal her identity.
Characters to notice
- Laura Fairlie
The deceased, whose tombstone records her as Laura, Lady Glyde, wife of Sir Percival Glyde.
- Sir Percival Glyde
Mentioned as the husband of the deceased on the tombstone.
- Frederick Fairlie
Implied as the brother of the late Philip Fairlie, whose daughter Laura is commemorated.
Key passages
“Sacred to the Memory of Laura, Lady Glyde, wife of Sir Percival Glyde, Bart., of Blackwater Park, Hampshire, and daughter of the late Philip Fairlie, Esq., of Limmeridge House, in this parish. Born March 27th, 1829; married December 22nd, 1849; died July 25th, 1850.”
This tombstone is dedicated to Laura, Lady Glyde, who was married to Sir Percival Glyde and was the daughter of the deceased Philip Fairlie. It records her birth, marriage, and death dates.
The epitaph presents a false official record of Laura's life and death, central to the conspiracy.
