Collins is careful to point out that Walter finds Marian's face and manners repulsively "mannish." Despite this, he finds her character and intelligence so attractive that they become fast friends. This seems to have been written in part to deny any implications of a sexual relationship between Walter and Marian, but unfortunately
(1) Marian's "mannishness," coupled with her very strong attachment to her half-sister Laura, suggests a possible lesbian relationship in the triangle (though again: romantic does not have to mean sexual), and
(2) The intensity of Walter's friendship with Marian suggests that Walter might be viewing her a bit homo-erotically, as if she were a schoolboy crush who would be all the more emotionally-acceptable to him subconsciously because he knows she's actually a woman.
Finally,
(3) It doesn't help that Laura's more than a bit weak and passive, and all three of them are in a dangerous situation, creating an emotional dynamic in which both Walter and Marian have to cooperate to protect Laura, which
(a) puts Marian in the situation of Laura's "protector," which is the masculine-romantic position, and
(b) forces Walter and Marian into even closer comradeship than would normally be the case even given their strong natural friendship.
The first time I read the book, I didn't quite get this all, though I did notice there was something odd about the relationship of both Walter and Laura to Marian. (To be precise, I kind of wondered why Frank preferred Laura to Marian, but then I've always been personally attracted to tomboys over girly-girls). I then had the possible alternative interpretation pointed out to me on TVTropes at
Whatever the case, it counts as a happy ending for all three concerned: if it's all platonic save between Walter and Laura, then Marian gets to live with her beloved half-sister and Fire-Forged Friend Walter; if it is sexual, well, then it goes on behind closed doors and they're all happy that way too.
no subject
(1) Marian's "mannishness," coupled with her very strong attachment to her half-sister Laura, suggests a possible lesbian relationship in the triangle (though again: romantic does not have to mean sexual), and
(2) The intensity of Walter's friendship with Marian suggests that Walter might be viewing her a bit homo-erotically, as if she were a schoolboy crush who would be all the more emotionally-acceptable to him subconsciously because he knows she's actually a woman.
Finally,
(3) It doesn't help that Laura's more than a bit weak and passive, and all three of them are in a dangerous situation, creating an emotional dynamic in which both Walter and Marian have to cooperate to protect Laura, which
(a) puts Marian in the situation of Laura's "protector," which is the masculine-romantic position, and
(b) forces Walter and Marian into even closer comradeship than would normally be the case even given their strong natural friendship.
The first time I read the book, I didn't quite get this all, though I did notice there was something odd about the relationship of both Walter and Laura to Marian. (To be precise, I kind of wondered why Frank preferred Laura to Marian, but then I've always been personally attracted to tomboys over girly-girls). I then had the possible alternative interpretation pointed out to me on TVTropes at
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheWomanInWhite?from=Main.TheWomanInWhite
specifically
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Polyamory
Whatever the case, it counts as a happy ending for all three concerned: if it's all platonic save between Walter and Laura, then Marian gets to live with her beloved half-sister and Fire-Forged Friend Walter; if it is sexual, well, then it goes on behind closed doors and they're all happy that way too.