East Lynne

Archibald Carlyle is a primary character in the novel. He is married to Isabel and becomes a key figure in helping to solve the murder case and establish Richard’s innocence. Archibald is a successful lawyer who is a well-respected member of the East Lynne community, and many individuals seek his advice and help. He is also distinguished for having a great deal of moral integrity, control, and composure; when the possibility of charging Francis with murder comes to light, Archibald explains, “[I]f lifting my finger would send him to his disgraceful death, I would cut off my hand, rather than lift it” (562). In contrast to Isabel, Archibald is portrayed as thoughtful, rational, and able to assess a situation rather than rush to a conclusion. While he works alongside Barbara for years to establish whether Richard is truly guilty of murder, Archibald maintains an open mind and carefully weighs evidence on both sides, avoiding False Perceptions of Innocence and Guilt.

While Archibald is intelligent and fair, he repeatedly fails to accurately perceive the emotions of those around him—especially women. Archibald is astonished when Barbara reveals that she has romantic feelings for him, explaining, “I only thought of you as a friend, as a sister” (213). He also never recognizes how isolated and unhappy Isabel is during their marriage. That said, Archibald does show some capacity to grow and change. When he begins his second marriage, he makes it clear that Cornelia cannot live with him and his bride: “[T]wo mistresses in a house do not answer” (429). Archibald is a loving and considerate husband to both of his wives, and he takes the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of his first marriage. Archibald also shows compassion and an ability to forgive when Isabel finally reveals her true identity on her deathbed. Coupled with his solidly (upper-) middle-class identity, Archibald’s moral character makes him a model of Victorian masculinity.

Francis Levinson is the antagonist and villain of the novel; he drives the conflict of the plot by deliberately misleading and seducing Isabel. Francis also winds up being implicated in the plotline surrounding Hallijohn’s murder, showing that he is not only selfish and emotionally manipulative but capable of violence. Francis is repeatedly shown to be callous and cruel, as when he refuses to marry Isabel (who has given up her entire life and claim to her children to be with him), telling her, “[I]t is an awful sacrifice for a man in my position to marry a divorced woman” (344). In fact, he shows a consistent disregard for women, including Afy, Isabel, and the woman he eventually marries (Lady Levinson), which is especially dangerous in an era when women were often dependent on men and when women’s sexual choices could significantly damage their lives. Francis recklessly pursues his own pleasure and gives no thought to the impact it may have on others.

This disregard for consequences also surfaces in Francis’s money troubles, as he repeatedly gets into severe debt because he spends without considering his ability to pay. Even the act of murdering Hallijohn is represented as “a moment of wild rage: it had not been premeditated” (673). Francis’s conviction and deportation to a penal colony represent consequences and justice for a character who does not display any growth or maturation. His exploitation of others stretches over decades, from his seduction of Afy to his campaign for office while trying to avoid detection for his crime. At no point does Francis willingly accept any consequences for his actions, which the novel implies has much to do with his aristocratic background: He has never had to exercise self-control and views most people as inferiors to use and then discard.

Barbara Hare functions as a foil for Isabel Vane. Before Isabel’s marriage, the two young women are contrasted as possible marriage prospects for Archibald, and even after Isabel and Archibald marry, there is a sense of rivalry. Isabel in particular fears Archibald has romantic feelings for Barbara, and these fears are realized when Archibald does indeed marry Barbara once he believes that Isabel is dead.

Barbara is an intelligent and persistent young woman; she becomes determined to clear her brother’s name and persists in this project for years despite many hurdles. She also refuses all other suitors until Archibald finally proposes to her, as Barbara’s love for him is singular and decisive. Both before and after her marriage, Barbara reveres and adores her husband; Isabel is pained to frequently observe Barbara gazing at Archibald with “a whole world of love in her bright blue eyes” (490). Barbara’s steady affection and levelheaded disposition contrast with the somewhat more impulsive Isabel.

Barbara thrives in her role as wife and mother and is also a loving sibling and daughter. However, she displays jealousy toward both her stepchildren and also any other female presences in her household. Barbara never warms to Madame Vine—she “would not shed tears after the governess” (660)—and she eventually admits to Archibald that “there has been a feeling in [her] heart against [his] children” (690). When Barbara finally learns that Isabel lived incognito in her household, she grasps how much her rival has suffered and achieves a deeper appreciation for everything she has. While Barbara does not fundamentally change over the course of the plot, she is rewarded for her qualities of steadfastness and deep love. When she selflessly embraces her former rival’s children as her own, Barbara becomes the idealized figure of the Victorian wife and mother.

Cornelia Carlyle is an important secondary character and to some degree a secondary antagonist. Cornelia is a stern and controlling woman who has extremely strong and rigid opinions. She is overprotective of Archibald and suspicious of all other women. Cornelia is outraged when she learns that Archibald has married Isabel, whom she calls a “senseless idiot” and a “fine lady-child” (176), but she reacts almost the same way when she finds out he is going to take Barbara as his second wife, calling Barbara “a little conceited minx” (428). In Cornelia’s eyes, no one is good enough for her brother. While her motivations for this distrust are never entirely established, Cornelia never marries and soundly rejects any suitor who makes overtures. Her love for Archibald is almost as obsessive as Barbara’s and is clearly at the center of her life, but her love manifests as a desire for control and authority: Cornelia sees herself as superior to other women and thus more suited to her brother’s care than any wife could be. However, Cornelia displays perhaps the greatest personal transformation of anyone in the novel. When she reunites with Isabel on the latter’s deathbed, Cornelia freely admits to wrongdoing and asks for Isabel’s forgiveness. She expresses regret, admitting, “I could have made your home happier, and I wish I had done so” (679). Cornelia is finally able to see beyond her rigid and domineering personality and reveals herself to be someone capable of empathy and personal growth.