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† "No Name" by Wilkie Collins 1824-1889

Characters

Thomas: a male servant

Mr. Andrew Vanstone: the master of the house, with tall height, stout body, and blue eyes; and just turning fifty, though look younger

Miss Garth: a governess with older looking with her gray hair and her hat

Mrs. Vanstone: turning forty-four and has a native English kind of looks

Norah Vanstone: turning twenty-six matured rosy girl who is mostly sedate and likes to read book after book

Magdalen Vanstone: very tall and big complexion of twenty; but, she is eighteen and likes to play the piano‡

Captain Wragge, Post-Office, Bristol: a strange man who followed Mr. Vanstone's two daughters on the street when their parents were on leave to London, only had chance to meet Miss Garth at the lodge-gate because his appearance seemed very rugged, two young girls did not want to talk to him, even though he had greenish-brown eyes; more than that, he is Mrs. Vanstone's mother's first husband's, the husband with whom she left no child, son

Mr. Francis Clare: Mr. Vanstone's very old neighbor's son, the neighbor who passed away inheriting his son philosophical books, the books he took too difficult; he often visits Combe-Raven to debate with Mr. Vanstone; and, he talks about himself, a widower, and his three sons: Frank, Cecil, and Arthur

Mr. Frank Clare: a seventeen years old son of Mr. Francis Clare, who is like a guinea to Mr. Vanstone; who, therefore, sent him under superintendent of a civil engineer at north of England; and is like a bad shilling to Mr. Francis Clare who insists not to send him anywhere

Mr. Marrable: a merchant at Bristol

Mrs. Marrable: lives at Evergreen Lodge, Clifton

Miss. Marrable: a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marrable and she likes to talk into stage business with Magdalen

Manager: is a stage director for Miss Marrable's play

Mr. Pendril: a business parter of Mr. Vanstone who just before a suspicion wrote to him in his study, who eventually draws curtain to Mr. Vanstone's role

Mr. Noel Vanstone: a nephew to Mr. Andrew Vanstone

Mr. George Vanstone: a cousin to Mr. Noel Vanstone

Play Characters

Fag and Couchman: two characters put on the stage that is ready with the background 'Street in Bath.'

Lucy: played by Magdalen, who produce novels for Mrs. Lydia Languish

Mrs. Lydia Languish: played by Miss Marrable, who reads "Humphrey Clinker" on "The Tears of Sensibility."

Julia: played by Mrs. Malaprop who makes lots of language mistakes and be criticized on it

Sir Anthony Absolute: played by a lad who contantly tottered on his knees and thumped the stage with his stick

Quotations

Chapter IV

"...turned suddenly toward her waist upward...they took the way which led to that secret's discovery, through many a darker winding that was yet to come."

Even Collins imagines the way people do. People usually imagine angels the way he does. Angels in their imagination appear like snap-shot females who walk very delightfully and in upward motional way too. Their imgined angles are looking back swerving to their left only once still walking close to the door just about to open it and ascending the stairs simultaneously. After angels' right instruction, human mystery is the only thing left behind. The mystery is same as secret, literally. Instead of personification, topic of secret is treated as an object like some jewels. Therefore, hidden mystery always begins from dark place. Human approach is initiated by the wind from that dark place. These two are taken as quotations because angels, mystery and expedition for it are included in it.

"Come!"..."Come, Frank!"

This quotation is equivalent of "...turned suddenly toward her waist upward..." Collins humanized or realized the imagination of angel into Magdalene's voice.

Chapter V

"On the other was the dream-land of Elysian serenity--the sanctity of unruffled repose."

Collins means it! Practice makes perfect: condition, intelligence, rehearsal, business, image, and all that human needs to acquire from the drama is already achieved in the practices.

Chapter XI

"...Angel of Death had done his awful bidding..."

This phrase reminds of comfortable deaths of two sister's parents and forecasts something Mr. Vanstonen might had done before his death that even Angel of Death could send him to heaven.

Importance of Plot When Captain Wragge approaches Norah and Magdalene, two happy girls ignore him. Then, something happens and miserable Captain Wragge behaves differently than two girls and he becomes very dependent person to Magdalene after all her strange behaviors. ‡