Mary Morstan

Mary Morstan has two roles in the novella – she plays the part of the client to Sherlock Holmes, and the romantic interest to Dr Watson.

Damsel in distress

By introducing her to the story, Conan Doyle allows her to play the role of damsel in distress for both Holmes and Watson.
- Holmes will solve the mysterious case of her missing father (Captain Morstan).
- Watson will become romantically involved with her and will worry about her health and her emotions.
- Together, they will go on a 'quest' (the title of Chapter 3) as if they are knights aiming to solve a key problem for her and she is the damsel, awaiting their return.

Vulnerable

Mary works as a governess and has no close friends or family, highlighting her vulnerability: she has ‘no friends whom I could appeal to’.

Stereotypical upper-class woman

Mary also plays the role of the stereotypically ideal upper-class Victorian woman, who remains calm under pressure and does not react harshly or loudly to any situation.
Although Mary gets a bit teary when telling Holmes about her missing father, she is not overly-emotional.
When Thaddeus says that her father is dead, she goes white but does not become very emotional.

Significance of 'white'

There is a lot of repetition around the adjective ‘white’ – she becomes white in the face and she wears a white feather. This could represent her innocent, vulnerable nature.
- When she learns that Holmes and Watson were almost shot with a poisoned dart, she becomes white in shock.
- When Thaddeus says that her father is dead, she turns white: ‘Miss Morstan sat down, and her face grew white to the lips’.

Hidden strength

There appears to be a hidden strength in Mary – she does not appear fazed when she realises that the Agra treasure (and her potential status as the wealthiest woman in England) is lost: ‘"The treasure is lost," said Miss Morstan, calmly’.
It is important to note that we see Mary only from Watson’s point of view. He views her as being very calm and collected at this point – is this showing her true feelings?

Key Quotations about Mary Morstan

Here are four key quotations about Mary Morstan:

Vulnerable

‘No friends whom I could appeal to’ (Chapter 2).
- This immediately presents Mary as a vulnerable character who has no one to turn to.
- The verb ‘appeal’ suggests a sense of helplessness, which adds to the helplessness of her character. This causes the reader to feel a sense of joy when Watson becomes closer to Mary – we feel that, at last, she has someone who cares about her.

Delicate woman

‘Miss Morstan sat down, and her face grew white to the lips’ (Chapter 4).
- Despite finding that her father has died (and being told about it by Thaddeus in a very abrupt way), Mary does not make a scene or become overly emotional.
- Instead, she is displayed as a delicate, composed woman, whose only visible reaction is that her skin becomes very pale.
- This could link to the damsel in distress idea, as the paleness of her skin also represents her vulnerability.

Repetition of 'white'

The adjective ‘white’ is used seven times in the novella to describe Mary or the clothing she is wearing.
The adjective is used to highlight Mary’s innocence, vulnerability, and goodness, as well as her naivety and lack of understanding of the wider world.
She is presented as a woman who needs to be loved and protected – the perfect candidate for a romantic sub-plot.

Not materialistic

‘"The treasure is lost," said Miss Morstan, calmly’ (Chapter 11).
- Mary shows that she is unselfish and not materialistic here as she realises that all of her potential fortune has been lost.
- She reacts ‘calmly’, suggesting that she either does not really want the wealth or feels that it is not rightly hers anyway because it was stolen.
- This reaction could also be because Mary knows that the huge wealth would have made a relationship between her and Watson more difficult.

1Context

1.1Victorian England & British Empire

1.1.1Author Background

1.1.2Victorian Crime & Police

1.1.3Historical Context

1.1.4Victorian London

1.1.5Women

1.1.6The British Empire

1.1.7End of Topic Test - Author & Victorian Police

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Victorian London & Empire

2Plot Summary

2.1Chapter Summaries

2.1.1Chapter 1

2.1.2Chapter 2

2.1.3Chapter 3

2.1.4Chapter 4

2.1.5Chapter 5

2.1.6Chapter 6

2.1.7Chapter 7

2.1.8Chapter 8

2.1.9Chapter 9

2.1.10Chapter 10

2.1.11Chapter 11

2.1.12Chapter 12

2.1.13Chapter 12: Jonathan Small's Stories

2.1.14End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-6

2.1.15End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-12

3Characters

3.1Key Characters

3.1.1Sherlock Holmes

3.1.2Sherlock Holmes: Quotations

3.1.3Dr John Watson

3.1.4Mary Morstan

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Characters

3.1.6Exam-Style Questions - Mary & Dr Watson

3.2Other Characters

3.2.1Thaddeus Sholto

3.2.2Jonathan Small

3.2.3End of Topic Test - Thaddeus and Jonathan Small

3.3Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.3.1Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.3.2Extract Analysis - Tonga

4Key Themes

4.1Key Themes

4.1.1Corruption

4.1.2Criminals & Victims

4.1.3Victorian Fear

4.1.4British Empire & Imperialism

4.1.5Duality

4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes

5Writing Techniques

5.1Writing Techniques

5.1.1Narrative Voice

5.1.2Dialogue

5.1.3Structure

5.1.4Structure & Characters

5.1.5Pathetic Fallacy

5.1.6End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

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