Professor Pesca Character Analysis

By Stephen Bray 

 

Professor Pesca is an intriguing but relatively transparent character. An Italian emigre and no doubt a fugitive from the Roman State of Pope Pius IX he makes his living by teaching Italian to gentle ladies.

He is a small intense man who seems to fear little. He even attempts to swim without having a clue about how to go about it. For his pains he nearly drowns and as a result owes his life to Hartright.

We have to take this debt seriously, for whilst an Englishman might easily rescue another and the two would think little more than a pint of beer should be exchanged between them, if even that, the Italians believed, and some continue to believe in taking one life for that of another. To someone of Pesca's antecedents to be rescued truly was to be honour bound to Hartright.

In the very first chapters Pesca helps Hartright to obtain his employment at Limmeridge House. This really wouldn't have made the two men even, and in any case they were friends and so Pesca would in any event have helped Hartright  by, for example, to obtaining work for him if he could.

But it is Pesca's intervention at the end of the story that provides Hartright with the essential help that he needs in order to defeat Osco, and restore Laura Fairlie's status in society. This is really a very cloudy area. Hartright and Pesca really are threatening man's life without recourse to the law.

Pesca can claim some privilege as a foreigner following the ways that obtained in Osco's and his own country. Italy was at the time drowning in blood because of the ruthless suppression of Pope Pius IX. The Italian Feudal system was to collapse in 1860, the year after 'The Woman In White' was serialised, and just as it was being published in book form.

Ultimately Pesca is simply an intelligent young man who, through the power of individual thought found commandership in a political society and as a result had to flee his country. Unlike Fosco he isn't an opportunist, and as far as we know, although a member of an Italian Secret Brotherhood, he is not involved in subversive or criminal activities in England.

Collins Woman In White Criticism Literary Agents

Collins, Woman In White Criticism   Add your critcism   The Wilkie Collins Website   The Woman In White Full Plot Summary   Full Character List with Descriptions   Walter Hartright Character Analysis   Marian Halcombe Character Analysis   Anne Catherick Character Analysis   Laura Fairlie
Character Analysis   Sir Percival Glyde Character Analysis   Count Fosco
 Character Analysis   Frederick Fairlie Character Analysis   Vincent Gilmore Character Analysis   Mr. Dawson Character Analysis   Professor Pesca Character Analysis   Anne Catherick's mother Character Analysis   Mrs. Clements 
 Character Analysis   Mrs Eliza Michelson Character Analysis   Brief notes on lesser characters   Madam Fosco   Mr and Mrs Rubelle   Mr Kyrle   Mr Merriman   THE BOOK   Read on-line ~   The eBooks ~   Buy the book   THE FILMS   THE MUSICAL   How this web site was made ~   Please link to this website   Our RSS Feed   Links to Academic Resources  

Collins, Woman In White Criticism
◦ Add your critcism
◦ The Wilkie Collins Website
The Woman In White Full Plot Summary
Full Character List with Descriptions
◦ Walter Hartright Character Analysis
◦ Marian Halcombe Character Analysis
◦ Anne Catherick Character Analysis
◦ Laura Fairlie
Character Analysis
◦ Sir Percival Glyde Character Analysis
◦ Count Fosco
Character Analysis
◦ Frederick Fairlie Character Analysis
◦ Vincent Gilmore Character Analysis
◦ Mr. Dawson Character Analysis
◦ Professor Pesca Character Analysis
◦ Anne Catherick's mother Character Analysis
◦ Mrs. Clements
Character Analysis
◦ Mrs Eliza Michelson Character Analysis
Brief notes on lesser characters
◦ Madam Fosco
◦ Mr and Mrs Rubelle
◦ Mr Kyrle
◦ Mr Merriman
THE BOOK
◦ Read on-line ~
◦ The eBooks ~
◦ Buy the book
THE FILMS
THE MUSICAL
How this web site was made ~
Please link to this website
Links to Academic Resources
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