Summary French Lieutenant

The French Lieutenant's Woman by John
Fowles: Summary
Charles Smithson is introduced being engaged to Ernestina Freeman at the beginning of the
novel. Charles is a member of the English elite, an upper class aristocrat. Charles is a
paleontologist who studies the fossils of dead plants and animals. He is thirty-two and a dashing,
handsome man. Ernestina is an heiress from a well-to-do family. Her aunt, Tranter, lives in Lyme
and she pays a visit there every year for the rest. Ernestina and Charles both have come earlier
this year to prepare for their wedding.
During his stay over there, Charles comes to know about a local outcast lady named Sarah
Woodruf. She is also known as The French Lieutenants Wife and Tragedy. Sarah works for
Mrs. Poulteney, an elderly widow who has taken her on as a secretary. Mrs. Poulteney keeps an
eye on her and her activities so she can correct her and make her repent for her sins. Because of
this unnecessary bondage her life has become miserable.
Charles and Sarah meet alone accidentally a number of times. Charles has been obsessed for
her. He finds her drastically different from the Victorian women and far away from the common
interest of the woman of that era. She is unconventional and never bother to follow the set pattern
of the society. She feels suffocated so she starts to depend on Charles. Sarah now feels
confident with Charles so she discloses her past. She reveals that she has expected to marry one
French Lieutenant whom she had already given all her virginity. But the next day he went back
and married to another woman and never came back. Since then she was called the whore of the
French lieutenant. He wants to help her regain freedom from the bondage of Mrs. Poulteney.
Mrs. Poulteney dismisses Sarah from her job, and she seeks out Charles through a letter. Charles
meets her, embraces and kisses her. Charles is bound by Victorian duty and he hates the
conventional way of living. He finds the possibilities of self-freedom along with the freedom of
Sarah which he is sure that will end in marriage. So, Charles pays for her to leave, to start a new
life, and she goes to Exeter near London. Soon afterward, he cannot control his feelings and goes
to see her in Exeter. There they have a sexual relationship for the first time and he is shocked to
know that she is a virgin. All the rumors about her and French lieutenant are proved fake. In the
meantime, Charles has been disowned by his uncle from his property because his uncle plans to
marry. Charles then goes to meet Ernestinas father to tell him of his disinheritance. On hearing
that Ernestinas father proposals a larger dowry, and a business position, Charles denies. John
Fowles then presents his first ending: Charles refuses any more contact with Sarah, and marries
Ernestina.
Charles finds the life of a dutiful husband and a loyal son in law dull. He does not own any
property so he wants to make his life meaningfull which is only possible going out of the norm of
the society. He makes the final decision of his life, he breaks the engagement with Ernestina. Her
father makes him sign in a humiliating statement for breaking the engagement. Charles goes to
seek Sarah. When Charles reaches Exeter to meet Sarah, he comes to know the fact that Sarah
has left Exeter but does not leave any clue where she is going. His friend tells him to go to some
other places for some change.
He travels extensively, but prefers America. During his tour in America, he receives news that
Sarah is found. He immediately comes back to England and finds Sarah living with Rossettis.
The company of Rossettis has completely changed her. From here, John Fowles gives two
endings: the conventional ending is that Charles meets Sarah and learns that she has a daughter
by Charles. They live happily and romantically ever after.
The other ending is unconventional and more likely to happen in modern life. In this ending,
Charles finds Sarah too modern to accept. He cannot spend his whole life living with her. Sarah
also does not want to bind herself again in the bondage of marriage. She does not want to lose
the freedom which she is enjoying now. So, she rejects him. He feels too bitter and painful. Yet, at
the same time, finds himself too strong and convinced to reject the conventional pattern of life and
too powerful to make oneself happy by avoiding the unpleasant situation. He thinks he is now
mature and gains the consciousness. He goes to America at the end of the novel.

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The French Lieutenant's Woman by John

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