Isabel Vane is the protagonist of the novel. At the start of the plot, she is a strikingly beautiful young woman. Despite her privileged upbringing, Isabel is also conscientious and kind toward others (for example, she takes great pains to ensure that Mr. Kane’s concert raises money for a worthy cause). As the plot progresses, Isabel gradually becomes more isolated and unhappy, and this internal atrophy impacts her physical appearance so that eventually “she look[s] like a ghost of her former self” (336). Her physical appearance is also significantly altered after she is injured in the railroad accident, which allows her to return incognito to East Lynne.

Though fundamentally kind and caring (her love for her children is particularly strong), Isabel is also impulsive and emotional. Isabel becomes increasingly insecure and jealous about her husband’s relationship with Barbara, and this makes her vulnerable to recklessly running away with Francis; her storyline is as much a cautionary tale about Jealousy Leading to Irrational Decisions as it is about the consequences of sexual transgression (in fact, Wood tempers the transgressiveness of Isabel’s actions by locating them primarily in jealousy rather than in the more illicit realm of female sexual desire).