The End or is it In John Fowles book The French Lieutenants Woman we are told a story about Charles Smithson and Ernestina Freeman who are a couple engaged to be married The setting of the story takes place mainly in Lyme Bay England Charles and Ernestina are two upper class individuals who feel like they are above most other Victorian people Charles is an amateur pathologist who enjoys many of Darwins theories and Ernestina is an attractive shy and intelligent woman The couple are one day walk