Summary Of Jane Eyre And Villette By Charlotte Bronte
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She once told her sisters that they were wrong – even morally wrong – in making their heroines beautiful as a matter of course. They replied that it was impossible to make a heroine interesting on any other terms. Her answer was, “I will prove to you that you are wrong; I will show you a heroine as plain and as small as myself, who shall be as interesting as any of yours (Gaskell 235).
Introduction
Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) was an English novelist whose novels have become enduring classics of English literature. In this essay, two of her novels will be discussed, Jane Eyre, published in 1847 and Villette, published in 1853. In both of these novels, Brontë demonstrates that she was way ahead of her time regarding feminism and gender equality.
Jane Eyre tells the story of a young woman in Victorian England who becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, in the north of England. There she falls in love with her employer, Edward Rochester and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage. As equality and independence are crucial for Jane, she is not prepared to become his mistress and leaves Thornfield. It is not until Jane receives an inheritance from a family member, that allows her to live as an independent woman who does not have to depend on others, that she decides to return to Thornfield. When she returns to Thornfield, a lot has changed, Rochester’s wife has passed away and he is now blind after a fire. Following this scenario, Jane finally considers them as equals