|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
In the Short Oxford History of English Literature, Charlotte Brontė's novel Jane Eyre is called "an extraordinary phenomenon: a totally assured, provocative, and compelling piece of fiction." Published under the pseudonym of "Currer Bell," to compete among contemporary male novelists, the book professes to be the autobiography of a young woman, who finally succeeds in marrying a wealthy aristocrat, looking back on her life as an unloved orphan and struggling governess in the haughty and self-righteous world of the gentry. Some have seen the novel simply as a heartbreaking love-story teaching female submission and Christian resolution. However, the text is far from that: it shows the heroine burning with a sense of injustice and determined in her quest for surroundings in which her intelligence and integrity will be appreciated. This portrait of the emancipation and development of a free woman's spirit became immediately popular and has remained one of the most successful of all English novels. Since it is one of the archetypes of the British "governess novel," we shall have a look at social conditions in Victorian England in general and the role of the governess in particular. Besides, we shall concentrate on literary aspects, such as narrative situation, symbolism as well as features of romanticism and Gothicism.
Prerequisites:
Requirements for Credit:
Registration:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jane Eyre