Villette Flashcards
key themes in Villette
Relgion
Gothic
Gender
self
What kind of Woman was rare in Bronte’s time
a woman who reveled an independent spirt
What did Bronte reject to attract men
The use of sexuality in any form
criticised Women who resorted to this female charecteristic as lacking self respect, a fate she deemed worse than death
Why does Lucy deploy the Roman Catholic Church as a tyrannical insinuation
to lauch and disguise a general critique of male domination and female subordination intricacy to the structure of English Victorian society
When was it written and published
Written in 1852/2
published in 1853
coincides with the anti- Catholic agitation of 1850’s
How does the narrator demonstrate a two fold nature
soft spoken nature among her acceptances
beligerant and petty attitude to the reader
surprising and contradictory
What is the relationship between the narrator and the the reader
difficult at best
in Lucy , Bronte has created a character with qualities that challenege the trad. view of the narrator as a guide
nothing immediately accessible about her
withold info
How does bronte create the antihesis of a literary hero and Rochester in Villette
Paul Emmanuel lacks all romance and is instead humanly flawed
Bronte is reminding the reader that women of self respect and intellect can seek their place in the world without the assistance of men
An interesting feature of Paul and Lucy relationship
Paul remains a Roman Catholic . in its comfortable contemplation of a mixed marriage Villette actually agrees with later attitudes on this matter, obviously going against views that prevailed
a case of Amor Vincit Omina
What is one way that Lucy tries to forage an independent life in the novel
emigration
Does Lucy appear to have paradoxical views towards the Catholic faith
yes
attracted to some aspects of the catholic faith when she admits ‘ whatever romanism may be there are good romanists
goes to confession
What can Villette be considered as
Bronte most ambitious and complex narrative achievement
How does Lucy engage in various sterotypes of a woman needing a man
longing for male precedes
injurged feelings
engaged in needlework sometimes as a distraction from thoughts about men
An example of how catholism is cast in an evil role
When were Silas attempts to dereail Lucy’s affection for M Paul by stressing Paul’s devotion to his ex fiancé
How does lucy describe her decision to leave England
‘it was by the leading of stars only that i traced the dim path’ suggests a definite lack of conciousnes on her part
What were the career options like for women at the time
v limited
only carriers for proper yet impoverished woman was governess or teacher
How many times is Lucy exposed to the spectral manifestation of the nun
5
In what ways is Villette an experimental novel
1st person singular perspective
partly autobiographical
What is special about the tittle of Villette
It is spacialised unlike rest which are based on a name
What are the autobiographical details in Villette
she elaborates on the true story of her unrequited love for a married schoolmaster called Constantin Héger.
Gothic features of Villette
far-fetched coincidences
doubling
anti catholic fears-links to the monk
psychological focus
what have feminist critics said of the conclusion of the novel
perceived the novels departure from the marriage plot as a rejection of a patriarchal narrative that restricts the lives of women
what type of novel/fiction is Villette said to pre empt
sensation fiction which took off in 1860’s
