Loading...
Pleasure and Pain in Charlotte Bronte's Villette and Jane Eyre
Frank, Tirzah Frank, Tirzah
Frank, Tirzah
Frank, Tirzah
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
Like every character, Lucy Snowe and Jane Eyre, respective protagonists of Charlotte Brontë's Villette and Jane Eyre, grapple with pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. Pleasure and pain are unavoidable universals, of course, but everyone treats their own pleasure and pain differently. Furthermore, pleasure and pain do not exist in a vacuum; there are other considerations—such as morality, self-respect, and lack of absolute control—that affect how each person treats and prioritizes them. Lucy and Jane, in particular, are not hedonists, so when looking at how they pursue pleasure and avoid pain, it is also important to account for the things that they care about more than either. Examining how Brontë's heroines approach pleasure and pain in relation to other facets of their lives reveals their priorities, an understanding of which is essential to understanding their choices and burgeoning selfhood.
Title
Pleasure and Pain in Charlotte Bronte's Villette and Jane Eyre
Date
2016-05-01
Subject
Jane Eyre
Villette
Charlotte Bronte
pleasure
pain
self
selfhood
Villette
Charlotte Bronte
pleasure
pain
self
selfhood
Material type
Collections
Files
Loading...
Frank_Tirzah.pdf
Adobe PDF, 391.77 KB
Abstract
Like every character, Lucy Snowe and Jane Eyre, respective protagonists of Charlotte Brontë's Villette and Jane Eyre, grapple with pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. Pleasure and pain are unavoidable universals, of course, but everyone treats their own pleasure and pain differently. Furthermore, pleasure and pain do not exist in a vacuum; there are other considerations—such as morality, self-respect, and lack of absolute control—that affect how each person treats and prioritizes them. Lucy and Jane, in particular, are not hedonists, so when looking at how they pursue pleasure and avoid pain, it is also important to account for the things that they care about more than either. Examining how Brontë's heroines approach pleasure and pain in relation to other facets of their lives reveals their priorities, an understanding of which is essential to understanding their choices and burgeoning selfhood.
Duration
Location
Advisor
Sponsor
Course
Department
English
Degree
Bachelor of Arts (BA)