I`m not sure about that.
Posted by Luisa on October 16, 1997 at 14:16:46:
In response to Blameless? Faultless?, written by Ann on October 15, 1997 at 23:13:29
] But most of Austen's novels revolve around the heroine discovering that she has lots of faults and then striving to overcome them. I don't see that at all in Bronte. People in JE have faults, but they never seem to recognise them and strive to overcome them.
They have faults indeed, but donīt try to tell me that they aren`t virtuous, generous and "clean", because they are. And they fit into society and their own social class very nicely indeed. That`s not Rochester`s nor Janeīs case. They are rebels. And Rochesterīs soul is not pure nor simple. But youīre wrong when you say that he doesn`t recognize his mistakes. What`s the ending all about? What are Janeīs return and his reaction all about? I don`t think he needs to ease his conscience by that time.
] Elizabeth Bennet, Marianne Dashwood, and particularly Emma all have lots of problems and the stories are driven by those faults. The very titles of two of the novels point this out: Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice.
Yes, very nice titles that quietly separate qualities that are usually inseparable in human nature.
] JA writes in a far more natural style with more realistic dialogue. Her stories also hang together much better than JE. It is extremely hard to pick apart an Austen plot
I won`t argue with that. But thatīs technique, something that I donīt really pay much attention to, when reading a rollercoaster of a novel like Jane Eyre.
I can find lots of different things in JE that do not make sense.
Does it bother you? The mad wife in the attic, for example? Well, I guess we have different ways of reading.
PS: Please, don`t misunderstand, I like Austen, but too much of it is sickening sometimes.
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