Charlotte Bronte's books of revelation: Apocalyptic and prophetic allusion in the novel.

Abstract

The Bible proved to be a rich resource for Charlotte Bronte; with the exception of The Professor, Bronte's novels are saturated with references to prophecy and apocalypse. These allusions are crucial underpinnings in her novels, for they give shape to character, theme, and plot, even as the significance of these allusions alters with Bronte's own darkening vision. The introductory chapter analyses the religious and cultural milieu out of which Bronte's novels flourished. The second chapter examines how the prophet is closely aligned to the "poet"--and consequently, both the novelist and the narrator of Jane Eyre. The third chapter examines how prophecy affects the narrative structure in Shirley. The final chapter of the thesis examines revelation in Villette and how it may reveal and conceal: this ambiguity suggests a shift in the prophet's role from divine oracle of God's word to the overwrought imagination susceptible to interpretive subjectivity.