Villette by Charlotte Bronte Read-a-Long Part 1
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Unputdownables is hosting a Villette by Charlotte Bronte read-a-long for the next couple of months. And this is the first week of discussion.
For this week, we had to read the first five chapters of the novel.
The narrator begins by talking of her godmother and her family in Bretton and how she enjoyed being at their house. We soon learn in the first chapter that her godmother has agreed to take charge of a young girl, Paulina, who has lost her mother and whose father has been told to travel to calm his ailments and recover from grief.
Miss Lucy Snowe is our narrator and she loves to observe her family members and Paulina as they interact with one another and when they are alone. She has a particular interest in Paulina (Polly) given that the young girl wants to accomplish so much without help, but is not tall enough to complete certain tasks on her own at least not without difficulty. What's intriguing is the relationship that blossoms between Mrs. Bretton's son, Graham, and Paulina. Without her father, she seems to be seeking another man to look up to and take care of, but Graham is a young man in school with his own priorities and friends, though he does enjoy spending time teasing Paulina.
There also are some similarities between Polly and Lucy in how they interact with others, seeming to want more attention, but unsure how to get it without seeming overly needy. While Polly takes it to the needy extreme, Lucy often seems too aloof.
Alas, things change and Miss Snowe and Paulina must part company with the Brettons and face the next leg of their own journeys. The narrator finds herself looking for engagement once at home and is offered one position with a neighbor in need of consistent assistance. Brontë inserts some Gothic elements in the narration -- especially the storms and Aurora Borealis -- which provide readers with an atmosphere of mystery and suspense.
While it is unclear where the narration is headed and what will happen to Miss Snowe given her current financial circumstances, it is clear that she is a character of determination and intuition. It will be interesting to see where this leads.
***As an aside, I've purposely not read much about this novel or any reviews to keep my experience with it unencumbered.
Stay tuned next Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011, for the next discussion.