I Am: Identity, Maturation, and the Ideal Woman in Bronte’s Villette

Although many individuals may be familiar with Charlotte Brontë’s works—Jane Eyre has become somewhat of a literary staple—many others may not be as familiar with Villette, Brontë’s last and most autobiographical novel. Regardless of mixed reviews, Villette’s themes, characters, and underlying premises create a literary work that is exponentially more valuable in the Brontë literary canon than any work of any Brontë sister. The literary merit of Brontë’s novel, which documents one woman’s journey towards self-discovery and maturation, is infinitely invaluable; its passion, intensity, and discovery far surpasses the literary fame of Jane Eyre and Rochester. Villette showcases a woman’s struggles against a tide of Victorian values, and outlines the lonely journey towards maturation and personal fulfillment.