Louise Pound: A Folklore and Literature Miscellany
Abstract
The 19th-century novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë has been frequently mined for its folkloric allusions, particularly the fairy tales that haunt the narrative's characterization, plot, and atmosphere. Moving beyond so-called motif spotting, this article will explore the ways in which two of the main fairy tale intertexts of the novel - "Beauty and the Beast" and "Bluebeard" - duel for supremacy in the reader's mind, creating a tension that ultimately determines reception. Drawing primarily on narrative and reader- response theory, we will argue that the uncertainty regarding exactly which fairy tale is being called upon allows Brontë to create an unexpectedly transgressive novel that uses familiar fairy tales to subvert narrative expectations.
Recommended Citation
Warman, Brittany and Cleto, Sara
(2015)
"Beasts and Bluebeards: Reader Reception, The Fairy Tale and Jane Eyre,"
Louise Pound: A Folklore and Literature Miscellany: Vol. 1:
No.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/louisepound/vol1/iss1/3
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."