I went into this story without know anything apart that it’s about a woman moving from England to live in a foreign place called Villette. I still know nothing about it apart from these first five chapters.
My first thought after finishing them was this: Lucy Snow, who are you? Something tells me I won’t get much closer to an answer by the end of the book, and it surprised me that Charlotte decided to create such a mysterious heroine after letting us into bit of Jane Eyre’s mind (or maybe because of it?).
Lucy, we find in these first five chapters, is a keen observer and gives us an intimate glimpse of two homes. The first is her godmother’s, whom she’s visiting and where she meets Polly-the-creepy-child. Polly is a relative that’s staying with them while her father is out of the country for his health. She’s a six-year-old drama queen who transfers her almost morbid attachment to her father to the godmother’s son, Graham. Lucy’s descriptions of the way Polly clings to these two men made me slightly uncomfortable – her gestures and dialogues are those of a wife or a lover, and in modern times would deserve serious counseling. Take a look at this eerie description of Polly:
Opposite where he had placed himself [Graham] was seated Mr. Home, and at his elbow, the child. When I say child I use an inappropriate and undescriptive term—a term suggesting any picture rather than that of the demure little person in a mourning frock and white chemisette, that might just have fitted a good-sized doll—perched now on a high chair beside a stand, whereon was her toy work-box of white varnished wood, and holding in her hands a shred of a handkerchief, which she was professing to hem, and at which she bored perseveringly with a needle, that in her fingers seemed almost a skewer, pricking herself ever and anon, marking the cambric with a track of minute red dots; occasionally starting when the perverse weapon—swerving from her control—inflicted a deeper stab than usual; but still silent, diligent, absorbed, womanly.
Flashes of “Village of the Damned” keept crossing my mind…
The second home we’re introduced to is that of invalid Miss Marchmont, to take is Lucy as a companion/nurse after an unexplained tragedy happens. I had to go back and re-read the metaphors about boats and storms to realize Lucy was telling us she’d lost all her family and was now alone in the world. Did Charlotte know that by not telling us what happened, the reader would imagine the worst?
Lucy spends years confined to the two rooms Miss Marchmoors is limited to, and dedicates her life to the Lady’s comfort. I came to see this time in her life as a necessary harbour of safety and constancy, after her unnamed difficulties. My favorite part of these chapters were Lucy’s thoughts when Miss Marchmont dies and she is forced out of her emotional hibernation:
It seemed I must be stimulated into action. I must be goaded, driven, stung, forced to energy. My little morsel of human affection, which I prized as if it were a solid pearl, must melt in my fingers and slip thence like a dissolving hailstone. My small adopted duty must be snatched from my easily contented conscience. I had wanted to compromise with Fate: to escape occasional great agonies by submitting to a whole life of privation and small pains. Fate would not so be pacified; nor would Providence sanction this shrinking sloth and cowardly indolence.
This is the second book I’ve read this year where we’re left ignorant of the heroine’s background and it’s interesting to see the difference it makes in character development. You really are the sum of all your experiences and the decisions you make are a consequence of a past cause. So why did Charlotte decided to give us a “past-less” Lucy Snowe? Something I’m looking forward to explore in the next chapters.
9 comments
Comments feed for this article
February 10, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Mady
My thoughts exactly… After 5 chapters, I know short of nothing about Lucy Snow!
I always prefer to read books without any previous knowledge of the plot and this case was not an exception. So far I’ve really enjoyed Charlotte Bronte’s style and character development, but I do wonder about the plot. Other than the hint Lucy just introduced about English ladies working abroad, I have no idea where the plot will lead to!
I was also puzzled about the unnamed tragedy that made Lucy wear mourning clothes and also went back wondering if I’d missed something. How interesting what you can infer from what is not there!!
February 10, 2011 at 10:43 pm
sagustocox
I really love pouring through the text to find clues to Lucy’s past. Its so much more fun than contemporary novels where everything is told to you. I’m looking forward to Lucy’s adventures in London.
February 11, 2011 at 1:36 am
Bellezza
I’m dying to know more about Lucy Snowe, too. You, at least, knew more about it than I did from the beginning (here I was thinking Villette was the name of a woman, not a town in France…geez!).
February 11, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Amy
I’m hoping Lucy opens up more. I think her observations and comments tell us a bit about her. She’s certainly strong, capable and self-reliant. She’s seems adaptable to circumstances too.
I thought Polly was odd and wonder what that section of the book was all about, why it was there? I’m wondering if Polly will show up again?!
I enjoyed your post! And look forward to next week!
February 13, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Charlie Dryden
I really enjoyed your post, and loved how you pinpointed Lucy’s depiction of little Polly. With Charlotte’s experiences as a governess and teacher, I’m fascinated by her strange descriptions of children and childhood experiences.
February 14, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Alex
@Mady: there’s something that she says after the storm metaphor that made me thing that the tragedy was cholera, but nothing is really certain.
@sagustocox: I can picture Charlotte Bronte imagining the PhD thesis which would be written in the future about Lucy Snowe’s past 🙂
@Bellezza: I don’t usually go this blind into a novel, but it might just be the right approach to this one. Time will tell!
@Amy: Exactly my feelings – I hope we can get to know we a bit more. I’m almost sure Polly will pop-up, and Graham as well. However, it can be that Polly is there mostly to show the contrast with Lucy’s personality, what do you think?
@Charlie: I was reading Iris’ review of Agnes Grey (Iris on Books) and thinking the same thing – Charlotte’s and Anne’s feelings towards the work of a governess and children is very similar – surreal, gothic, almost.
February 15, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Wallace
I agree with Serena… I love finding out about Lucy this way. It makes formuch more interesting discussion don’t you think? People seem to either love it or hate it. And everyone seems to be noticing different things about her (which makes it all the more interesting to read along with others). I so wonder where she got Polly from… that is one consistent thing about the opinions so far — Polly is creepy… Stephen King creepy. I kept expecting her to do something scary.
February 16, 2011 at 4:19 am
(Diane)BibliophileBytheSea
I’m sorry I did not join in on this one; it sounds so good –enjoy
February 26, 2011 at 2:22 pm
Alex
@Wallace: Agree! Perfect for a bookclub or read-alongs 😉
@Diane: Maybe the next, it seems to be a popular book for group readings.