Villette Summary
The 1853 sentimental novel Villette centers around a lonely yet indpendent woman named Lucy Snowe. Without much family or purpose, the young woman boards a ship from England to the continent to look for a new opportunity at life. On the way there, she hears about a boarding school in the French town of Villette. She takes a chance and travels to that school to look for a job as an English teacher (despite not knowing much French). Madame Beck, the headmistress of the boarding school, gives Lucy the job. The narrative follows Lucy's experience at the boarding school and her feelings about students, teachers, her godfamily that she used to live with, and her fluctuating mental state. Toward the end of the novel, she learns that fellow English professor Paul Emmanuel has feelings toward her. Even though they both butt heads, he helps Lucy gain some confidence in herself. He also gifts Lucy her own place to start a school. Although she has always been an independent person, the gifts from Emmanuel as well as the better relationship with her godmother and son, her independence is more comforting and she does not feel nearly as isolated as she once did. She is not alone in the world. It ends with Lucy finally feeling truly content.
Charlotte Bronte loosely based this novel on her own experiences as a governess in Brussels, Belgium. Although it was not nearly as popular as Charlotte's first published novel Jane Eyre, it still received praise for how well it was written. The novel's biggest theme was the importance of social connection and how Lucy's longing for it shaped her feelings and actions.