Rejecting the Marriage Proposals of Super-Byronic Heroes

Some recent university scholar works with Brontë-related content:

Why Say No? : Marriage Proposal Rejections in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre
Hoda Agharazi
Université de Montréal, 2019

This thesis studies the purpose of multiple marriage proposals in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. I will show that Austen’s and Brontë’s inclusion of two proposals – by Darcy and by Rochester, respectively – are central to the narrative structures of their work. I will examine how Austen and Brontë present their heroines with multiple proposals in order to demonstrate the proper moment at which a proposal should be accepted. This thesis will contextualize the choices of Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre by engaging in conversation with several literary scholars who work on Austen and Brontë. The first chapter will be dedicated to Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and the analysis of Darcy and Elizabeth’s changing relationship. The second chapter will examine Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Jane’s individual journey as it relates to her relationship with Rochester. I will also examine how each author demonstrates how gender roles and stereotypes can serve as a threat to a healthy relationship as well as to one’s own self-development. Through multiple proposals, Austen and Brontë demonstrate the importance of independence and equality in entering a marriage. They also dismantle traditional notions of masculinity.

Childe Harold and Heathcliff: The Super-Byronic Heroes
by María Cinta Jerez Hernández
Universidad de Salamanca, 2020

This study establishes a comparison between two of the most important characters in English literature: Heathcliff—the protagonist of Emily Brönte’s (sic) Wuthering Heights—and Childe Harold—the protagonist of Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage—. I will compare two types of Byronic Heroes. I will depart from the definition of this archetype created by Lord Byron, who will be followed by many other authors such as Emily Brönte (sic). I will investigate Child Harold’s and Heathcliff’s Byronic characteristics and point out their similarities and differences: their relations with society, their personality, background and class-consciousness. Also, I will explore the unclear stages in their life, dependence on other characters, and their relation to natural forces. Childe Harold belongs to a high social class while Heathcliff belongs to a low one. Harold undertakes a pilgrimage while Heathcliff stays on the moors. Usually, Byronic Heroes have a hidden secret, Harold has a mysterious sin in his past, and Heathcliff’s mystery is contained in his birth. In Childe Harold independence is emphasized by going alone on a journey, but Heathcliff obsessively depends on Catherine.Furthermore, Childe Harold identifies himself with nature all along the poem. In Wuthering Heights, nature and its elements are used to reflect the characters‟ actions and feelings. On theother hand, while Heathcliff sees himself different from the other characters, Harold is tired ofand disappointed with people who have been around him during his life. Finally, Heathcliffpossess a boundless passion (even beyond death), while Harold lifestyle bores and tires him.