The Role of the Symbol

A new Brontë-related paper published by Russian scholars:

The Role of the Symbol in the Work of the Brontë Sisters (Based On the Novels «Jane Eyre» and «Wuthering Heights»)

Chashchina E.I.1, Kirichuk E.V.1, Dostoevsky Omsk State University

Nizhnevartovsk Philological Bulletin, Issue: Vol 8, No 2 (2023), pp 149-159

Abstract

The article focuses on the analysis of symbolism reflected in two striking works of the Victorian era: Emily Brontë's «Wuthering Heights» and Charlotte Brontë's «Jane Eyre». The work compares the symbols used by the specified authors (etymology of names and surnames, the image of nature, plots, and images appearing in fairy-tale and mythological plots), and searches for images common to them. The relevance of the study is due to the increased interest of philologists in the work of the Bronte sisters, and the desire of researchers to highlight the features that unite the works of both Charlotte and Emily Brontë. To achieve this goal, a comparative historical research method is used. The result of the study is a conclusion about the general fabulous and mythological sources in the symbolism of the fiction of the Brontë sisters, which characterize the individuality of each author, the specifics of each of the two analyzed works, and also allow determining their common origins. Both Brontë sisters, when creating their novels, somehow turned to various fairy-tale plots, mythological images appearing in Celtic legends and legends. The originality of the data obtained lies in the motivic organization and comparative analysis of the texts of the two sisters. The practical significance of the work consists in the possibility of using the research results in the formation of programs on the “History of foreign literature of the XIX century”, as well as in special courses on the work of the Brontë sisters. In addition, the results of the study will serve as a guideline for scientific research. The further direction of research involves the continuation of the study of the Bronte sisters' creativity, the reflection of the fairy-tale and mythological context in it from the point of view of comparative analysis.