No Subject

[Unregistered]

It's not that she doesnt recognise him, she does, she just doesn't feel that it's necessary to tell the reader. This is the unique thing about Lucy Snowe, she is one of the most psychologically developed characters of Victorian era fiction. This is also the reason why she reserves comment about her affections for M. Paul, her strange walk in the park during the night she took opium, and most importantly: when she visited the catholic priest and gave a confession. What was it that she confessed? There are MANY things that Lucy keeps secret. By the books end we still have no idea what happened to her family, or her family's wealth. If anything, I feel that Charlotte B. has little to NO control over Lucy, and I'd be willing to bet that Lucy keeps all of her most important secrets from her creator as well as her audience.

[Unregistered]

I think Lucy is aware that Dr. John is Graham Bretton much earlier than she tells us, the readers. Bronte keeps this information from us, because it illustrates yet again the deceptive nature of Lucy's narration. Lucy often misleads the reader or shuts the reader out of her thoughts altogether.

[Unregistered]

There were 10 years between the last time Lucy saw Graham and the first time she saw Dr. Bretton

[JMH]

One must remember that this story is told to the reader in hind site. Lucy is a secretive woman, and I believe that makes her all the more believeable- as a real character. Like anyone else telling a story, we tend to leave things out or change the shades of things to either fit how we need to see or remember them, or we leave out things to make the sotry all together much more intriguing for our audience. Lucy Snowe is no different.

[Unregistered]

She did recognize Dr. Brettan as Graham!

[Kimogen]

Throughout the novel, Lucy is devious in what she tells the reader. She likes to keep little details to herself, and add in little intertexts. Its her way of holding some control over the narrative. If you look at the times she speaks directly to the reader, its a tongue in cheek reminder of the fact that she realises she is writing a book (as the narrator, not Bronte), and that she is in control.

[laurie]

i'm writing an essay on villette just now about authorial control of bronte over lucy snowe. i'd say she's pretty strictly controlled. but i found it so unbelievable that lucy would not recognise graham bretton on her first night in villette or later as dr john. they'd only been apart for a short while, ie while she nursed mrs marchmont. i think bronte stretched this idea too far, to the point of nonsense.<br>

[kelby_lake]

There's a parallel though as Lucy later identifies teenage Paulina as being Polly. It's probably a thematic link.