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  • Essay / The Forces of Nature in Villette

    Supernatural events and omens are a major theme in Villette by Charlotte Brontë. Although Brontë never enters a truly magical realm, it is clear that Lucy Snowe believes that certain events belong to the supernatural world. The forces of nature play a big role in Villette, through the weather and other natural elements, such as the stars. Lucy believes that the weather is closely linked to the events of her life and those around her, and also looks to nature in times of distress to guide her in the appropriate direction. In Villette, the supernaturalism of nature affects individual human activities through Lucy's eyes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The night Miss Marchmont died, a terrible storm broke out. Lucy predicts that the storm is an omen of this tragedy: "Three times in my life events have taught me that these strange accents of the storm - this agitated and desperate cry - denote a future state of the atmosphere little conducive to life. . Epidemic diseases, I believed, were often announced by a panting, sobbing, tormented and long lamenting east wind” (38). Lucy philosophizes that unstable weather tends to predict misfortune at home. Miss Marchmont was obviously not in good health, otherwise she would not have needed Lucy as a nurse. Despite this reality, Lucy places her trust in nature as the main reason for her companion's death. Although blaming the storm for the disaster seems unusual at the beginning of the novel, similar events later support Lucy's philosophy of the supernatural powers of nature. Feeling lost after Miss Marchmont's death, Lucy trusts nature and the stars to guide her through the darkness: "I should have trembled in this solitary walk...I should have shuddered in the absence of moonlight , for it is only by the direction of the stars that I have traced the dark path; I should have shuddered even more in the unusual presence of[…] the Northern Lights. But this solemn stranger influenced me in ways other than my fears. It seemed to bring new power” (43-44). Alone in her travels, Lucy follows the stars, trusting them to take her where she needs to be. Lucy, as a speaker, rarely offers specific, personal details about her character. This event shows that she has a vivid imagination that allows her to heed the advice she receives from the natural world. It also reveals Lucy as a dependent person, in need of guidance and uncomfortable without a companion. When the person she cares about dies, she immediately looks for a new mentor. She finds comfort in the form of the Northern Lights, also known as the Northern Lights, rarely seen in the north of England. The appearance of the rare star during this helpless period of Lucy's life is significant because it proves that nature possesses supernatural powers. At the end of Chapter XV, Lucy collapses in Lower Town during a terrible rainstorm. “The wind current thundered strong and horizontal from the northwest to the southeast […] it was cold and pierced me to the vitals […] I tried to reach the porch of a large neighboring building, but the mass of the facade and the giant spire turned black and disappeared from my eyes. Instead of sinking onto the steps as I had planned, I felt like I was sinking headlong into an abyss. I don’t remember it anymore” (163-164). At this point in Villette's plot, Lucy realizes that the relationship between Polly and Dr. John is deepening. The fact that she will only ever be one.