Sibling Relations in 3 Novels
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The relationships between family members often serve as the central focus in works of literature. In particular, many writers place significance on the dynamics within the sibling relationship, as such relations often present complex, provocative models of interaction. Indeed, in Persuasion by Jane Austen, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontd, and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, relationships between siblings serve as important formal and thematic elements of the novels, and provide for richer characterizations of their key figures. However, it is important to note that Austen, Brontd, and Collins do not utilize the sibling relationship to the same ends within their respective works. For Austen, relations between the Elliot sisters in Persuasion are used to firmly situate Anne as the novel's heroine, while Brontd and Collins exploit the relations between siblings within their novels not only as thematic elements, but to help drive the plot along as well. In Persuasion, Austen introduces readers to the Elliot sisters, Elizabeth, Anne, and Mary, who are the daughters of the highly respected Sir Walter Elliot. When the novel opens, the sisters' mother has been dead for thirteen years, and the family is suffering the repercussions of Sir Walter's lavish overspending. Elizabeth and Anne, the two oldest daughters, remain unmarried, while youngest daughter Mary is married to the wealthy Charles Musgrove and has two small sons. The differences in temperament betwe
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eed, Austen declares, "Anne was tenderness itself, and she had the full worth of it in Captain Wentworth's affection" (Austen 288). It is through Anne's relationship with her sisters that the reader comes to realize this.
For Brontd, the sibling relationship within Jane Eyre serves as a formal element, as well as a thematic one. Indeed, the Rivers siblings play a significant role in determining Jane's fate, and their relationship, thus, is a critical aspect of the plot. Jane meets the Riverses after she has fled from Thornfield, and is desperate for food and shelter. The siblings take Jane in, and become close friends to her. Soon, she discovers that they are in fact her cousins, and when Jane comes into a significant inheritance after the death of her uncle, she shares the good fortune with the Riverses. Such affection develops that St. John falls in love with Jane, and asks her to come to India with him as his wife.
The relationship between the Rivers siblings is significant because their family can be contrasted with the Reeds. Indeed, the Riverses are depicted as a kind and decent family. Brontd explains, "She [Diana] possessed eyes whose gaze I delighted to encounter. Her whole face seemed to me full o
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Approximate Word count = 2031
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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