Charlotte Brontë's Life Reflected In Multiple Modern Works Of Literature?
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Many great works of literature contain universal plotlines and characters, allowing their classic elements to last through time. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre has especially lasted this test of time – and its literary elements including theme and writing style are reflected in multiple modern works of literature, including the popular children’s book Matilda by Roald Dahl. Dahl’s book is comprised of the story of a neglected young girl whose unbelievable intellect and magical powers find her a small, loving family. Over the course of her childhood, Matilda matures more quickly than other children, similar to Jane’s journey to adulthood; this aligns both novels with the Coming of Age genre. In both Matilda and Jane Eyre, the authors subtly criticize societal aspects through their content and style. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Roald Dahl’s Matilda share similar critiques of society through themes of education and family, as well as the Coming of Age genre, allowing…show more content… Matilda is the story of a lonely girl with extraordinary intelligence and a neglectful family who discovers the extent of her bravery in facing off with her bully of a headmistress, Miss Trunchbull (Norris). Along the way, she finds a motherly figure in her teacher, Miss Honey. Dahl’s themes of education and family closely resemble those in Jane Eyre, as does the debut of his novel. He starts off by describing Matilda’s family, the same way Brontë describes the Reed household. Dahl begins by describing how the Wormwoods “had a son called Michael and a daughter called Matilda, and the parents in particular looked upon Matilda as nothing more than a scab” (dahl 10). This mirrors how Brontë speaks of Jane’s relatives, especially John, when stating that “John had not much affection for his mother or sisters, and an antipathy to [Jane]” (Brontë 9). The beginnings of both novels portray a similar motif of neglect, launching them both into their societal