Nakrotor

The Role of the Governess in Gothic Romance Many well-known gothic romances are set in the late 1800s, a time when women had few job options but to take on the role of governess to a wealthy family. From Henry James’s unnamed governess in  The Turn of the Screw  to Charlotte Bronte’s  Jane Eyre , the governess is a well-known character in gothic literature. If a woman did not marry, often their only option was to take a job as a governess. The governess in a gothic romance is usually a young woman whose family has fallen into financial misfortune that makes it necessary for her to take a job minding other people’s children. The setting for a gothic governess tale is most often a castle or large estate peopled by mysterious residents and troubled children . The heroine is virtuous and her sterling qualities often  win over the children and the brooding master of the house.   Jane Eyre—The Role Model for Many Gothic Heroines Jane Eyre is a classic example of the governess heroine.  Her...