Villette - chapters 36-42

First of all, I would like to take this time to mention that this is the first time Maddie and I have finished reading a Junto book. **insert applause here** I'm very proud. ;-)

Well, these last chapters were sort of like a dream to me. Maybe it's the events in the book itself, or if not that, then my reading of it while watching TV with the fam is probably the culprit. :-)

A theme that is especially mentioned in these pages is the relationship between Protestantism and Romanism. Lucy's already been exposed to catholic attempts at converting her, and is especially so at the end of the book. Although she firmly remains Anglican, I was slightly disturbed by her attitude towards "the other side" in chapter 36 -

• In the midst of a conversation with M. Paul, Lucy says,
  

  "I would not trouble your faith. You believe in God and Christ and the Bible, and so do I.”

  Inward groan.
  
  It's a rather generalized statement. On the surface, it looks like we believe in the same Deity and Bible, but the Catholic view of the two is so flawed that I find it hard to say they're the same. The basis for doctrinal and spiritual harmony between two beliefs is NOT a bare-bones adherence to basic Bible stories. It beats me how you can reconcile works-based and grace-based salvation and say they are basically the same thing.
• Later on she says this about M. Paul:
  

  "I thought Romanism wrong, a great mixed image of gold and clay; but it seemed to me that this Romanist held the purer elements of his creed with an innocency of heart which God must love."

  The relatively innocent way a man thinks about his mangled view of God does not induce Him to overlook the aforesaid view.
  
• Overall, Lucy's grievances against Roman Catholicism are not so much about salvation and theology proper but reckless clergy. Although Lucy states that she isn't a learned scholar, a child brought up in a Protestant home ought to have been able to discern that the really despicable thing about the Catholic church is not the wayward clergy but its unstable doctrinal foundation - the root of its other problems.
• The final thing that bugs me is that Lucy allows herself to fall in love with someone of a different faith. As is clearly stated in the Bible, their union would be an unequally yoked one. A great lesson on the dire need for young people to commit themselves to guarding their hearts - in real life, if Lucy were indeed a born again Christian, her life would turn out to be a very sorrowful one: As Thomas Watson says in his book The Godly Man's Picture, a godly man is one who is concerned with making others godly; when a husband doesn't know Christ, his wife's heart will bleed for his soul.

Enough said. The following is a list of the (literary) things I liked and disliked about this book, in that order:

• THE CHARACTERS! Mrs. Bretton, Lucy, Madame Beck and M. Paul will never cease to make me think deeply and laugh crazilly.
• THE SETTING! I want to own a summer house in the vicinity of Villette when I grow up and get rich.
• THE PSYCHOLOGY! The way Bronte brings you into the inner life of Lucy Snowe was absolutely magnificent. It really made me identify with her.
• THE METAPHORS! Ahhhhhhhhhh.......all those allusions to the Bible, mythology, history and literature were brilliant.

Now begins the hall of shame.

• The combinations of characters who got married. Lucy & M. Paul didn't get along! That was my one consolation with Graham & Polly - with them, it was at least plausible that they went well together. M. Paul is uncle, father, or (much) older brother - NOT husband - material! [cringe]
  
• The ending. While I liked the idea of Lucy writing the book while waiting for M. Paul to return, what was Bronte thinking, leaving his fate unknown? Argh!
• Lucy's past. (or lack thereof) I wish Bronte would have illuminated what was going on in Lucy's life that caused her to go to Villette, other than vaguely mentioning a berevement in the family. Dickens would have cleared that mystery up. ;-)
• The aforesaid Protestantism-Catholicism issue.
  

All in all, while Villette isn't my favorite book, I enjoyed it immensly. Each book has a personality of its own, and just like people, you never forget the out-of-the-ordinary ones. Villette is definitely one of those.