History Literature / Villette

* BrokenBird: Lucy certainly qualifies; though we never find out what her family tragedy was, by the time she narrates her story she is noticeably pessimistic and attempts to maintain a stoic image around others, saying very little. She even plays mentor to Paulina Home (a.k.a Polly) and (unsuccessfully) to Ginevra Fanshawe.

* DudeLooksLikeALady / PrettyBoy: de Hamal falls somewhere between these tropes. In Lucy's words, "he was pretty and smooth, and as trim as a doll" (she'd used similar terms to describe Polly earlier) and "[his] hands were scarce larger than Miss Fanshawe's own" to the point the two could share gloves. Lucy even compares him to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Apollo]]!
* In fact, de Hamal's appearance comes in handy later [[spoiler: when he disguises himself as the ghostly nun to visit Ginevra.]]

* HotBlooded: The word Lucy uses most often to describe M. Paul? Passionate. He even treats school plays like matters of life and death.

A novel by Creator/CharlotteBronte, ''Villette'' follows Lucy Snowe, an orphan from England who searches for greener pastures in the fictional town of Villette. She takes care of the headmistress' children at a school for girls until she is thrust into the role of an English teacher. Lucy struggles to find companionship and a place where she belongs, often having depressive episodes and supernatural encounters. She also deals with the strange new culture she lives in, overcoming the LanguageBarrier and feelings of being an outsider, and sorts out her affections for two very different men.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Lucy's undisclosed family tragedy. We only know she is left all alone in the world. Older and kind Mrs Bretton is her only reliable friend, but her situation is hard as well and Lucy must depend on herself only.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: In a conversation with Dr. John(whom at that point Lucy has a crush on), Lucy remarks she thought he might've disliked her as a child; he answers he couldn't dislike someone "as inoffensive as a shadow". Lucy has spent over 200 pages singing the man's praises and is substantially more talkative around him than most other people, so naturally, she is heartbroken to learn that he thinks so little of her. Dr. John doesn't seem to notice.

%% * KarmaHoudini: Lucy says that Mme. Beck, Pére Silas and Mme. Walravens all had long and happy lives.

* RomanAClef: Based on Charlotte Brontë's life in Brussels, her feelings for Constantin Heger and George Smith and her morose attitudes to life.

* TheLostLenore: The nun Justine-Marie to Paul... in Pere Silas' version of the story, anyway. [[spoiler: But this is a lie; Lucy sees the living person at a party late in the novel, and she's apparently Paul's goddaughter.]]

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: At three points in the novel, Lucy sees the ghost of a nun around Villette; whether the explanation is purely supernatural or not is unclear.

%% ** Lucy when Dr. Bretton learns who Lucy.

* TheStoic: How Lucy describes Madame Beck, at least at first. When her own children are ill, Madame Beck's reaction is at worst subdued dismay.

* LoveDodecahedron: Lucy is romantically interested in Dr. John and M. Paul and they kind of reciprocate the interest but it is not sure how serious they are. Dr. John is really good friends with Lucy, but he's also way out of her league. M. Paul is more unapproachable, but less out of her league. Dr. John considers being with Lucy, is infatuated with Ginevra (who likes him back but they are both not serious about the relationship) and falls in love with and later marries Polly. Ginevra elopes with another guy.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Lucy is hard to ''herself'' all the time. It would be HeroicSelfDeprecation if it wasn't that Lucy isn't involved in much heroicking.

* SpeechImpededLoveInterest: Downplayed, but Polly is this to Graham; Lucy mentions her "lisp" at points, though it becomes less obvious as Polly ages.

%% * TakingAdvantageOfGenerosity: Ginevra.

* HotBlooded: The word Lucy uses most often to describe M. Paul? Passionate. He even takes school plays extremely seriously.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

A novel by Creator/CharlotteBronte, ''Villette'' follows Lucy Snowe, an orphan from England who searches for greener pastures in the fictional town of Villette. She takes care of the headmistress' children at a school for girls until she is thrust into the role of an English teacher. Lucy struggles to find companionship and a place where she belongs, often having depressive episodes and supernatural encounters. She also deals with the strange new culture she lives in, overcoming the LanguageBarrier and feelings of being an outsider, and sorts out her affections [[BettyAndVeronica for two very different men]].

* {{Angst}}: Chock full of it.
* AtTheOperaTonight: Lucy goes there with the Brettons. Cue [[InsistentTerminology the pink/red dress discussion]] with M. Paul.
* AuthorAvatar: Lucy. It's a semi-autobiographical work, after all.
* BelligerentSexualTension: M. Paul and Lucy have trouble being nice to each other for a while.
* BettyAndVeronica: Dr. John and M. Paul could be either one depending on how you look at it. Dr. John is really good friends with Lucy, but he's also way out of her league. M. Paul is more unapproachable, but less out of her league.
** Polly and Ginevra for Dr. John. Somewhat subverted in that he really doesn't have much trouble choosing.
* BolivianArmyEnding: Lucy tells her readers [[spoiler:that M. Paul's ship back to Villette was caught in a storm, and then basically tells the reader to pretend that their love had a happy ending. She never actually says that he died. WordOfGod had it that Paul did indeed die. Charlotte Bronte reputedly considered it a kinder fate than life with Lucy Snowe.]]
* BrokenBird: Lucy.
* CabinFever: This is basically what happens to Lucy during the vacation, when she is left alone (well, [[AloneWithThePsycho almost]]). It's dangerously close to GoMadFromTheIsolation.
* CallingTheOldManOut: [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Lucy]] [[BewareTheQuietOnes does this]] to [[spoiler:Madame]] near the end of the book.
* TheChessmaster: Madame.
* ConvertingForLove: Subverted.
* CoolOldLady: Mrs. Bretton.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Lucy's undisclosed family tragedy. Also it probably was her DespairEventHorizon.

* DiabolusExMachina: [[spoiler: After finally gaining true love, Lucy loses M. Paul in a storm.]]
* EccentricMentor: M. Paul. He's kind of a SinkOrSwimMentor, too, but Lucy doesn't respond to it well.
* {{Expy}}: Villette is Brussels.
* GrayRainOfDepression: Averted, oddly enough; Lucy seems to actually ''like'' rain.
* TheHedonist: Lucy sees your average Labascurian as this.
* HerHeartWillGoOn
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:"My heart will break!"]]
* IfICantHaveYou: Mme. Beck [[spoiler: sabotages Lucy and M. Paul's relationship]] because of this.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Lucy Snowe puts up with a lot of crap from Dr. John for this reason.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Ginevra Fanshawe.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: When Dr. John showed romantic interest in Ginevra, Lucy objected because Ginevra was basically leading him on because he gave her gifts. When Dr. John showed romantic interest in [[spoiler: Polly Home]], Lucy approves because [[spoiler: Polly]] is a decent lady.
* KarmaHoudini: Invoked at the end when [[spoiler: Lucy says that Mme. Beck, Pére Silas and Mme. Walravens all had long and happy lives]].

* LickedByTheDog / PetTheDog: M. Paul is the school dog's favorite.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: Invoked by M. Paul, but even he probably knew that he and Lucy were more than that.
* LoveDodecahedron
* LovableAlphaBitch: Ginevra Fanshawe, a superficial GoldDigger who values Lucy's friendship, even when Lucy pushes her away.
* MayDecemberRomance

* MomentKiller: Way to go, Mme. Beck...
* MushroomSamba: In the third volume, [[spoiler: Madame Beck]] gives Lucy an unspecified drug that, instead of putting her to sleep, intensifies her emotions and sensations.

* NotSoStoic [[StoicWoobie Woobie]]: Lucy.
* ObliviousToLove: Dr John seems to be this, but [[SubvertedTrope is he really]]?..
* PapaWolf: Polly's father.
* PrecociousCrush: Polly on Graham at the beginning.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Ginevra chooses the rich one; she finds him much prettier anyway!
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Dr John was based on Charlotte Brontë's publisher George Smith. Because Charlotte was in love with Smith and realised he didn't care for her, she decided not to make him the hero. It didn't go well with him.
** Also, those you love die and you are left alone. There can be no true love and happiness for people like Lucy. [[SoleSurvivor Guess where that attitude came from]].
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Lucy gives these to ''herself'' all the time. It would be HeroicSelfDeprecation if it wasn't that Lucy isn't involved in much heroicking.

* ShesAllGrownUp: Lucy when [[spoiler: Dr. Bretton learns who Lucy is and Lucy when she re-meets Polly.]]
* SittingOnTheRoof: To watch the storm, no less.
* StarCrossedLovers: [[spoiler: Lucy and M. Paul]].
* TakingAdvantageOfGenerosity: Ginevra.

* UnreliableNarrator: Lucy knows that [[spoiler: Dr. John is Graham Bretton]] ([[TheUntwist and so does the audience]]), but she conveniently forgets to tell the reader until later in the book.
** There's generally a lot of unreliable narration regarding Dr. John. Lucy praises him a lot, yet his actions paint a very different picture...
* VictoriousChildhoodFriend / UnluckyChildhoodFriend: [[spoiler: Polly]] and Lucy respectively.

* YouCantFightFate: Invoked a few times.

* UnreliableNarrator: Lucy knows that [[spoiler: Dr. John is Graham Bretton]] ([[TheUntwist and so does the audience]]), but she conveniently forgets to tell the reader until later in the book.

* CallingTheOldManOut: [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Lucy]] [[BewareTheQuietOnes does this]] to Madame near the end of the book.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Charlotte Brontë's publisher George Smith was based on Dr John. Because Charlotte was in love with him and realised he didn't care for her, she decided not to make him the hero. It didn't go well with Smith.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Lucy gives these to ''herself'' all the time. It would be HeroicSelfDeprecation if it wasn't that Lucy isn't involved in much heroicking.