Charlotte Bronte's Psyche

Did Charlotte Bronte transform the ancient tale of 'Cupid and Psyche' into one of literature's most enduring novels? In this compelling study, Elizabeth Imlay argues that 'Jane Eyre' is a bold reworking of fairy-tales dating back to the tragic myth, recast through the consciousness of a 19th-century woman seeking passionate love. By tracing Jane's symbolic journey through earth, air, fire, and water-body, spirit, passion, and reason-Imlay reveals how Bronte reshapes the story through a feminist lens, redefining love as a unity of the spiritual and the physical, making 'air' a female element.