An invisible main character : divine providence in Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

In this thesis, I want to explore how understanding the centrality of divine providence in Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall deepens our understanding of the role of religion in these texts. I also want to build on feminist criticism that notices the ways in which the heroines’ faith empowers them and argue that their faith in divine providence also directly implies their human limitations. I will begin, then, by establishing their faith in divine providence and then demonstrate how their narratives support that belief. In my chapter on Tenant, I will explore in particular the significance of providence’s hiddenness in that text. In the end, I want to argue that the centrality of divine providence in each text changes how we understand these texts by shifting the focus of the narratives from the characters’ efforts to God’s grace.