A review by starsfrommars
The Professor by Charlotte Brontë

3.0

I agree with a lot of the other reviews here. This novel was far from perfect, but it was a wonderful starting point for Charlotte Brontë to grow from, and we can see that in her later works especially. We see comparisons to herself in the main character, but also his pupil. We see hints of how she became obsessed with her teacher (who was married) in William, but also how she wished he saw her as a student in Frances. What I find odd is her blend of feminist ideals and the theme of obedient women. The strong willed, intelligent character of Frances feels disjoint with how she takes comfort in being obedient to William once they marry. The detail of her crying before their wedding is also interesting to me. Is she satisfied? Is she forcing herself to accept losing her independence? I truly feel there is much more to Frances' character than what William reports. Charlotte Brontë has always kind of had a... *thing* for power dynamics in her writing, so it could also be a result of this. All in all, this feels like a much more realistic telling of a romance than the likes of Jane Eyre. To me, this felt like a story of morally correct decisions, or what Jane and Mr. Rochester chose not to do in Jane Eyre, almost like an alternate reality. A great first novel for Charlotte.