From Hero, Non-hero To Anti-hero

There have been tons of written documents concerning JE and WSS, the prequel of JE, yet few systematic studies have been made either on Charlotte, the sequel of JE, or on a comparative study of the three texts. The author of the present thesis asserts that there is a continuity of the female protagonists in these three novels in addition to the obvious coherence and consistency in their plots.From this point, the present author chooses JE, WSS, and Charlotte, the three closely related novels, as the objects for study. In this thesis, the author does a close reading of the three texts under the guidance of the historical-biographical approach. Through comparing and analyzing the four female protagonists in the three novels, namely, Jane Eyre in JE, Antoinette in WSS, postmodern Jane Eyre and Miranda in Charlotte, the author reviews the development of the heroic image from hero, non-hero to anti-hero corresponding to the four protagonists in three different social-historical contexts. Finally, a conclusion is drawn that the four protagonists in the three novels reveal the development of the heroic image—from hero, non-hero to anti-hero.Through the historical-biographical interpretation of JE, WSS and Charlotte, the author elucidates that the heroic image loses the glorious appeal and becomes more humanistic and closer to real life over centuries. Meanwhile, the four female protagonists reflect the difficulties faced by women in different social-historical contexts.