Landscape, Independence and Imagination: a comparative study of Jane Eyre, Jo March and Anne Shirley and Their Impact on contemporary culture

Heroines of 19th-century literature have always been role models to follow for many women. Thanks to their bold personality and their desire for independence, they helped shape women’s mentality towards the recognition of their rights. The aim of the thesis is to compare the main characters of some of the greatest novels of the 19th century: Jane Eyre from the eponymous novel by Charlotte Brontë, Jo March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, focusing on metaphorical landscapes and settings, feminism and independence and the role of imagination. In particular, the thesis also analyses the life and times of the authors, offering a careful portrayal of the male oppressive society of the period in which they lived and how this reality is reflected in their novels. Moreover, by examining their respective national literatures – British, American and Canadian-- the thesis investigates the reasons that led the authors to write their novels and considers whether they might have influenced one another. Finally, through the analysis of the most recent film and TV series adaptations, the study explores how these heroines have evolved over the centuries and how they have been reinterpreted and modernized by our contemporary society.