Picaresque Governesses in Emilia Lungu-Puhallo’s and Charlotte Brontë’s Works

Abstract

Emilia Lungu-Puhallo is mainly known as the founder of the first Romanian school for girls in the Banat while the region belonged to the AustroHungarian Empire. As a prose writer, she was interested in creating dignified characters, with strong feelings. The governess, often a protagonist in Emilia Lungu-Puhallo’s prose, appears for the first time as a main character in Romanian literature. Interesting affinities can be discovered between Emilia Lungu-Puhallo’s novel „Elmira” and Charlotte Brontë’s „Jane Eyre” regarding their view on educating themselves and giving other young women a chance to attend school. Although their strong moral Christian beliefs are at the core of their novels, both protagonists experience picaresque adventures while trying to find their own place in the world.