Reflection and the Aesthetics of Grace in Villette

摘要

This article is a reading of the aesthetics of grace through the Pauline theology in Villette. Divine grace is given as a gift and is fulfilled only in death. I discuss the Pauline theology which underlies the novel and argue that the structures of giving and withholding are central to Lucy's sense of her own salvation. I explore the connection between surveillance and the Pauline idea of ‘seeing through a glass darkly’ and argue that the aesthetics of grace are ultimately tied to the book's status as a reflected narrative.