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Jane Eyre's Sisters: How Women Live and Write the Heroine's Story
Ever since women in the West first started publishing works of fiction, they have written about a heroine who must wander from one place to another as she searches for a way to live the life she wants to live, a life through which she can express her true self creatively in the world. Yet while many have written about the “heroine’s journey,” most of those authors base their models of this journey on Joseph Campbell’s model of the Heroic Quest story or on old myths and tales written down by men, not on the stories that women tell. In Jane Eyre’s How Women Live and Write the Heroine’s Story, cultural mythologist Jody Gentian Bower looks at novels by women—and some men—as well as biographies of women that tell the story of the Aletis, the wandering heroine. She finds a similar pattern in works spanning the centuries, from Lady Mary Wroth and William Shakespeare in the 1600s to Sue Monk Kidd, Suzanne Collins, and Philip Pullman in the current century, including works by Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, Charles Dickens, Kate Chopin, Virginia Woolf, Doris Lessing, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Alice Walker, to name just a few. She also discusses myths and folk tales that follow the same pattern. Dr. Bower argues that the Aletis represents an archetypal character that has to date received surprisingly little scholarly recognition despite her central role in many of the greatest works of Western fiction. Using an engaging, down-to-earth writing style, Dr. Bower outlines the stages and cast of characters of the Aletis story with many examples from the literature. She discusses how the Aletis story differs from the hero’s quest, how it has changed over the centuries as women gained more independence, and what heroines of novels and movies might be like in the future. She gives examples from the lives of real women and scatters stories that illustrate many of her points throughout the book. In the end, she concludes, authors of the Aletis story use their imagination to give us characters who serve as role models for how a woman can live a full and free life.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 17, 2015
Fantastic book, can't rate it highly enough. If you're interested in storytelling and the idea of the heroine then you need to read this.
September 28, 2015
Don't you just love it when you pick up a book at random thinking it looks vaguely interesting and then you devour it? That is what happened me with this book. I spotted it among the new books at the library and almost didn’t pick it up, mainly because I haven’t been into non-fiction all that much this year, and also non-fiction literary criticism can be very dry and academic and, to put it bluntly, boring.
But it was talking about the heroine’s journey in literature and sure, if I didn’t take to it, I could always toss it.
There was no need to toss it. In fact I think I might have to buy a copy for myself because it is the sort of book that I could return to, even if just for a chapter every now and then. Plus there are notes and further reading, you know, because I don’t have enough to read as is.
Jane Eyre’s Sisters is a book all about women in literature, and sometimes in real life, and in pop culture. So you have, obviously Jane Eyre mentioned herself, but we also get mentions of BSG’s Starbuck and Buffy the vampire slayer and A Game of ThronesGame of Thrones.
And there is so much in this book that struck a cord with me that I was hard-pressed not to write down everything, as it is I have a fair few quotes on my tumblr i
Bower focuses on the idea of the Aletis as the female archetype in literature. She is the wandering heroine who often sees herself as an outsider in her own home or community and so at some point she leaves home. She wanders from place to place. Often she goes to another woman, a witch or learned woman, and learns from her. When her lessons are complete, she moves on. Often she wanders. Sometimes she returns home. But always she is changed by her experiences.
Bower contrasts that with the hero’s journey. Yes, he leaves home too, but more often he is almost forced into leaving by the appearance of a mentor/wizard, whereas the Aletis chooses herself to go. A mentor looks for the hero whereas the Aletis is the one to search out the mentor and she is the one to decide to leave, unlike the hero who often loses his mentor through death, at a time when he still wants that mentor along.
The hero goes on to complete his quest, win the girl, and the kingdom. In contrast, the Aletis wins self knowledge and confidence rather than any wider recognition.
And straight away I thought about how in The Eye of the Worldthe Wheel of Time series you can see both the Aletis and the Hero begin their journey in the Emond Fielders. Male and female alike leave, but the boys are urged, the girls (Egwene and Nyneave) chose to leave. They then travel on to learn from the powerful females and again, leave of their own choosing ii whereas Rand, Perrin, and Mat are forced away from their respective mentors. Perrin is taken away from Elyas and the wolves by the Whitecloaks. Mat & Rand are taken under Thom’s wing but lose him to a Fade. And later Rand loses Moraine to the rings. iii
I’m not so sure about the ending of the journey and how it fits. But still, that certainly struck me.
I also loved how Bower talks about a woman’s right to be selfish. No one thinks it strange if a man is career driven, but for a woman to be so is almost an affront to other people. She is cold and unnatural. And not only does Bower point this out, but she also says that this is a bad thing for men as well as women. And that it is terrible for those people who are truly devoted to being parents; that devotion is not recognised because it is a role that everyone is just expected to fall into.
I could probably talk about this book forever. And I’m sure I’ll think about it as I read other books in the future. You should read it, it may be literary criticism with a sociological/feminist slant, but give it a try. It is very accessible and easy to read. Highly recommended.
But it was talking about the heroine’s journey in literature and sure, if I didn’t take to it, I could always toss it.
There was no need to toss it. In fact I think I might have to buy a copy for myself because it is the sort of book that I could return to, even if just for a chapter every now and then. Plus there are notes and further reading, you know, because I don’t have enough to read as is.
Jane Eyre’s Sisters is a book all about women in literature, and sometimes in real life, and in pop culture. So you have, obviously Jane Eyre mentioned herself, but we also get mentions of BSG’s Starbuck and Buffy the vampire slayer and A Game of ThronesGame of Thrones.
And there is so much in this book that struck a cord with me that I was hard-pressed not to write down everything, as it is I have a fair few quotes on my tumblr i
Bower focuses on the idea of the Aletis as the female archetype in literature. She is the wandering heroine who often sees herself as an outsider in her own home or community and so at some point she leaves home. She wanders from place to place. Often she goes to another woman, a witch or learned woman, and learns from her. When her lessons are complete, she moves on. Often she wanders. Sometimes she returns home. But always she is changed by her experiences.
Bower contrasts that with the hero’s journey. Yes, he leaves home too, but more often he is almost forced into leaving by the appearance of a mentor/wizard, whereas the Aletis chooses herself to go. A mentor looks for the hero whereas the Aletis is the one to search out the mentor and she is the one to decide to leave, unlike the hero who often loses his mentor through death, at a time when he still wants that mentor along.
The hero goes on to complete his quest, win the girl, and the kingdom. In contrast, the Aletis wins self knowledge and confidence rather than any wider recognition.
And straight away I thought about how in The Eye of the Worldthe Wheel of Time series you can see both the Aletis and the Hero begin their journey in the Emond Fielders. Male and female alike leave, but the boys are urged, the girls (Egwene and Nyneave) chose to leave. They then travel on to learn from the powerful females and again, leave of their own choosing ii whereas Rand, Perrin, and Mat are forced away from their respective mentors. Perrin is taken away from Elyas and the wolves by the Whitecloaks. Mat & Rand are taken under Thom’s wing but lose him to a Fade. And later Rand loses Moraine to the rings. iii
I’m not so sure about the ending of the journey and how it fits. But still, that certainly struck me.
I also loved how Bower talks about a woman’s right to be selfish. No one thinks it strange if a man is career driven, but for a woman to be so is almost an affront to other people. She is cold and unnatural. And not only does Bower point this out, but she also says that this is a bad thing for men as well as women. And that it is terrible for those people who are truly devoted to being parents; that devotion is not recognised because it is a role that everyone is just expected to fall into.
I could probably talk about this book forever. And I’m sure I’ll think about it as I read other books in the future. You should read it, it may be literary criticism with a sociological/feminist slant, but give it a try. It is very accessible and easy to read. Highly recommended.
April 4, 2015
As a student of mythological studies, I've spent much time contemplating Campbell's hero's journey, and exploring interpretations of the heroine's journey. Like Bower, I don't think that a heroine's journey can be simply "imposed" on the Campbell momomyth, because the experience of being a woman is necessarily different than what Campbell writes about (he even says so much at some point). I find Bower's interpretation of the romantic novels of the 19th century to be a refreshing approach to the heroine's journey. In other works, the heroine's journey is based on the Campbell model and/or is constructed by women during times when things aren't going according to plan. Neither of these work, because they fail to provide a comprehensive view of what it's like to be a woman, and I personally find these models difficult to appreciate. My knowledge of Romantic literature is limited, and Bower provides just enough of the story for her analysis (and thankfully not so much as to be a book of spoilers!).
Bower relies on an archetypal approach in her analysis, but makes this theoretical component accessible. She provides enough of an introduction to archetypal psychology and comparative mythology to whet the appetite of anyone who may interested in exploring this method further.
In full disclosure, Jody is a personal friend of mine, and that's what prompted me to write a review, but it's not the reason I recommend the book. I recommend this book, because it's one of the few books I've read in which I can find myself in the analysis. This book helps move the work of mythologists forward, and is a valuable contribution to the field.
Bower relies on an archetypal approach in her analysis, but makes this theoretical component accessible. She provides enough of an introduction to archetypal psychology and comparative mythology to whet the appetite of anyone who may interested in exploring this method further.
In full disclosure, Jody is a personal friend of mine, and that's what prompted me to write a review, but it's not the reason I recommend the book. I recommend this book, because it's one of the few books I've read in which I can find myself in the analysis. This book helps move the work of mythologists forward, and is a valuable contribution to the field.
April 22, 2015
I wish I had bought a paper copy rather than the Kindle book so that I could flip around in it and refer to things.
Nevertheless, this was an interesting and fresh look at the heroine journey, not only as it compares to the hero journey in fiction, but as it applies to our development as women in the real world.
There were some areas that I had trouble with. For example, someone who abandons her family to go discover herself is seen as being selfish, because she IS selfish. And it's not because she's a woman. A man who abandons his family is also selfish.
I also have views on morality that don't always square with the new morality of today's society, and I haven't heard any good reason yet why I should change my views.
And Mr. Knightley's decision to leave his home and live at Emma's home after their marriage appalled me, too. It was less of a noble sacrifice than it was pandering to the idiotic whims of a selfish old coot. :P
There were more parts of the book that I agreed with than disagreed with, however, and part of the reason I wish I had a paper copy is because it would be easier to find them and mention them here.
I will need to add a few more authors to my reading list. That much is obvious. And I'll have to give Jane Eyre another shot. I've tried twice and hated Jane both times. Maybe this book will help.
Nevertheless, this was an interesting and fresh look at the heroine journey, not only as it compares to the hero journey in fiction, but as it applies to our development as women in the real world.
There were some areas that I had trouble with. For example, someone who abandons her family to go discover herself is seen as being selfish, because she IS selfish. And it's not because she's a woman. A man who abandons his family is also selfish.
I also have views on morality that don't always square with the new morality of today's society, and I haven't heard any good reason yet why I should change my views.
And Mr. Knightley's decision to leave his home and live at Emma's home after their marriage appalled me, too. It was less of a noble sacrifice than it was pandering to the idiotic whims of a selfish old coot. :P
There were more parts of the book that I agreed with than disagreed with, however, and part of the reason I wish I had a paper copy is because it would be easier to find them and mention them here.
I will need to add a few more authors to my reading list. That much is obvious. And I'll have to give Jane Eyre another shot. I've tried twice and hated Jane both times. Maybe this book will help.
August 31, 2016
I was kind of disappointed in this book. I thought there would be a lot more discussion of my favorite book ever ever ever Jane Eyre. But instead it was mainly Jungian psychology, with references to several (mostly 19th-century) novels that bolstered the author's Jungian premises. Some people might like that, but it just wasn't interesting to me. The author talked about the perils of reductionism early in the book, but it seemed to me that she indulged in quite a bit of reductionism herself, reducing the totality of "women's" (a very broad classification!) experience into her preferred Jungian paradigm. Not for me, although those more interested in women's psychological development might like it more. I will say this: Now I know that I must read Middlemarch. I read My Life in Middlemarch a while back and thought, "Oh, I should read Middlemarch" and never got around to it, but Bower's discussion of Middlemarch got me interested in it again.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
March 27, 2015
This work takes up the ideas that Joseph Campbell explored in The Hero with a Thousand Faces and carries them into the realm of literature written by and about women. The Hero's Journey or Hero's Quest is archetypal for men, but women rarely experience the same type of spiritual path. While boys leave home because they are called upon to do a great deed, girls leave because they are orphaned, abused, cast out, or married off without choice. Wholeness is achieved by traversing a completely different type of path. Men return home as heroes with achievements, but the women go out and create new homes away from their troubled childhood.
Reading Jane Eyre's Sisters made me look at women's literature in a completely new way. I recommend it highly for anyone interested in archetypes, symbolism, folk tales, and stories about spiritual self-transformation. My book club will find lots to discuss when we read this together!
Reading Jane Eyre's Sisters made me look at women's literature in a completely new way. I recommend it highly for anyone interested in archetypes, symbolism, folk tales, and stories about spiritual self-transformation. My book club will find lots to discuss when we read this together!
August 5, 2015
"There is no one victory, no single achievement, that makes a heroine. Her challenges morph each time she overcomes them and take a new shape to challenge her again. Her biggest test is not courage or physical strength but resolve- the capacity to keep on fighting for the right to be herself: to be a unique and special individual. The woman who can keep on fighting wins the prize, and it is not a husband or a throne. What she wins is not just an unshakeable sense of self, but the capacity- regardless of what others would have her be and do, regardless of the situation in which she finds herself- to live life as she wills. She becomes the queen of her own life."
July 5, 2015
I was expecting more literary criticism, less pop psychology. It was kind of a "meh" read--not as profound as Campbell's book, obviously. Having said that, I do think she's right in saying the typical male hero's journey is more than a little problematic for women. I just found her application of it superficial.
April 20, 2015
Absolutely brilliant. I read this on a strong recommendation from a trusted friend and it did not disappoint! If you enjoy literature, stories, Jungian psychology, myth or all of the above, this book is for you.
May 26, 2019
An insightful, thought-provoking and accessible study of the portrayal of women in myths, folktales and novels.
Jane Eyre’s Sisters takes a Jungian archetypal approach to storytelling, whereby archetypes represent ‘the deepest patterns of psychological function – even, perhaps the “roots of the soul”’.
Bower adds her voice to the challenge (see also The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness) of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey (The Hero With a Thousand Faces) that the monomyth is a poor fit for the woman’s journey. She revises the word we use to refer to the female protagonist of a story, from heroine, a diminutive of hero, to Aletis, Greek for wanderer.
Aletis, the wandering heroine has echoes in Psyche’s search for Cupid, Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) Sethe in Beloved (Toni Morrison) and others.
The Aletis takes time out in the wilderness, the secret garden, the virgin forest, the place of Artemis. ‘Living in the forest would mean sinking into one’s innermost nature and finding out what it feels like’ (Marie Louise von Franz).
Through Bower stereotypes/archetypes of the witch and the 'loose woman' are given new meaning.
Bower comments on the importance of cultural norms in how fictional women are portrayed and on the reception of writing by women authors. Male-authored heroines are not believable to women readers, and only exist in their relationship to a male character (Jungian anima) as lover, wife, mother, etc. By contrast, heroines written by female authors often go against the grain. Women’s heroines ‘do what they are not supposed to do and refuse to do what they are expected to do’. ‘Cultural ideas about what women should be like have dictated not just how female characters should be written but what good writing itself entails.’
Of interest to writers, psychologists, mythologists and those interested in feminist studies.
Jane Eyre’s Sisters takes a Jungian archetypal approach to storytelling, whereby archetypes represent ‘the deepest patterns of psychological function – even, perhaps the “roots of the soul”’.
Bower adds her voice to the challenge (see also The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness) of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey (The Hero With a Thousand Faces) that the monomyth is a poor fit for the woman’s journey. She revises the word we use to refer to the female protagonist of a story, from heroine, a diminutive of hero, to Aletis, Greek for wanderer.
Aletis, the wandering heroine has echoes in Psyche’s search for Cupid, Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) Sethe in Beloved (Toni Morrison) and others.
The Aletis takes time out in the wilderness, the secret garden, the virgin forest, the place of Artemis. ‘Living in the forest would mean sinking into one’s innermost nature and finding out what it feels like’ (Marie Louise von Franz).
Through Bower stereotypes/archetypes of the witch and the 'loose woman' are given new meaning.
Bower comments on the importance of cultural norms in how fictional women are portrayed and on the reception of writing by women authors. Male-authored heroines are not believable to women readers, and only exist in their relationship to a male character (Jungian anima) as lover, wife, mother, etc. By contrast, heroines written by female authors often go against the grain. Women’s heroines ‘do what they are not supposed to do and refuse to do what they are expected to do’. ‘Cultural ideas about what women should be like have dictated not just how female characters should be written but what good writing itself entails.’
Of interest to writers, psychologists, mythologists and those interested in feminist studies.
August 19, 2023
My favorite of the books I've read on the heroine's journey. Jody Bower identifies a unique archetype in the Aletis and provides abundant examples of women who follow this path not just in fiction, but real life as well. I ended up seeing a lot of myself in the various stages of the journey (mostly the early stages where everything's a mess—ha!), so it turned out to be a nice bit of unexpected therapy, too.
I appreciate Bower's critique of other structures that have been proposed in the past (by Maureen Murdock, et al): she doesn't claim they're wrong, just incomplete, since they tend to focus on women breaking free but not on what they choose to do with their lives once liberated. She also writes a keen-eyed conclusion, suggesting that although male and female characters have often necessarily followed different paths in stories (a reflection of the fact that men and women in society have such different lived experiences), future stories may fuse elements of both archetypal journeys into one, as gender norms and expressions continue to evolve ... something we're already seeing happen in media today. Jung was onto something with that anima/animus stuff (e.g. the idea that everyone has both), just in ways he never even imagined, I think.
I appreciate Bower's critique of other structures that have been proposed in the past (by Maureen Murdock, et al): she doesn't claim they're wrong, just incomplete, since they tend to focus on women breaking free but not on what they choose to do with their lives once liberated. She also writes a keen-eyed conclusion, suggesting that although male and female characters have often necessarily followed different paths in stories (a reflection of the fact that men and women in society have such different lived experiences), future stories may fuse elements of both archetypal journeys into one, as gender norms and expressions continue to evolve ... something we're already seeing happen in media today. Jung was onto something with that anima/animus stuff (e.g. the idea that everyone has both), just in ways he never even imagined, I think.
May 12, 2018
A little slow and ponderous in places - kind of reads like it might have begun life as a doctoral thesis. But what an excellent, under-discussed topic! As a writer, I've sat through countless workshops that try to stuff women's lives into the "hero's journey" format laid out by Joseph Campbell. The format was picked up by Hollywood script doctor Christopher Vogler and is widely touted as the only story worth telling.
Personally, I'm not entirely sure that I buy the theory that all great stories must fit Campbell's hero's journey in the first place. I definitely don't believe that all great stories about women fit that mold. So Jane Eyre's Sisters by Jody Bower was a welcome discovery. I'm not sure I agree with all her conclusions, either, but I'm just thrilled that SOMEONE finally decided to analyze the great works of literature that resonate more with women than with men!
Personally, I'm not entirely sure that I buy the theory that all great stories must fit Campbell's hero's journey in the first place. I definitely don't believe that all great stories about women fit that mold. So Jane Eyre's Sisters by Jody Bower was a welcome discovery. I'm not sure I agree with all her conclusions, either, but I'm just thrilled that SOMEONE finally decided to analyze the great works of literature that resonate more with women than with men!
November 12, 2018
A superb book, analysis the herione behaviour in old literature.
The author pinpointed the steriotype of character portrayed by the authors.
The author carry the story of Aletis throughout the book and can say the author analysed in different dimension and the one was so catchy....
When she analysed in the angle of witch and how witch able to think clearly and how it helps the herione to understand her
A must read for a woman who admire the world from the point of Yang-Female.
Superb book
Loved every page
One of my favourite book in my favourite section of my library..
Note: woman for first liberated in literature and followed by real.
Sent from my iPhone
April 11, 2024
An inversion of sorts of Campbell’s monomyth for the woman who wanders. These wanderers, shedding their dependency on societal expectations and demands, find personal freedom elsewhere — and I love having this new framework to see through when considering where myth, archetypal analysis, gender roles, and stories collide.
July 6, 2018
If you are writing about women, you must read this book. You will find your own journey as we all have.
Want to read
December 23, 2022Mentioned in the JASNA News Volume 38, Number 4 Winter 2023
October 24, 2016
Excellent literary & psychological examination
Jody Gentian Bower provides us with an intelligent theory that we can use to explore the woman's narrative both in literary and psychological terms. She uses the current theories of the hero's journey and feminine theories as a jumping off point to map out the distinct moments of a woman's life that contribute to her becoming a whole person. This refreshing look not only helps us to understand the feminine path in literature and life more clearly, but also challenges us to accept that gender should not be looked at without fluidity and that we should examine many different theories when mapping out any individual's story.
Jody Gentian Bower provides us with an intelligent theory that we can use to explore the woman's narrative both in literary and psychological terms. She uses the current theories of the hero's journey and feminine theories as a jumping off point to map out the distinct moments of a woman's life that contribute to her becoming a whole person. This refreshing look not only helps us to understand the feminine path in literature and life more clearly, but also challenges us to accept that gender should not be looked at without fluidity and that we should examine many different theories when mapping out any individual's story.
January 25, 2016
This book had interesting content and was very interesting and eye opening. I just wish it was about a hundred pages shorter. I got the point long before the book was over. However - still totally worth reading! I learned a lot about the psychology regarding fictional characters of stories and the patterns that men and women follow.
March 25, 2016
There's a lot of Psych 101 in here (and I mean that rather disparagingly). The last four chapters were better than those that preceded them, and bumped it from two to three stars.
November 11, 2016
Such an interesting read about the Aletis. I want to read some of the fiction mentioned. In summary, women require sovereignty... the right to determine their own lives.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews