Karen O'Brien

Sara Lyons, Lecturer in Victorian Literature, gives close readings of character and gothic realism. Karen O'Brien, Professor of English, examines narrative voice, religion and imperial themes. Dinah Birch, Professor and researcher, supplies historical and critical context. They discuss Charlotte Brontë’s influences, Lowood’s real-life model, Jane and Rochester’s power dynamics, Bertha Mason’s construction, and the novel’s blend of realism and gothic.