Chance and Fate: "Great Expectations" and "Villette" Book Review by Nicky

This paper examines how both the novels "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens and "Villette" by Charlotte Bronte tackle the dichotomy between chance and fate and how the protagonists - namely Pip and Lucy - build their lives around these two themes. It looks at how in the case of Dickens' novel, this opposition is manifested through most of the characters and is inextricably linked to the idea of success and what it entails for Pip. In comparison, the paper discusses how Bronte's perspective is rather different. Throughout the novel, coincidence drives much of the plot, such as the serendipitous and unforeseen reunion of Lucy, Dr. John, and Mrs. Bretton in Villette all at the same moment, but Bronte handles the coincidence skillfully, so the reader has little difficulty believing it.