Adèle Varens, as pictured in the 2011 Focus Features film Jane Eyre, is the young French girl living at Thornfield who serves as Jane’s pupil. Presumed to be the daughter of Mr. Rochester, the owner of Thornfield and consequently Jane’s boss, Adèle is a minor character who is present only in scenes which serve the overarching story line of the major characters. Her mere existence is what brought Jane to live and work at the property in the first place, in order to serve as her governess. She serves as somewhat comedic relief, it is revealed that her mother is a past mistress to her father Edward, and Adèle’s thick French accent and tendency to enjoy the performance art of seductive song and dance are a reminder of his past infatuations with her mother. This detail is also crucial to a deeper understanding of the character Edward Rochester, and his tendency to treat women as disposable objects who merely serve as temporary pleasure. Edward’s decision to raise Adèle (using the copious amounts of help from his staff) is a small indication that he is willing to begin accepting responsibility for his actions and to move on from his past selfish actions.
As Christian Keathley explains in his article “Pass the salt … and other bits of business”, minor characters “…are nevertheless important to the plot – must be easily identifiable to the viewer, and giving them some business can help define their character quickly, efficiently and distinctively” (106). Adèle’s character falls perfectly under this description, as she is an easily noticeable and unique character in regards to the rest of the film. Her existence is essential to the film’s storyline, as she serves as a quintessential plot point between the major characters.
Works Cited
Fukunaga, Cary Joji. Jane Eyre. Focus Features, 2011.
Keathley, C. “Pass the Salt … and Other Bits of Business.” Screen, vol. 52, no. 1, 2011, pp. 105–113., https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjq065.
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