Brontë´s Villette: Religious Censorship in 1996 Spain

Abstract

This paper analyses the Spanish translation of Brontë’s Villette published by Rialp in 1996 and shows how it censors every single element considered to be critical of Catholicism, thus distorting the meaning. The author thinks that the novel cannot be understood without these anti-Catholic elements, since Catholicism is the metaphor used to represent the main character’s struggle in her search for happiness. Finally, the research brings to light another interesting and unexpected fact: the so-called new translation was actually based on a previous one dating back to 1944.