Which of these is a Charlotte Brontë novel set in Belgium?

• A. Jane Eyre
• B. Wuthering Heights
• C. Villette
• D. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Answer: (C)

Setting is what the question is really asking about. Villette is the Charlotte Brontë novel where the action unfolds in a Belgian town, reflecting Brontë’s own time in Brussels and the distinct francophone, European atmosphere there. The protagonist, Lucy Snowe, goes to teach in a school in that Belgian milieu, and the cultural and linguistic differences shape much of the story’s mood and conflicts. The other well-known Brontë works are set in England (moors, towns, and manor houses) or, in the case of the sister who wrote one, in a different author’s family, so they don’t expose that Belgian setting. Because Villette uniquely situates its world in Belgium, it’s the best fit for this clue.