9. A Mind of her Own

Abstract

This essay explores seven Portuguese-language translations of Jane Eyre, ranging from the nineteenth-century periodical O Zoophilo, through to two twenty-first century versions. We discuss renditions of two specific extracts (from Chapters 12 and 34), deploying back translations for readers unfamiliar with Portuguese. In a selection that spans both Brazil and Portugal, we consider how political contexts and personal agendas shape translator engagement with the yearning for freedom that characterises Bronte’s heroine. In particular, close attention to the seismic prison/escape dynamic, through keywords such as ‘mind’, ‘masterhood’ and possessives and adjectives indicative of Jane’s self-affirming impetus, serve to illuminate gender politics.