The passage appears at the end of volume 1 of Villette, just after Lucy Snowe's paralyzing episode in which she questions her future, those who loved her and even his life. It is this moment of doubt that propels Snowe into a dizzying torment of anguish and despair as she struggles with herself and the outside world. Her language and diction used in these final thoughts of the first volume emphasize both the essences of internal and external turmoil as she finds herself entangled in the force of the storm: If the storm had calmed a little at sunset sun, she has now made up for lost time. The current of the wind thundered strong and horizontal from the northwest to the southeast; it brought rain like sea spray, and sometimes heavy hail like a gunshot; it was cold and pierced right down to my vitals. I lowered my head to meet him, but he pushed me away. My heart did not fail at all in this conflict, I only wished that I had wings and could ride the wind, spread and rest my wings on its strength, career in its course, sweep where it swept. Wishing for this, I suddenly felt colder before I was cold, and more helpless where I was weak before. (163-164 Villette, Charlotte Brontë)At this point, it is evident that Lucy Snowe has undergone a momentous change that is reflected in the diction, which depicts the passage of a violent and tumultuous storm. Indeed, Snowe's conflict mirrors that of the Storm, as she finds herself not only at odds with the world around her, but also in internal conflict. By doubting her own worth and her “deepest spirit” (160), as she attests just before, she questions her life and also begins to question death. This moment of doubt disrupts her usually steadfast character, pushing her into an unknown, and host...... middle of paper ...... representative of her character. Rather, his true character is something which only partially exists within the framework of his own mind, an identity which is never fully realized or transmitted to any other character, and which is only visible through his inner dialogue. Even the reader receives only the shadows of the inner thoughts of this intangible heroine. For Snowe, just as her name might suggest is a mixture of lightness and darkness, fire and ice, she can be both reserved and stormy, shy and bold, just like the nature of a passing storm . Snowe's character is at best an impalpable entity since in the context of Villette, only glimpses are given of an elusive heroine who chooses what she reveals to her reader. Yet she is nothing if not strong and resilient, just like the storm she alludes to and tries so fiercely to fight: the very storm that is ultimately at the very core of her being..