Throughout reading different hypertexts, it becomes clear that each author chooses to reinvent the characters, plot points, and motifs present in Jane Eyre in unique ways. One aspect that changes through different versions of Jane Eyre is the name of the child Jane looks after. Identity is so closely intertwined with the process of naming, making the author’s decision on a name important, as it can add layers to the reading of a novel. In Jane, Lindner decides to name the child Madeline (Maddy) rather than Adèle (as is the case in Jane Eyre). The daughter is the offspring of Nico and Celine, a rock star and a French popstar (Lindner 14). The choice to keep the “del” in Madeline nods to Adèle, while being an Anglicized spelling of it (versus Madeleine, which would be the French spelling). Using a French name in an English spelling is an interesting nod to the unity between a French popstar and an English rock star having a baby.

Additionally, Madeline is the English form of “Magdalene.” According to Behind the Name, “Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala - a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered Madeline, while Magdalene or Magdalen is the learned form” (Magdalene). Dissecting this lineage of the name Madeline draws a parallel between Madeline as one who “was cleaned of evil spirits,” and to Nico, who must raise his daughter to be unlike Celine, who he views as irresponsible and a gold digger (Lindner 218). In many ways, Madeline serves as the catalyst for Nico to clean himself of his evil spirits.

Bibliography: Magdalene. 2019, https://www.behindthename.com/name/magdalene. Accessed 31 Oct. 2019.

Lindner, April. Jane. Little, Brown and Company, 2010.