In the novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, the main character, Jane goes from being a feisty but withdrawn ten year old to a mature, level-headed grown woman. Jane’s years of childhood are not peaceful though, she goes through many trials that not only shape Jane herself, but the novel’s meaning. The trials that Jane faces and the way she reacts and responds to these trials ultimately shape the meaning of the novel;, people don’t have to establish themselves the way society wants them to. One of the first trials that Jane has to go through is the death of her parents. Jane’s parents were poor and unable to leave Jane any money to support herself. This lead to Jane having to rely on the charity of Mrs. Reed. Society placed Jane’s societal …show more content…
Reed sends Jane to school to get rid of her, because she feels that Jane doesn’t deserve to be in her house any longer. As this school Jane mellows out, but she also works hard to fight the same stereotypes she faced at Gateshead. While at Lowood school, Jane gains and then loses a friend, has to face more abuse from a male figure, and has to tolerate harsh living conditions. Through all of that Jane is determined to become educated and break the mold that society has built for her.
As Jane grows and finishes school she does indeed break the mold. Jane continues to be educated and starts working as a governess. She is not the poor, uneducated lost soul that society, and Mrs. Reed, wanted her to become. Jane is also still fighting the stereotype of a woman being controlled by the men around her. When Jane finds out that Mr. Rochester is married and attempting to make Jane his mistress, she leaves. When St. John Rivers becomes controlling and manipulative of Jane, she doesn’t bear it, she leaves. Jane’s childhood is full of trials and adversity, but it is those moments that enlighten Jane to the very real fact that she can break the mold. Jane becomes highly educated, she begins working, and she doesn’t let anyone control her or her feelings. Jane does break the mold and in doing so the significance of the novel shines through; that people don’t have to be defined by society’s definition of them. Jane proves that this meaning is
Ultimately, as a woman, she is a limited agent and can only do so much indecently. Jane breaks off from the domestic sphere to which she is confined
Jane Addams life as a child was not easy, she had a congenital spinal defect which led to her never being physically strong and her father who served for sixteen years as a state senator and fought as an officer in the Civil War always showed that his thoughts of women were that they were weak, and especially her with her condition. But besides that she lived a very privileged life since her father had many famous friends like the president Abraham Lincoln. Jane was determined to get a good education which she ended up getting. She went to Rockford sanitary for women which is now called Rockford University and she also studied to be a doctor but had to quit because she was hospitalised too many times. Being sick affected her life very much so when she got older she remedied her spinal defect with surgery.
Jane being ignored is a reason why she has some mental issues. She feels ashamed of what she is feeling and society makes it hard for her to want to talk about this with anyone. Not being able to talk about it, causes Jane’s depression to get worse with
Nearing the end of Jane’s stay at Lowood, she decides she wants a change due to the fact that Miss Temple (a dear teacher who stood Jane in the stead of a ‘mother, governess, and latterly, companion) left the school. With her in the school, Jane felt somewhat at home and a sense of belonging. Upon her departure, she applies for the job of a governess to fulfil the longing of belonging once again.
This establishes a depressing and somber mood 2. Why is it ironic that Jane is seen as the guilty party in the incident with John Reed? To whom does she compare John? What is she implying in this comparison?
Finally, the details about society show that Jane recognizes the standards of her victorian society and needs to abide by them. After Jane had thought awhile, she no longer “felt justified in judging” Mr. Rochester and Blanche for “acting in conformity to ideas and principles instilled into them.” Though Jane wishes to be loved by Mr. Rochester, she comes to the realization that rich men do not marry lower-class women in her
When Jane meets Helen at Lowood school, Jane is amazed and confused at Helen’s ability to tolerate the abuse directed at her by the teachers. Both Helen and Jane struggle at the school however, Helen and Jane endure the mistreatment from the teachers individually. “I heard her with wonder: I could not comprehend this doctrine of endurance” (Brontë 6). Jane refuses to conform to the teachers complaints, her free
Even though Jane has suffered, she still has fantasies about developing a better life on earth. While Helen has hope for one day entering heaven, Jane tries to discover the world outside of what limited experience she has gained throughout her life. By creating a character such as Helen, who focuses solely on God, Brontë emphasizes how
In the novel we follow the protagonist, a young Victorian woman who struggles to overcome the oppressive patriarchal society in which she is entrapped. It is a story of enclosure and escape, from the imprisonment of her childhood to the possible entrapment of her daunting marriage. Throughout the novel Jane must fight against her inevitable future that society has already chosen for her. We see her attempt to overcome the confinements of her given gender, background and status. She must prove her worth against the men she encounters throughout her life, showing her equality in intelligence and strength.
One of the biggest character foils in Jane Eyre is between Mr. Edward Rochester and St. John Rivers. From the first time we meet these characters, it is easy to tell the two apart. While one is ruled by a religious forces the other is controlled by emotions. Jane has to make a choice, and decide how she is going to live the rest of her life. At the end of the novel, she makes a choice between what is expected of her, and what she wants.
In the beginning, she is deprived of education, love and appreciation of her presence which ultimately is her prime reasoning of taking off to be successful. Her experience at Gateshead was nothing more than miserable, she fought for what she needed and grew out of her comfort zone to stick up for herself. The strict rules and limits to freedom was not something Jane could handle for much longer, starting with the false accusations said by Brocklehurst of Jane. Brocklehurst is one of the many obstacles Jane fights to become happy and successful. She did not let him control how she envisioned her future life, rather she became even more passionate to prove how much of a cruel master he was.
Bronte 's Jane Eyre transcends the genres of literature to depict the emotional and character development of its protagonist. Although no overall genre dominates the novel exclusively, the vivid use of setting contributes towards the portrayal of Bronte’s bildungsroman (Realisms, 92) and defines the protagonist’s struggles as she grapples with her inner-self, and the social expectations of her gender. The novel incorporates Jane’s frequent conflicts, oppression, isolation and self-examination as she defends her identity and independence. Set amongst five separate locations, Bronte’s skilful use of literal and metaphorical landscapes, nature, and imagery, skilfully intertwines with the plot and denotes each phrase of her maturity.
First, Jane Eyre’s attributes displays women in our society who are still in search for meaning and love in their lives. Just like Jane’s spirit of passion despite abuse, these women continue to search for respect from other
Rebecca West once said, “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat”; feminism and other social issues are fundamental to literature, with them commonly being a driving force behind both modern and classic works of fiction. Feminism is everywhere, with women still fighting for gender equality in modern day Britain as demonstrated through Emma Watson’s United Nations speech which was broadcasted in September of 2014 where she differentiates feminism from ‘man-hating’. Feminism has developed considerably over time as general attitudes have been swayed through literature, political movements and women’s portrayal of themselves. In 1847, Charlotte Bronte released her novel ‘Jane Eyre’ which was viewed as very radical for its time as Bronte uses Jane to exhibit her resentment towards society. Jane is presented as a morally strong, determined character who, when she falls in love, embraces the notion instead of the label and profits which are associated with it; she states that she “cares for [her]self” and that “more unsustained [she is], the more [she] will respect [her]self” as she is not tempted away from her self-respect.
Charlotte Bronte knew as one of the most talented women authors of the Victorian era. She and her sisters, Emily and Anne grow up in Victorian England, they were inspired by the Romantic authors, and all of them write masterpieces in English literature. Charlotte Bronte faced a lot of difficulties, and obstacles in her life even though she manages to write important works in English Literature. For example, Jane Eyre, The Professor, Shirley, and Villette. At first, she writes Jane Eyre under pseudonym Currer Bell.