Review of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte This book is by Charlotte Bronte, who has in some ways connected this book to her own life which will be identified in this essay. The story is written as though Jane is an adult that is looking back on her life and experiences as a ten year old child. At ten years old Jane is an interesting child, she argues for what she believes and is very intelligent and special, and all of which she is not regarded by the Reed family. The main point put across is that she does not think or act as what was expected by a 19th century child. This is how in some ways the character Jane and her life mirror's Charlotte Bronte's life. The way the novel opens on a 'dreary November afternoon' indicates that the place the story is based is gloomy and dark. The opening paragraph introduces the Reed family after the word 'wealthy', signifying immediate importance compared to Jane when she is introduced as 'a young girl', separate from the Reed family. This immediately shows how she is outcast from the family. Charlotte Bronte introduces Jane in second person, but then becomes Jane when explaining how she is 'dispensed from the group'. Using second person set the scene before becoming Jane. Jane lives with Mrs. Reed, Eliza, John and Georgiana. She was left with them by her Uncle, Mr. Reed who died. Her parents died of tuberculosis when she was young and she moved to live with the Reed family. She was like one of the children when Mr. Reed was alive, but since he died Mrs. Reed despises Jane and doesn't think she should have to care for her. Jane is not classed as part of the family by any of the Reed fam... ... middle of paper ... ...point she wishes to die. The girls pity her rather than dislike her as she has been unjustly dealt with. Helen offers Jane advice. "Mr Brocklehurst is not a god; nor is he even a great or admired man; he is little liked here; he never took steps to make himself like. Had he treated you as an especial favourite, you would have found enemies, declared or covert, all around you; as it is, the greater number would offer you sympathy if they dared." "If all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends." Jane reveals she does not want to be alone or solitary, she again feels friendship, acceptance, love and a sense of belonging are essential. Helen however tells Jane that she thinks "too much of the love of human beings."
In Stephen Dunn’s 2003 poem, “Charlotte Bronte in Leeds Point”, the famous author of Jane Eyre is placed into a modern setting of New Jersey. Although Charlotte Bronte lived in the early middle 1800’s, we find her alive and well in the present day in this poem. The poem connects itself to Bronte’s most popular novel, Jane Eyre in characters analysis and setting while speaking of common themes in the novel. Dunn also uses his poem to give Bronte’s writing purpose in modern day.
According to Henri Bergson, “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” Life consists of a multitude of transitions and experiences, which help shape the creation of a person’s identity. This is evident in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, when Jane undergoes a striking moment of self-realization and moral development as she leaves her life at Moor House for Thornfield. This evolution occurs as she cultivates her own religious values, determines what love is, and becomes autonomous.
we cannot get a clear picture of Jane herself. Most of what we know is
One of her earliest memories came from when she was three years old. Jeannette had to go to the hospital because she burned herself cooking hot dogs. Her parents didn’t like hospitals, so for that reason after a few weeks they came and took her away. Jeannette and her family were constantly moving from place to place, sometimes staying no more than one night somewhere. Her father always lied to them saying that they had to keep moving because he was wanted by the FBI. Jeannette’s mother never took much interest in Jeannette or her siblings, because the mother didn’t want them and thought that they were bothersome and in the way.
Analyse the methods Charlotte Brontë uses to make the reader empathise with Jane Eyre in the opening chapters. Reflect on how the novel portrays Victorian ideology and relate your analysis to the novel’s literary content.
The story is told by the main character Vanessa who is reflecting back on a memory of when she was ten. Throughout the short story plot, conflict, character, theme, and symbol, which are all extremely important elements of fiction, are depicted. The plot of the short
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre chronicles the growth of her titular character from girlhood to maturity, focusing on her journey from dependence on negative authority figures to both monetary and psychological independence, from confusion to a clear understanding of self, and from inequality to equality with those to whom she was formerly subject. Originally dependent on her Aunt Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Mr. Rochester, she gains independence through her inheritance and teaching positions. Over the course of the novel, she awakens towards self-understanding, resulting in contentment and eventual happiness. She also achieves equality with the important masculine figures in her life, such as St. John Rivers and Mr. Rochester, gaining self-fulfillment as an independent, fully developed equal.
There are many stages throughout the book in which the reader can feel sympathy for Jane Eyre; these include when she is locked in the Red Room, when Helen Burns dies at Lowood, and when she and Mr. Rochester are married the first time.
The reader first learns of Jane when she is an inhabitant of Gateshead. At Gateshead, Jane was excluded from the rest of the family. She was merely an outsider looking in on a nuclear family, excluding the father, who had died. We know that Jane’s Uncle Reed, the father and dominant figure of Gateshead, when alive, was a kind man. He was the guardian for Jane and when dying made his wife promise to always care for Jane. After his death, his wife resented the little girl and did not want to care for her. Knowing what we know of family life in the nineteenth century, we know that Jane’s life would have been much different if her uncle Reed had not died. Being the master of the home one can assume that he would have made sure that everyone in the household would have treated Jane well and with love and respect. A father’s authority was unquestioned. Once Mr. Reed had died, the masculine dominance was somewhat given to his son who did not care for Jane and made her life miserable by all of his cruelty and abuse. Although he did not rule the home, due to his young age, his authority as seen by Jane was unquestioned.
In the beginning of Jane Eyre, Jane struggles against Bessie, the nurse at Gateshead Hall, and says, I resisted all the way: a new thing for me…"(Chapter 2). This sentence foreshadows what will be an important theme of the rest of the book, that of female independence or rebelliousness. Jane is here resisting her unfair punishment, but throughout the novel she expresses her opinions on the state of women. Tied to this theme is another of class and the resistance of the terms of one's class. Spiritual and supernatural themes can also be traced throughout the novel.
In order to further discuss her main points and views, a summary of her story
her off to school. She tells him that he should "keep a strict eye on her,
thinks of her as burden, and low life. Jane is forced to live with her
fact that she s a female but also because she is a poor orphan living
Next, we talked about her social development and how she only has social interaction with her mom and grandmother and is very secluded, they also never mentioned friends. Then we talked about her emotional development, and how she is in good health, she knows who she is, she knows her close family is and has developed close attachments with mom and grandma. Finally, we talked about how scary and dangerous it is for a young girl to walk through the woods to go to grandmother’s house. Also, she has the thought of her mom telling her to be careful in the woods because it could be