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Literary Criticism on Jane Eyre
Literary Criticism on Jane Eyre
Analysis of character Jane Eyre
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Noah Rettinger Mrs. Humpreys AP Literature and Composition 17 February 2016 1.4.5 Test Jane Erye’s childhood is not what one would think of as a normal childhood in the worst of ways. Jane was an orphan, which is hard enough as is. The severe treatment by her cousins really sets it over the top. While she had a few good moments in her childhood, hers could not be called a very joyful or very normal childhood. Through no doing of her own and through conditions beyond her power, she lived a quite challenging life. Jane would probably look back at these hardships and think that they shaped her into the woman she became and she is thankful for them, however that doesn't justify them. Due to the events in Jane’s childhood it gives the impression
We learn that Jane is a young girl who is a victim of emotional and
When we first meet Jane she is a young and orphaned girl with little self-confidence and hope of feelings a sense of belonging and self worth. It is unfair that Jane already feels lonely and desperate in such a cruel world as it is. Jane is open with her thoughts during her narration, “…humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed” (Bronte 7). Jane already feels as though she cannot participate in everyday activities because she acknowledges that she is a weaker person. By Jane believing she is weak she is succumbing to her own entrapment. The novel opens with Jane feeling inadequate about going on a walk with her cousins and the novel ends with Jane embarking on a journey of her very own, this is not a coincidence.
After Jane’s initiation stage of dealing with death and abuse she went on to deal with it and coped with her differences. After years of Helen’s death Jane went on to teaching and became a teacher for two years at Lowood. Once she got tired of teaching she went on to become a governess and highered her social class and met an older wiser man, Rochester. Rochester fell in love with jane almost immediately and always tried to win her over. He always tried to buy Jane expensive gifts but she would always refuse showing that she was independent and did not have to rely on others. Jane dealt with her suffering by overcoming her obstacles from before and proved to those who doubted her that she was the bigger person and was capable of more than everyone thought. Instead of Jane moving backward and trying to return back to innocence, she kept moving forward to learn from her initiation
Overall Jane has been through a lot ever since Bertha was introduced. It ruined her marriage and made her hopeless, full of despair and regret. Jane still moves on from this by continuing her journey which made her stronger.
While her surroundings changed again and again, Jane herself maintained a static nature. During the time she spent living with her aunt she exhibited a natural intelligence and independence. This independence coexisted with a strong drive. Jane retained these qualities through school and her different jobs. Although she sometimes relied on aid or comfort from others, she never relied too much on it. For example, when she left Rochester and arrived at a town with not a cent she almost immediately sought work. Even after her first applications where firmly denied, she kept pressing. When taken in by the Rivers family Jane refused to remain dependent
This act changes Jane's life forever, in both positive and negative ways. She learns that she need not tolerate abuse, and that she deserves better treatment than she has received. From that point forward, she becomes direct and honest, and forms a strong dislike of frivolity, false kindness, and the hypocrisy of the upper classes. She even finds the couage to confront Aunt Reed and speak her mind: "'I am not de...
In the book Jane Erye by Charolette Bronte, Jane encounters many different settings and people. Jane is put through horrible suffering and refuses to give her abusers the satisfaction of viewing her inner anguish. Jane accomplishes this through stoicism. This occurs many times in the book throughout Jane's life. Within Jane's life, she travels through her childhood home Gateshead Hall, Lowood School, and finally Edward Rochester's Thornfield. In each of these locations, Jane encounters obstacles which cause her suffering. And each time Jane maintains a stoic appearance, she gains these valuable necessities: strength, faith, knowledge, wealth, or independence. Each of these accumulate and combine to form her personality.
In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Jane has gone through experiences and some which let her down in a few ways. Jane also has people who impact her which hinder her future. She has been through so much and sometimes things and good sometimes they’re bad. Jane’s life has really changed and she experiences many things
Throughout the novel Jane displays outstanding courage and boldness which were uncommon traits in women of her time. We first see Jane's efforts to defend herself crushed by Mrs. Reed who says, "There is something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner" (pg. 3). One would think that the life at Gateshead would have subdued Jane's fiery temper, but it only rooted it deeper within her spirit. Had Jane been treated kindly she might have grown up a sweet-tempered girl, always giving in to the demands of society and holding back from developing her hungry mind. Jane also stands up to the bully, John Reed: "Wicked and cruel boy!...You are like a murderer, you are like a slave driver&emdash;You are like the Roman emperors!" (pg. 8). Jane is a brave character as she dares to step out of the acceptable realm of society when ...
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.
Jane is always being reminded that she is poor, and that is not very helpful, she is also always reminded that she is alone and her aunt and her cousins consider her to be of a lower class, due to the fact that she will not inherit any money. Jane thinks that she beneath everyone, even the people who are in the same household, who are all of a low social class, though in reality, she is above all the individuals in the house. Aunt Reed and others just seem to shove these horrible ideas down Jane’s throat, even when they are not true.
Women in the Victorian era were held to an inferior status. Many had to hide their feelings, conceal their creativity and they were sought to conform to societal rules. Jane Eyre never quite followed this, growing up in a contemptuous household Eyre acted out, calling her provider, Mrs. Reed, "deceitful" and describing her upbringing as "miserable cruelty" (Bronte 37, 36). Jane's upbringing instills her strong belief in justice toward those who treat others unfairly. When Jane becomes a student at Lowood Institute, the orphan school, Jane endures cruelty from the headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst. Due to her rough childhood, Jane's passion is uncontrollable. Rather than being passionate for love, she is passionate for justice. While at Lowood, she eventually learns the meaning of forgiveness and strength. Her good friend, Helen Burns, teaches her to accept others opinions of her, to be humble and recognize one's own faults. Helen councils Jane, saying "Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs" (58). Helen's advice to Jane teaches her self-possession, to endure hardships that come her way ...
Jane Erye spent the beginning of her childhood at her Aunt's house, where she struggles to become more intelligent by reading books. Jane wants to learn, even though her cousin insists: "You have no business to read our books; you are a dependent" (pg. 42). Shortly after being struck for reading, she lays in bed and requests: "Gulliver's Travels from the library. This book I had again and again perused with delight" (pg. 53). Her ambition to read and better herself meets opposition from her cousins, yet she continu...
At the beginning of the book, Jane was living with her aunt Mrs. Reed and her children. Although Jane is treated cruelly and is abused constantly, she still displays passion and spirit by fighting back at John and finally standing up to Mrs Reed. Even Bessie ‘knew it was always in her’. Mrs. Reed accuses Jane of lying and being a troublesome person when Mr. Brocklehurst of Lowood School visited Gateshead. Jane is hurt, as she knows she was not deceitful so she defends herself as she defended herself to John Reed when he abused her, as she said “Wicked and cruel boy! You are like a murderer – you are like a slave driver – you are like the Roman emperors!” to John Reed instead of staying silent and taking in the abuse, which would damage her self-confidence and self-worth. With the anger she had gotten from being treated cruelly, she was able to gain ...
children and locked her up the majority of the time. Her cousin John would constantly cause her physical and emotional harm, while cousins Georgiana and Eliza preferred to ignore her. Jane had spent eight years at Lowood Institution and suffered many hardships. Her life is saddened when her best and only friend, Helen Burns, dies at Lowood from sickness. Fortunately Jane wants a better life for herself, and ventures out into the world. I do like this work so far because it is interesting to see what will happen to Jane and where her life will lead. Charlotte Bronte's style does tend to be a little dull in some parts of the novel, from too much emphasis on minor events to much detail in some areas of the novel that is not relevant. I do think that Jane will enjoy the new life she has made for herself, this being a different experience.