In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte uses characters as foils to show contrast to Jane and other minor and major characters. The entire book shows contrast, and it not only compares them to Jane but characters like Mr. Rochester. Charlotte Bronte also used foils to show complexity and diversity in many characters including Jane.
In the beginning of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte use Georgiana reed one of Jane’s extremely privileged and wealthy cousins as the first foil. Georgiana reed was depicted as “her beauty, her pink cheeks …delight to all who looked at her (Bronte 20).” Georgiana has beautiful blue eyes with yellow ringlet hair, compared to Jane who is said to look plain and even in some cases ugly “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little(72).” Jane being compared to Georgiana; helps me see Jane’s characteristics because Jane knows that superficial things such as wealth and beauty can only get one so far in life, it shows me that Jane is independent and determined to surpass her current situation. Georgiana reed is also rich, a noble and has a loving family while Jane on the other hand has been a burden to her “family”, poor and on top of that is an orphan.
Jane and Blanche Ingram have one major thing in common; they wanted Ms. Rochester to be their husband, for different reasons of course. Miss Blanche wanted Mr. Rochester as an accessory to her because it was convenient. “I am resolved my husband shall not be a rival, but a foil to me (128).” Blanche uses her beauty, education and nobility to demean others and got get whatever she wanted she is very superficial. Blanche was even uncaring to Adele because she was the illegitimate child of Mr. Rochester. Blanche disregards everyone who is not in her social sta...
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...ect he saw the same perfection in her “Jane, you look blooming, smiling, and pretty/is the reward for such immaculate perfection in the end (302).” that is what Mr. Rochester received in the end his true love and peace and st. john died doing what he loved.
Charlotte Bronte used foils to show the audience her character’s perception on situations, and to fully portray each character’s true persona. Charlotte Bronte uses foils to define each character and to improve the quality of the book; when she provided contrast in the characters. When an author has characters in a book that contradict each other, it gives the reader different views and ways to comprehend the problems and the twist of the plot. Charlotte Bronte seceded in the use of foils because the foils made the audience have sympathy and other emotions that improve the readers’ enjoyment in the Jane Eyre.
If you have the Harry Potter series, or almost any other story you have been introduced to this literary device that instantly makes your story attention-grabbing, and page-turning. This writing tool is known as a character foil. A character foil is a character that displays contrary, or opposite character traits. An example of a character foil is Draco Malfoy, and Harry Potter. Their rival relationship and other conflicts are the perfect example to showcase foils at work. To continue, in the iconic “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare, there are two known character foils in the first Act: Benvolio and Tybalt, and the Nurse and Lady Capulet.
(Whether we read about different people in literature to broaden our knowledge about others, or whether we do it as an interest, we cannot overlook the use of foils in stories. While many people can be similar to each other, others can be complete opposites. One character may do something virtuous, while the other may do something heinous; this in turn makes the virtuous character seem exceedingly better than the other character.) (In literature, many writers use foils to highlight one’s true nature and make it more noticeable; when characters are compared side by side, one character is always superior to the other. In the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee undoubtedly uses pairs of characters to emphasize and demonstrate the themes of prejudice, racism and inequality of characters.)(This writing technique is especially evident with the characters: Atticus and Mr. Gilmer; Miss Maudie Atkinson and Miss Stephanie Crawford; and, finally, Walter Cunningham Sr. and Bob Ewell.)
A foil is when a characters differences contrast with another in order to show the main characters traits clearly. By using certain parts of their personalities, the reader sees the other characters opposing qualities. When an author uses foil in a novel the main character is thoroughly developed because the reader can gain more information about the characters own reactions. Mary Shelley’s use of foil characters in Frankenstein Or, The Modern Prometheus enhances the story greatly. Shelley’s way of comparing Victor, the Creature, Robert Walton and Clerval is what leads to the readers greater understanding of who Victor is. The most obvious foil throughout the novel is the Creature and Victor, child and father figure. Shelley uses their similarities
A foil is a character who serves as a contrast to another character. Writers often use foils to emphasize differences and traits of characters. Such an author would be William Shakespeare, author to many plays, including “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”. William Shakespeare uses foiling to emphasize one of the main character’s traits and differences. This “ foiling” relationship is between the main character Romeo and Paris.
Jane Eyre has a rough start to her foundation, to begin she is orphaned at a young age. This sets up many problems for the young girl and her fragile identity. The people around worsen the situation as Jane grows. They challenge her patience, integrity, and intelligence. As a female Jane must deal with the caste system of her time as a threat, and as an orphaned child she must deal with the cast system as an obstacle. The family of Reeds that she lives with reminds her everyday of her low position. “She suffers precisely because she knows the value of caste; She may be poor, but she does not want to belong to the poor” (Bell 2). This makes Jane want to thrive more because she realizes the odds against her. Originally, Jane comes from a middle-class family but when her father dies she is left to the pity of the Reeds. The Reeds mistreat Jane and she grows to long the outside world. Jane clearly shows her position when she says, “ It is as natural as that I should love those who show me affection, as submit to punishment when I feel it is deserved”.
In the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte uses Jane Eyre as her base to find out how a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with her responsibilities. . Mistreated abused and deprived of a normal childhood, Jane Eyre creates an enemy early in her childhood with her Aunt Mrs. Reed. Just as Mrs. Reeds life is coming to an end, she writes to Jane asking her for forgiveness, and one last visit from her.
In the novel, Jane Eyre starts as a young girl of ten years old; she lives with her aunt Mrs. Reed and her cousins John, Georgiana, and Eliza. At Gateshead, Jane has undergone betrayal in the acts that the Reed family does not treat her as a part of their family. Mrs. Reed treats Jane unkindly and as if she was a victim to put it, in other words, Mrs. Reed says “ take her away to the red-room and lock her in there” (Brontë, Ch. 1). Mrs. Reed
In fact, I am glad the book ended with the focus on the character of St. John instead of with Jane or Rochester, as it hints to us that the importance of the book is not about finding the right person, falling in love, and living happily ever after. The theme of this book is about following your conscience. In this regard, Jane and St. John both did the same thing in this story: They both had strong, driving consciences; they both were tempted but pursued their course; and they both found a satisfying life in the end. This book is not about developing a relationship with a romantic partner, but about developing a relationship and learning to follow and live in tune with your own moral conscience.
The novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is an early 19th-century English piece of literature. This literary work is evocative and riveting.It portrays acts of betrayal between family members, loved ones, and self-inflicted betrayal. The acts of betrayal are done by Mrs. Reed, Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre herself.
The novel Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte, is about Jane who is a strong, independent women who went from being an orphaned, isolated ten-year-old to excelling at school and becoming a governess.The character Blanche Ingram is intended to marry Edward Rochester, the man Jane loves. Throughout the first half of the novel Bronte uses Blanche Ingram as a foil to Jane, to reveal her true persona. This is evident firstly by appearance, where Blanche is described as beautiful and Jane plain, their different inner characters, the way they connect with Adele and finally how they express their feelings towards Edward Rochester.
Authors use minor characters that have specific traits to emphasize the characteristics of a main character and this is called foil characters. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, the author, uses Bob Ewell and Atticus Finch as foil characters to reveal the theme of courage and cowardice.
Miss Ingram has money, beautiful clothes, she is attractive, and men love her. She is represented as the perfect 19th century Victorian woman and the complete opposite of Jane Eyre. Blache’s name, meaning white, suggests that she is cold and blank. She has no real personality or identity of her own and plays up to Mr. Rochester for his riches unlike Jane. Unlike Blanche, Jane is determined to discover her own identity and does not blindly follow Mr. Rochester. Instead Jane’s independent personality allows her to stand up to him that wins Rochester’s
While an artist uses a variety of colors and brushes to create a portrait, Charlotte Bronte used contrasting characters and their vivid personalities to create a masterpiece of her own. In her novel Jane Eyre, Bronte uses narration and her characters to portray the struggle between a society’s Victorian realism and the people’s repressed urges of Romanticism.
Random House Webster's dictionary defines a foil as "a person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast." This essay will focus on the use of the foil to contrast another character. The characters of Nora and Mrs. Linde provide an excellent example of this literary device. Mrs. Linde's aged, experienced personality is the perfect foil for Nora's childish nature. Mrs. Linde's hard life is used to contrast the frivolity and sheltered aspects of Nora's life. Nora's optimism and belief in things improbable is an opposite to the rationality and down-to-earth mentality of Mrs. Linde. Finally, the rekindling of the flame between Mrs. Linde and Krogstad is a direct contrast to the burning down of Nora and Torvald's "doll's house."
Women, in all classes, were still living in a world which was misogynistic and male-dominated. Their purpose in life was to produce male heirs and maintain the home by hiring and overseeing servants. It was also taboo for one to marry significantly below one’s social class. This is one reason that Jane is not a conventional heroine for the society of her time. Although, as a governess, she is not considered to be as low as a housemaid, she is still part of the hired help in the house. This is why it is unconventional for her and Mr Rochester to be in a relationship. Yet this is not as peculiar as how Jane Eyre ends their relationship due to her sense of betrayal. It would have been considered extremely foolish for a working-woman’s sense of betrayal to end and turn down a man of great wealth.