How Does Bronte Use Blanche Ingram A Foil To Jane

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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. Blanche Ingram’s stunning beauty contrasts Jane’s simple physical appearance as they are described physically opposite. Throughout the book many characters describe Jane as plain and simple. When one of Ms Reeds maids, Ms Abbot describes Jane she states, "If she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot …show more content…

Her name “Blanche” gave clues to the character, as the word is related to the colour white, which is pure and cold but also blank, with no real personality. The two characters are complete opposites; Blanche with her ostentatious nature greatly differs from Jane’s demure mien. Jane’s character would rather sit alone in a small corner, whereas Blanche tries to draw attention to herself. One evening Jane observes Blanche’s actions and describes her to be “evidently bent on striking them as something very dashing and daring indeed.” Blanche’s emptiness makes Jane’s true depths of human dignity, and morality all the more evident and attractive. Without the use of Blanche as a foil, the positive attributes of Jane’s character would not of been as evident, as she would not of been compared to one with such an ugly inner

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