Jane Eyre is a novel written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847, it is written in the first-person narrative. The plot follows Jane Eyre through her life from a young age and through the novel the reader sees Jane maturing from a young girl into adulthood, Jane also goes through many emotions and experiences and the book touches on many themes for example love, social class and religion.
During the novel Jane encounters two important men and through these men has two proposals of marriage, one from Rochester whom she loves and the other from her cousin St John Rivers. The two men are portrayed very differently, as are their marriage proposals. This essay will compare and contrast St John Rivers and Edward Rochester.
Jane had a testing childhood at the hands of her aunt Mrs Reed and her cousins. She lived with the Reed family until ten years of age and during these ten years she was bullied and unloved. Jane was then sent away to Lowood School she appeared excited to leave Gateshead, yet once at Lowood she experienced more ridicule and a hard school life. Nevertheless she did find friendship in Helen Burns, although this friendship was short lived as Helen died during a breakout of typhus, through their short friendship Helen had shown Jane that life at Lowood could be bearable; she was also the first friend Jane ever really had.
Despite Rochester’s stern manner and unhandsome appearance, Jane still finds herself falling in love with him. During her first encounter with Rochester Jane describes him
‘He had a dark face, with stern features and a heavy brow…’ Chapter 12.
She goes on to describe his eyes and gathered eyebrows as ireful she is claiming that his eyes are angry and full of wrath, she also describes him as passed his y...
... middle of paper ...
...would have to sacrifice her passion for the sake of religious duty. On the other hand with Rochester, Jane would be forced to sacrifice her morality for the sake of her passion whilst Bertha was alive. When she heard of Bertha’s death she realised that with Rochester she could live a happy life full of love. Rochester and St John Rivers both have passion, Rochester’s is a passion for his love of Jane whereas St John Rivers is a passion for his work as a missionary, and he allows this passion to quell his love for Miss Oliver. St John Rivers is prepared to come to love Jane over time; however this is a sign of his lack of passion while Rochester truly loves Jane despite their differences, and his love for her is true love. For Jane it is a choice between a marriage of passion and a marriage of practicality, for Jane it is her passion and heart that eventually wins.
Jane Eyre, written in 1847 by Charlotte Bronte, relates a tale of tragedy, mystery, and gothic romance. Covering the multiple issues of England in that time, Bronte writes about orphan treatment, social class, and Britain’s controversial law of prohibiting divorce in all circumstances. Orphaned at a young age and unwanted by her guardian Mrs. Reed, Jane searches for higher prospects in education at Lowood, eventually earning a position as a governess at Thornfield. Complications disrupt her life, when she becomes engaged to her employer, Mr. Rochester, and soon after discovers that he is already married to a lunatic. Leaving Thornfield, Jane finds a home with St. John and his two sisters.
St. John Rivers makes some very intriguing choices in Jane Eyre. He is constantly faced with difficult decisions to make. Whether it be refusing his true love or moving to India to give his life serving others, there is always an interesting twist where St. John is concerned. His importance in the novel may be evident to readers, but they may not always understand his decisions and his actions. The choices he makes are exemplary of a man who has given his life to serve God and His people.
...ohn she loves, but Mr. Rochester. This perspective also demonstrates Jane's unwillingness to submit to an unethical situation against her beliefs.
Jane Eyre finds her own image in St. John Rivers as they share several similarities in their moral determinations. After learning of Bertha Mason’s existence, Jane Eyre refuses to stay in Thornfield, fearing that she might lose her self-respect if she would give into Feeling, or “temptation” (447). The Feeling demands her to comply with Rochester’s entreaty, asking “Who in the world cares for you [Jane]? Or who will be injured by what you do?” (4...
Jane Eyre has been acclaimed as one of the best gothic novels in the Victorian Era. With Bronte’s ability to make the pages come alive with mystery, tension, excitement, and a variety of other emotions. Readers are left with rich insight into the life of a strong female lead, Jane, who is obedient, impatient, and passionate as a child, but because of the emotional and physical abuse she endures, becomes brave, patient, and forgiving as an adult. She is a complex character overall but it is only because of the emotional and physical abuse she went through as a child that allowed her to become a dynamic character.
By comparing St. John to a statue, the reader is forced to see St. John as someone who is cold and rigid. Jane sets up the perception that St.John is disconnected from human feelings. Jane also presents a biased view of men when she first meets Rochester, who later becomes her husband. Furthermore, Jane’s first impressions of Rochester are also negative. Upon first being introduced to Rochester, after he asked to see her, Jane comments, “But it appeared he was not in the mood to notice us, for he never lifted his head as we approached. . .
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”.
Though it is clear that Jane begins to have feelings for Rochester not long after meeting him, she is able to handle the situations she is put in when she is romantically involved with him. First, she refuses to marry him until she is sure that Blanche is not romantically involved with Rochester in any way. Second, when she finds out about Rochester’s wife and he begs her to run away with him, she refuses because of the fact that she has respect for herself and she know that it is the wrong thing to do. In this instance, Jane displays a great amount of emotional maturity. She could have very well decided to become Rochester’s mistress and run away with him. But because she respect herself, and because she does possess that emotional maturity, she does not allow herself to do so. Rochester is not the only suitor with which Jane displays emotional maturity. After Jane runs away from Thornfield and Rochester, she meets St. John Rivers and his sisters. After spending some time with the trio, Jane feels herself becoming comfortable. Eventually, St. John Rivers urges Jane to marry him and to accompany him on a mission trip as his wife. Although Jane finds herself tempted, she does not allow herself to accept because she wants to be her own person, and she knows that she could never love him in a romantic way. This is just another example of how much Jane grew up over the course of her
Jane Eyre’s early childhood years were partially spent at Gateshead. Here, her wealthy Aunt Sarah Reed and her cousins, treated her with cold-hearted cruelty thus leaving Jane feeling alone, alienated and longing to belong somewhere, to feel equal and to know what it is to truly be happy and loved. It is from her ill treatment at Gateshead that she begins to establish her own moral principles. She first demonstrates her newfound integrity just before her departure to Lowood School. Jane loses her temper and to her Aunt Reed she yells," if anyone asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say, that you treated me with miserable cruelty, you think I have no feelings and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so, people think you are a good woman, but you are bad, hard hearted, you are deceitful"(Page 26). Through this confrontation, Jane displays immense passion, she shows that she has become strong-willed and has developed a sense of justice, as she knows her ill treatment was wrong. Not long after Jane’s outburst she feels her "soul begin to expand; to exult, with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph,"(Page 26) Jane has changed for the better; she feels a sense of freedom and triumph, which she has never felt before. She has taken her first step in her journey to self-fulfilment.
Jane Eyre is a novel, written in the Victorian era by the author Charlotte Bronte. Bronte uses different setting in order to show what the characters are feeling. The setting is often a reflection of human emotion. The setting also foreshadows certain events that are going to occur.
Jane Eyre’s continuous search for love, a sense of belonging, and family are all thoroughly displayed by Charlotte Brontë. Jane starts off as a despised orphan who is captivated by the thought of love, believing that it will help her achieve happiness. Throughout the novel, Jane attempts to find different substitutes to fill the void in her life.
This feeling intensifies when Mr. Brocklehurst arrives to take Jane away to Lowood School. Her aunt is pleased to see her go, but manages to influence Jane's life even after Jane is settled in at the charity school, by informing Mr.
One of these, St John Rivers finds Jane a job teaching at a charity school. He then surprises her by telling her that her uncle has died and she is rich and he is also her cousin, knowing this she shares the inheritance equally with him and two other cousins. St John wants to travel as a missionary and he wants Jane to go with him as his wife, Jane wants to go but not as his wife because she doesn't love him, she nearly gives in but then hears Mr. Rochester's voice calling her. She hurries back to Thornfield but it has been burnt down by
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre represents the role of women in the Victorian era by giving the reader an insight into the lives of women from all social classes. Jane Eyre therefore represents figures of the Victorian time yet the character of Jane Eyre, herself, can be seen as very unconventional for the Victorian society.
difficult towards Jane. As the days pass, Jane does feel the intensity of love build between her and Mr. Rochester. They eventually make their way to the church to be married, when the dark and terrible secret is revealed. Lurking in the attic of Thornfield Hall, is Mr. Rochester's insane, maniac wife Bertha. She is a character to despise throwing tantrums, setting Rochester's bedroom on fire, tearing Jane's veil to shreds, and stabbing and biting her own brother Richard.