Jane Eyre Vs Antoinette

To an architect building something with structure is part of the job, but how does structure apply to the average person? Two women an entire ocean apart may not be as different as one would think. The characters of Jane and Antoinette are strikingly similar for how different their backgrounds were. Both women had similar childhoods plagued by many of the same problems. The true difference comes in their late teen years. Jane was surrounded by people who were positive influences, whereas Antoinette didn’t have the best influences in this formative time. Jean Rhys in Wide Sargasso Sea draws many parallels between Jane Eyre and Antoinette Cosby- the similarities end due to the fact that Jane has positive influences and structure where Antoinette

Jane often chose isolation and in it found solace and safety. She frequently tried to evade the cruelty of Mrs. Reed and John. “With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy: happy at least in my way. I feared nothing but interruption”(Bronte 6). Often times when Jane would be isolated she would read; that is what “Bewick” refers to. She read a book like Bewick and imagined that she were in the book, in a way it was her escape. This fantasy aided she participated in helped ease her time at Gatehead. “I was then happy” Jane was rarely seen as happy when she was a child. Because of the happiness that occurred while she was isolated from the rest of the family she would often try to find alone time. This is significant because it explains Jane’s behavior as a child as well as an

One of the most significant things that allowed Jane to stay in order was the fact that she had a job. She stayed very busy and the job provided structure in her life.”She... inspired me, in return, with a degree of attachment sufficient to make us both content in each other's society.”(Bronte 126) this displays what drove Jane. It helps that Jane felt “inspired” by her work. Because she was inspired it kept her on track and allowed for her to keep working. This benefited Jane in the long run by keeping her in the house of Mr. Rochester who ended up being her greatest influence. Interestingly enough Mr. Rochester is the one who felt no love for Antoinette and quite possibly drove her towards insanity. The way Bronte portrays Rochester in Jane Eyre makes him seem like the