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Jane Eyre and contemporary social class issues
Jane Eyre and contemporary social class issues
The conflicts in Jane Eyre
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Jane, Mrs. Fairfax, and Mr. Rochester “entered the quiet and humble temple; the priest waited in his white surplice at the lowly altar with the clerk beside him” (Bronte. 306). The wedding had no groomsmen, no bridesmaid, nor any relatives it was all done in secret. The service began shortly after the explanation of the matrimony.
Suddenly a clergyman walked a step farther forward and looked at Mr. Rochester. The Priest continued with the ceremony, “that if either of you know any impediment why ye may not lawfully be jointed together in matrimony, ye do now confess it; for be ye well assure that so many as are coupled together otherwise than God’s Word doth allow, are not joined together by God, neither is their matrimony lawful” (Bronte.306). The Priest asks if anyone objects the ceremony, “the clergyman, who had not lifted his eyes from his book, and had held his breath but for a moment, wilt though have this woman for thy wedded wife. The marriage cannot go on I declare the existence of an impediment” (Bronte. 306). The room was in silence shortly after what the clergyman said. Mr. Rochester over heard the man but wish to by pass this outbreak and continue the wedding. The clergyman interrupts again,“ it simply consists in the existence of a previous marriage. Mr. Rochester has a wife now living” (Bronte. 307). Jane nerves started to race, and she stared at Mr. Rochester till he looked back at her. His whole face was colourless rock; his eye was both spark and flint (Bronte. 307). No words were spoken by the two after those words said by the clergyman. Mr. Rochester broke his silence and asked the clergyman to introduce himself. The man replied, “My name is Briggs, a solicitor of- Street, London. And you would thrust on me a...
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... her” (Spark notes Ch. 27). Although Jane’s thought maybe true she knows that she must respect herself first even if that meant being alone for what is right. The same night Jane dreamed about her mother telling Jane to flee temptations. That every night Jane grabbed her things and leaves Thornfield. Jane thought that she would be spend the rest of her life in Thornfield with Mr. Rochester until his darkest secret came to life on the day of their wedding. Discovering that Mr. Rochester was already married had torn and weakened Jane soul. Jane conscious soon push her into making the decision to leave Thornfield and start fresh rather than live with this heavy weight on her shoulders. Jane knows that Mr. Rochester has deeply falling in love with her but did not take that chance and divorce Bertha. Jane has developed much respect for herself not to be a mistress.
...ugh in the end Jane and Mr. Rochester do get married, Jane is an emotionally battered character who has to look deep inside of herself to do what is best for her. This happens to people every day. They are hurt by dishonesty and deceitfulness. It can ruin their lives unless they make the commitment to be honest with themselves and those around them.
We learn that Jane is a young girl who is a victim of emotional and
Eventually, she returns to her former employer, discovering Thornfield in ashes, Mrs. Rochester dead, and Mr. Rochester blind and free from wedlock. Flooded with motifs, Jane’s continual struggles between her passions and responsibility prevail as the main theme of Bronte’s entrancing narrative. From the introduction of Jane’s orphan life, she battles between her ire at cousin John’s antics and obedience to Aunt Reed’s reluctant guardianship.
Jane spends her first 10 years of her life at Gateshead Hall, a lavish mansion. She lived with her Aunt, Mrs Reed, and three cousins, Eliza, Georgina and John. During her time in the mansion she wouldn't dare argue with the mistress, and fulfilled every duty. Jane is deprived of love, joy and acceptance. She is very much unwanted and isolated.
...ment and realization that he has lost Jane to another man in the following dialogue between them, “’I know where your heart turns, and to what it clings. The interest you cherish is lawless and unconsecrated. Long since you ought to have crushed it: now you should blush to allude to it. You think of Mr. Rochester?’ It was true. I confessed it by silence. ‘Are you going t seek Mr. Rochester?’ ‘I must find out what is become of him.’ ‘It remains for me, then,’ he said, ‘to remember you in my prayers; and to entreat God for you, in all earnestness, that you may not indeed become a castaway. I had thought I recognized in you one of the chose. But God sees not as man sees: His will be done.’” (Bronte 436) Though Jane Eyre’s stay at Moor House and Morton were crucial for her recovery to stability of her life, she yearned to be at Thornfield and wedded to Mr. Rochester.
In the beginning of the book we learn that all of Jane’s direct family was dead. Now all she had was an aunt, Mrs, Reed, and an Uncle that we do not know much about. Jane lives with Mrs, Reed and her children. Jane is not well liked by them and constantly seems to be getting into trouble. One time Jane was reading a book and was found by John. John went to punish her, but Jane went to fight back, but John immediately responded, “...mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg…”(11) This shows how the whole Reed family feels about Jane. She is showed off as poor and not able to do or become anything of worth. This may be the most important quotes in the entire book. This sets Jane in her “rightful” place in the family. Jane then feels like she does not belong, and feels this way for most of the book, leading up to an unforeseen twist in character in many different people.
Chapter 23 of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre Jane Eyre begins by telling us about Jane's strict and unhappy upbringing with her upper class Aunt, Mrs. Reed. She is then sent to Lowood School where her only friend Helen falls ill and dies. When Jane is older she becomes a Governess working for Mr. Rochester at Thornfield Hall. Jane and Rochester fall in love but neither of them express their feelings to each other.
Miss Temple was the first amiable person that Jane Eyre met at Lowood Institution. She acted as a firm role model and mentor to Jane throughout her stay at Lowood as a superintendent. Jane Eyre, a simple young girl, was astonished by her character because she never had a person to look up to until she met Miss Temple. Miss Temple gave Jane that sense of love that she wanted when she arrived at Lowood. She was incapable of being harsh to those girls at the institute; she had no bad bone in her body.
Bertha and Mr. Rochester were set up and pressured into marrying each other. Mr. Rochester claims that isolating Bertha in a secret room is a justifiable act because of her mental instability. However, The Bertha that the reader gets to see exhibits an accumulated maniacal rage as a result of her imprisonment. Jane describes her as a savage woman. The very sight of her when she attacked her brother or when she ripped the wedding veil traumatized Jane. However, Bertha impacted more than her safety. When Bertha is revealed to be Mr. Rochester’s wife, Jane finds out that despite the love she and Mr. Rochester have for each other; Jane can be nothing more than a mistress because it is illegal to divorce an insane women who is not in control of her actions.
... self-worth. She believes that there is a chance for her to change her future. She had to make certain sacrifices in order to discover her strength, true friendships and her self-worth. She sacrifices her love to preserve her self-worth. After realizing her marriage to Rochester cannot be lawful and will mean surrendering her sense of dignity and virtue, she leaves him. When Jane leaves Thornfield she says “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself” (Bronte 336). In the end, she finds her happiness, as she is now with the man she loves, she preserves her self-worth without sacrificing her integrity.
Many people believe that eating disorders are a product of the twentieth century, brought on by teenage girls aspiring to be supermodels like Cindy Crawford. Although such pressures are precipitating factors to many eating disorders, doctors diagnosed patients with anorexia as early as 1689 (Spignesi 7). One early example of anorexia is present in the novel Jane Eyre. Written in the mid-nineteenth century by Charlotte Brontë, this book describes a young girl whose personality bears striking similarities with that of a diagnosed anorexic. The life of the main character, Jane, has also been shown to share innumerable similarities with Brontë's own life. Biographical information from researchers and autobiographical information from Jane Eyre (whether intentional or not) verify that Brontë had an eating disorder.
Moseley goes on to say, “Liberty and love are in some way at war in the lives of all of us.” It is not until Jane reaches personal liberation, that she is capable of loving someone else to a full extent. Throughout Jane Eyre Jane must learn how to gain love without sacrificing herself in the process. Orphaned at an early age, Jane becomes used to a lackluster lifestyle without any true value. It is not until she finds love and comfort in her friends at Lowood that her life begins to turn around. Upon meeting Rochester, Jane’s life was only as plain as she made it. She untwines in a world wind romance, ultimately finding the love she craved without losing her self-value.
Charlotte Bronte utilizes the character of Bertha Rochester to interrupt Jane’s potential happy ending with Mr. Edward Rochester. Bertha is announced by Mr. Briggs as a way to stop the wedding and it also shows how hopeless Jane’s situation is. “That is my wife “said he. ‘Such is the sole conjugal embrace I am ever to know—such are the endearments which are to solace my leisure hours! And this is what I wished to have,’” (312) and “’I wanted her just as a change after that fierce ragout,’” (312) are quotes that express Mr. Rochester’s reasons for trying to remarry while he already has a wife, meanwhile showing his disposition towards said wife. Had Mr. Briggs and Mr. Mason not been present for the ceremony, Jane may have lived happily in ignorance. Due to Bertha’s involvement however, Jane could never truly call herself Mr. Rochester’s wife. She says, “’Sir, your wife is living: that is a fact acknowledged this morning by yourself. If I lived with you as you desire—I should then be your mistress: to say otherwise is sophistical—is false.’” (323) This quote shows that as a result of Bertha’s exposure, Jane refuses to marry Mr. Rochester. The influence that Bertha’s brief debut had on Jane’s life was significant enough to hinder the growth of her relationship with Mr. Rochester.
...onship of Mary and Diana probably suit to be the best situation for Jane yet. Jane then moves into another small cottage where she is quite happy until she decides to go back to Mr. Rochester, the walls which seem to best suit Jane. Upon arriving at Thornfield, Jane feels that she can now stay with Mr. Rochester because the circumstances have changed. Mrs. Rochester has now died and the confining walls of Thornfield have burnt down so Jane can live happily the way she wants because all the walls are now down.
Jane not only shows the reader her beliefs on female independence through her actions, but also through her thoughts. Jane desires to see more of the world and have more interaction with its people. While she appreciates her simple life at Thornfield, she regrets that she does not have the means to travel. She relates her feelings to all women, not just those of her class, saying: