Who knew that enduring such harsh and cruel punishment could cause a young girl to become a brave and independent young woman? The author, Charlotte Bronte, wrote an extraordinary Victorian style novel entitled Jane Eyre, which occurred in various locations in England. In the novel, the main character, Jane Eyre, has to overcome many misfortunes to achieve her personal goals in life. As Jane travels all over England to different places, she discovers herself a little more at each location, and eventually makes something of herself. The overall predominant theme of the novel was self-identity, which can continually be seen through the actions of Jane at Gateshead, Lowood, and Thornfield. In the beginning, Jane is a poor orphan girl who goes …show more content…
Jane’s first step toward her own self-identity was when she made the decision to go to Lowood Institution to escape of Mrs. Reed, John, Eliza and Georgiana, In Chapter Four when Jane is talking to Mrs. Reed, Jane states, “I am not your dear; I cannot lie down. Send me to school soon, Mrs. Reed, for I hate to live here.” (34) Through this Jane implies that she hates living at Gateshead and knows that she will never be herself, therefore she is ready to go to Lowood and find herself. Once Jane is at Lowood, for quiet some years, she becomes a teacher and eventually works up the courage to share an advertisement to become a governess. After Jane has published an advertisement in the –shire Herald she received a letter from Mrs. Fairfax of Thornfield, which states “If J.E. who advertised in the –shire Herald of last Thursday, possesses the acquirements mentioned: and if she is in a position to give satisfactory references as to character and competency; a situation can be offered her where there is but one pupil, a little girl, under ten years of age; and where the salary is thirty pounds per annum. J.E. is requested to send references, name, and address and all particulars to
At Lowood, she is thought of by many as a well behaved child, but she still occasionally resistances authority. This is the case when the nurse tells Jane that she may not visit Helen, even though Helen is very ill. Jane, believing that she needs to see Helen regardless of if she is allowed to or not sneaks off: “I dreaded being discovered and sent back; for I must see Helen- I must embrace her before she died- I must give her one last kiss, exchange with her one last word” (82). Jane’s behavior demonstrates her growth in independence. When she lived at Gateshead, she yielded to authority even when she believed it cruel; at Lowood, she defies the nurse’s authority because she knows her desire to see Helen again is greater than her fear of
In the first few chapters, Bronte establishes Jane's character as a young girl who is the
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.
Jane Eyre is about a girl named Jane who struggles to find who she really is and with it what she really wants. “As a model for women readers in the Victorian period and throughout the twentieth century to follow, Jane Eyre encouraged them to make their own choices in living their lives, to develop respect for themselves, and to become individuals” (Markley). One of the reasons why this book gained merit was because of its striking presence within its time period. During the “Victorian Age” woman did not have much say in society, so this novel broke boundaries to societal norms that restricted woman from things they have today. “Brontë is able to enact this tension through her characters and thus show dramatically the journey of a woman striving for balance within her nature.
Jane makes her journey from Gateshead to Lowood at the age of ten, finally freeing her from her restrictive life with her aunt, who hates her. Jane resented her harsh treatment by her aunt. Mrs. Reed’s attitude towards Jane highlights on of the main themes of the novel, the social class. Jane’s aunt sees Jane as inferior, who is less than a servant. Jane is glad to be leaving her cruel aunt and of having the chance of going to school.
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.
We learn that Jane is a young girl who is a victim of emotional and
From the introduction of Jane’s orphan life, she battles between her ire at cousin John’s antics and obedie...
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre chronicles the growth of her titular character from girlhood to maturity, focusing on her journey from dependence on negative authority figures to both monetary and psychological independence, from confusion to a clear understanding of self, and from inequality to equality with those to whom she was formerly subject. Originally dependent on her Aunt Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Mr. Rochester, she gains independence through her inheritance and teaching positions. Over the course of the novel, she awakens towards self-understanding, resulting in contentment and eventual happiness. She also achieves equality with the important masculine figures in her life, such as St. John Rivers and Mr. Rochester, gaining self-fulfillment as an independent, fully developed equal.
The story begins with a young Jane Eyre who is essentially neither loved by anyone nor independent in nature. At this point in the story, the reader discovers that Jane is an orphan and is being supported by the Reed family. This discovery is made through the portrayal of John Reed when he is taunting Jane about her social status. John claims that since it is his family who supports Jane, it is their choice to dictate the circumstances under which she lives. In this case, Jane is not allowed to play with the younger Reed children or read a book that belongs to the Reeds. The fact that6 Jane is an orphan living under someone else's roof displays that she has not yet gained her independence.
The three events that mark Jane as an evolving dynamic character are when she is locked in the red room, self reflecting on her time at Gateshead, her friendship with Helen Burns at LoWood, her relationship with Mr. Rochester, and her last moments with a sick Mrs. Reed. Brought up as an orphan by her widowed aunt, Mrs. Reed, Jane is accustomed to her aunts vindictive comments and selfish tendencies. Left out of family gatherings, shoved and hit by her cousin, John Reed, and teased by her other cousins, Georgina and Eliza Reed, the reader almost cringes at the unfairness of it all. But even at the young age of ten, Jane knows the consequences of her actions if she were to speak out against any of them. At one point she wonders why she endures in silence for the pleasure of others. Why she is oppressed. "Always suffering, always browbeaten, always accused, forever condemned" (Bronte, 12). Jane’s life at Gateshead is not far from miserable. Not only is she bullied by her cousins and nagged by her aunt, but help from even Bessie, her nurse and sort of friend, seems out of her reach. In the red room scene Jane is drug by Ms. Ab...
Jane Eyre’s Journey to Independence In the outstanding novel of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront, the story is told of a romantic heroine named Jane Eyre who pursued independence during an era in which women were inferior to men. Jane proved her independence by demanding self-respect, becoming socially independent, and pursuing true love based on equality. Jane Eyre was an orphan left to depend on unsympathetic relatives who mistreated her. As Millicent Bell explains in her article “A Tale of the Governess,” “With the Reeds she suffers not only the dependency of childhood and female hood, but the excruciating humiliation of the poor relation.” The cruel treatment she received from her family members caused her to have no sense of belonging.
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.
As a child, Jane Eyre suffered from much torment from her Aunt Reed and her callous cousins. She never received the love she deserved and longed for. She felt the need to escape from the misery and torture that she got at Gateshead from her so called family. In a way, Mrs. Reed helped Jane in her process of growing and maturing. Jane was determined to find something better for her in life because she did not want to feel that rejection from the Reeds. With that rejection, Jane was motivated to become someone better than they were. Jane Eyre was sent to Lowood, an orphanage school, and met Miss Temple and Helen Burns.
When Jane is shunned by Mr. Brocklehurst in front of the entire Lowood population, Helen is the one person that does not immediately judge Jane. In fact, she makes her feel more comfortable in a place that is filled with punishment and hypocrisy. Though Lowood does not truly feel like home, Helen is able to provide Jane with not only all the compassion she needs as well as support and respect. This is one of the first loves Jane experiences on her journey and it allows her to become more open to the love she finds in her future endeavors.