The Physical and Emotional Journeys of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

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The Physical and Emotional Journeys of Jane Eyre

The novel "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë consists of the continuous journey through Jane's life towards her final happiness and freedom. This is effectively supported by five significant 'physical' journeys she makes, which mirror the four emotional journeys she makes.

10-year-old Jane lives under the custody of her Aunt Reed, who hates her. Jane resents her harsh treatment by her aunt and cousins so much that she has a severe temper outburst, which results in her aunt sending her to Lowood boarding school. At the end of the eight years, she has become a teacher at Lowood. At the age of eighteen she seeks independence and becomes governess at Thornfield Hall. Over time, Jane falls in love with its master, Edward Rochester, who eventually proposes to her. On their wedding day, the sermon is abruptly halted by the announcement that Rochester's insane wife is kept locked up in the attic of Thornfield. Jane runs away. Penniless and almost starving, Jane roams the countryside in search of shelter, until she finds the house of St John, Mary, and Diana Rivers, who take her in and nurse her back to health. Jane then acquires an unexpected inheritance from her uncle. One night, Jane 'hears' Mr Rochester's voice calling for her, and decides to return to Thornfield immediately. On her return, she finds Thornfield to be a "blackened ruin" due to a fire which has left Rochester blind with only one arm and killed his wife. Jane goes to Rochester's new home, and they are married.

Jane's 'physical' journeys contribute significantly to plot development and to the idea that the novel is a 'journey' through Jane's life. "Jane Eyre's" chronological structure...

... middle of paper ...

...law, and scorned and crushed the insane promptings of a frenzied moment."

To start with, Jane is oppressed by her aunt and is allowed no will of her own, she is completely "a dependant" and has "no money". This situation improves enormously when Jane goes to Lowood, although she is still a servant in Thornfield until she runs away to Marsh End, where she must still depend on others in order to survive. Jane eventually gains her freedom through her inheritance, and the fact that she no longer has to depend on Rochester.

Jane's physical and emotional journeys are brought to an end in the last chapter, where she switches from past to present tense:

"My Edward and I, then, are happy....."

This shows that she is no longer looking back, only forward to her future happiness as she has finally reached her 'destination'.

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