The Significance of Jane Eyre's Relationship With Helen Burns

3275 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Character development broad point

The Significance of Jane Eyre's Relationship With Helen Burns

Jane Eyre is a classical novel written in 1947 by Charlotte Bronte,

who at the time was also known as "Currer Bell". This timeless piece

is based on the life of an orphaned girl named Jane Eyre who begins

her life under the care of an Aunt, Mrs. Reed. Both Jane's parents

have died within only a year of her birth leaving Mrs. Reed with the

responsibility of Jane's well being. However, Mrs. Reeds treatment

towards Jane is purely absurd and only provides the child with the

bare necessities of life, such as food, clothes and shelter.

Her Aunt as well as her only cousins resent Jane. She is an outcast,

but nevertheless at only the age of 10, she stays strong and endures

all brutality and criticism. Her strong sense of justice leaves her

high spirited and firm, which unfortunately she reveals through severe

temper outbursts. Mrs. Reed is horrified by this undisciplined

behaviour and therefore arranges for Jane to be sent away to a sever

charity boarding school; Lowood. Conditions at this school are unjust,

leaving Jane's life extremely difficult to bare at first. Lowood is

run by a cold-hearted and cruel man names Mr. Brocklehurst, who

insists on punishing Jane without any proof that she has done anything

wrong. Remembering the fact that she is an attentive child, Jane tries

her ultimate best to endure these circumstances, which in the end she

succeeds in.

On her first night at the school, she meets a young companion named

Helen. Helen teaches Jane how to love, care and look after others and

encourages her to think beyond this life to god. Jane learns to value

Helen's pat...

... middle of paper ...

...act that times and views

have changed and people nowadays believe in equality and sticking up

for oneself. However, Helen's behaviour is very significant throughout

the novel. This is because she has a very strong effect on Jane. Helen

acts as a counterbalance to Jane as she balances out her life and

gives her things that she was deprived of. Before she went to Lowood,

she had no friends or companions, however as soon as Jane arrives at

Lowood, Helen offers her her friendship. She is Jane's ally.

Helen introduces the concept of religious sacrifice throughout the

novel. She has extremely strong beliefs about Christianity and bases

her opinions on the Bible. She believes that we should sacrifice our

life for god and her strong beliefs on this matter make an impact on

Jane's attitude to life, making her a better person.

Show More
Related

  • Helen In Machinal Play

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    She allows her mother to control her and make decisions for her. During their conversation, she asks her mom if she should marry Mr. Jones even if she does not love him. Her mother does not seem to care until Helen mentions that he is Vice-President of the company. Her mother says that she should marry him whether she loves him or not because he will be able to take care of her and Helen. They continue to discuss how Helen can marry this man that she doesn’t like so she will never have to work again and he can support her mother, or she can say no at the risk of losing her job and not being able to support her mother anymore. Helen ties in how life is making her “feel like I’m stifling!” (591). Again, I feel this is another representation of Helen not being able to handle the pressures of society. Helen can’t talk about important decisions she has to make without feeling claustrophobic and blowing up by saying things like “I’ll kill you!” (592). I think she blows up because her mother is always nagging her and she can’t handle it in that moment anymore, especially since it is a conversation about

    Read More

  • To what extent does Jane Eyre’s past affect her fate?

    1090 Words  | 3 Pages

    bits like this help to shape Jane into a Lady and who she will be when

    Read More

  • Theme Of Betrayal In Jane Eyre

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel, Jane Eyre starts as a young girl of ten years old; she lives with her aunt Mrs. Reed and her cousins John, Georgiana, and Eliza. At Gateshead, Jane has undergone betrayal in the acts that the Reed family does not treat her as a part of their family. Mrs. Reed treats Jane unkindly and as if she was a victim to put it, in other words, Mrs. Reed says “ take her away to the red-room and lock her in there” (Brontë, Ch. 1). Mrs. Reed

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bornte

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane seems to learn quickly that she is the only one who can help her break free from her entrapment. The first place Jane must learn how to leave is Gateshead. She is not happy at Gateshead because is constantly put down by her cousins and even the servants. Helen tries to teach Jane to forgive her enemies in order for Jane to be able move on and gain confidence in herself:

    Read More

  • The Search for Happiness in Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    Helen is Jane's best friend at Lowood. Helen is a religious role (angelic, and talks about God), in shaping her character. Helen believes everyone should love their enemies. Although Jane does not take to Helens good heart and good nature, with her wie word, Jane respects her for them and listens very passionately to what Helen has to say.

    Read More

  • The Self-confidence of Jane in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the beginning of the novel while Jane is living under her aunt, Mrs. Reed, she is treated disrespectfully and cruelly.  She accuses Jane of being deceitful and a troublesome girl in front of Mr. Brocklehurst, the master of Lowood School.  Jane is so hurt by this accusation that she cannot stop herself from defending her well being, and she stands up to her aunt.  She knows she is being treated disrespectful and has much more self-worth than ...

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Obstacles and Love

    1468 Words  | 3 Pages

    If we look at the world, through Jane's eyes we see that she is a

    Read More

  • The Maturity of Jane Eyre in Charlotte Bronte's Novel

    1815 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Belonging Essay

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane started out with no family, causing her to yearn for someone to accept her as their family, treating her with love and respect. At a young age, Jane lost her parents, leaving her with her aunt and cousins. They treated her poorly, acting as if she was incompetent and considering her more of a servant than a family member. Then, they sent her off to school, forgetting about her entirely. Eventually, Jane acquired the family she had always dreamt of. She never felt quite right with other people accepting her, that is, until Mr. Rochester came into her life. She did not feel as though she had found her true family until she had met him. "All these relics gave...Thornfield Hall the aspect of a home of the past: a shrine to memory.” (92). When they get married, her dreams are achieved, as she finally got the family she had always wanted.

    Read More

  • The Challenges Faced In Jane E

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, has a plot that is filled with an extraordinary amount of problems. Or so it seems as you are reading it. However, it comes to your attention after you have finished it, that there is a common thread running throughout the book. There are many little difficulties that the main character, the indomitable Jane Eyre, must deal with, but once you reach the end of the book you begin to realize that all of Jane's problems are based around one thing. Jane searches throughout the book for love and acceptance, and is forced to endure many hardships before finding them. First, she must cope with the betrayal of the people who are supposed to be her family - her aunt, Mrs. Reed, and her children, Eliza, Georgiana, and John. Then there is the issue of Jane's time at Lowood School, and how Jane goes out on her own after her best friend leaves. She takes a position at Thornfield Hall as a tutor, and makes some new friendships and even a romance. Yet her newfound happiness is taken away from her and she once again must start over. Then finally, after enduring so much, during the course of the book, Jane finally finds a true family and love, in rather unexpected places.

    Read More

  • The Influences of Harsh Victorian Upbringing on Jane Eyre's Character and Development

    1337 Words  | 3 Pages

    punished me; not two or three times in a week, nor once or twice in a

    Read More

  • Independence and Love in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre: Helen Burns Character Analysis

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Jane encounters several characters during the stages of her life. Some of the characters appear in more than one stage of her life such as Mrs Reed, Bessie, and Rochester. There are other characters who are only there for her for a short period of time such as St John, Miss Temple, and Helen Burns. Although these characters are only in Jane’s life for a short time, they each have a great impact on Jane, especially Jane’s encounter with Helen at the Lowood Institution. Helen Burns makes a grave impact on Jane’s life, at Lowood and continuing on for the rest of her life.

    Read More

  • The Values Of Friendship In Jane Brontë's Jane Eyre

    1498 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is very obvious now that Jane has matured and grown from a little girl with little self-confidence, to a mature and successful woman with self-confidence and experience. The obstacles she had to encounter throughout some of the stages of her life had made her stronger and her self-confidence had grown, also because of certain people in her life. Jane believed in herself and her morals, and as a result was so successful in her life and she was able to achieve a high position of self-confidence at the end of the novel. She developed self-confidence and maintained it my knowing her self-worth, and having faith in what she believes in.

    Read More

More about The Significance of Jane Eyre's Relationship With Helen Burns

Open Document