Theme Of Pride In Jane Eyre

The novel “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte, and the novella “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James, both display the treatment of pride for upper and lower class similarly. Furthermore, the treatment of pride will be compared and contrasted in this essay to examine and understand how pride is treated. In novel and novella both the lower class characters believe their pride makes them superior beings. Although the pride of lower and upper-class characters led them to their corruption. Moreover, the upper-class characters in each narrative maintain their respectability by their pride. However, in “Jane Eyre” all casts must have their emotions controlled by their pride, or this will lead to inappropriate behavior. Nevertheless, in “The Turn of

the Screw” the romantic thoughts of lower class must be controlled to put an end to inappropriate hopes and desires.
The lower class protagonists from both narratives, treat their pride as a result to create them into superior beings.

In Brontes’ work, there is a barrier separating the upper class from the lower class as she describes the upper class being rewarded while the lower class are punished. The protagonist Jane was written in this world where these rules were made to reduce the lower class pride to make them easier to control. However, Jane’s character is stubborn, and is depicted to believe, “they (upper class) are not fit to associate with me” (27). Therefore, Jane is attributed to be a superior being because Bronte shows her believing in herself and will not allow someone to control her. In “The Turn of the Screw” the author James, has given power to characters which increase their personal pride, making them feel superior. The protagonist the Governess was hired by an Uncle to watch over his niece and nephew. But these children were written to have two ghosts of their past guardians visit them. Although power, as displayed by the writer, is taken into the wrong hands of the lower class, as it creates them into superior beings for, “protect(ing) and defend(ing) the little creatures” (153). Furthermore, James creates characters becoming superior as they gain power. This increases their personal pride of themselves because they are valued and needed. In both “Jane Eyre” and “The Turn of the Screw”, the personal pride of the protagonists makes them superior beings as they ignore

social rules and feel needed.
The lower and upper class characters from both narratives are oblivious that their personal pride leads to their corruption. The many characters from “Jane Eyre” are influenced by Bronte to associate others by the class they came from. Therefore, the interactions between characters are shaped by class, and a character who was written to believe in these simple thoughts, was Mrs. Reed. The character Mrs. Reed was charged to take care of Jane due to the death of Mr. Reed and her parents. However, Mrs. Reed's character is attributed as being bitter and loathes Jane because she thinks of her in terms of lower class. Although Mrs. Reed carried her hate, “dying, she must hate me still” (240). These thoughts create an illusion of “being better than others” which increases characters’ personal pride. But Bronte displays that acceptance of everyone being equal is needed, because this can corrupt others as they believe they are better than others with no idea of their role in society.