For this post, you can respond to chapters 1-15 of Jane Eyre in one of two ways:
1) Jane's Personal and Social Development: Describe what kinds of breakthroughs or changes Jane is experiencing and why you think they matter. Choose some representative scenes or quotes that demonstrate what you are discussing.
2) The novel and the Romantic Movement: How is this novel adhering to, deviating from, or challenging the Romantic Movement as you understand it? What scenes stick out to you as representative of this?
A good length for the response would be approximately 250 words.
In chapters 1-15 of Jane Eyre, Jane grows physically and emotionally as a woman. She starts out as a lonely girl at a strange home, then moves on to be a lonely girl at a strange school. At the school is where Jane begins to change emotionally. She was always a depressed girl considering she had no true caring family. Most of the time she turned to inanimate objects to comfort her such as books or dolls. For example, on pages 30 and 31 Jane explains, ¨To this crib I always took my doll; human beings must love something, and in the dearth of worthier objects of affection, I contrived to find a pleasure in loving and cherishing a faded graven image, shabby as a miniature scarecrow.¨ This quote exposes how Jane did not have any true human to love because no one in the house loved her back. Understanding at such a young age that in order to survive she had to love something, she turned to her doll for a mere bit of love and comfort. Soon though, Jane took to loving a real person at the school. Though Helen Burns was a bit older than Jane, they began a friendship that would last a lifetime, even if it ended up only being by heart. Helen was the first person whom Jane had empathy for, completely changing her outlook on life. Even after Helen died, she continued on in life remembering Helen and the impact she had on her life.
ReplyDeleteProceeding the death of Helen, Jane finished school and became a teacher at the same school, which really helped her to connect with other people. Mr. Brocklehurst taught her exactly how not to act after being threatened by him throughout her schooling. She was a more caring and understanding person because of him-- indirectly. Another example of how Jane grew emotionally was when she had her first encounter with Mr. Rochester when he sprained his ankle. After helping him back to his horse, Jane described the moment has an incident of no moment, no romance, no interest in a sense; yet it marked with change one single hour of a monotonous life.” (147). In other words, the moment she helped Mr. Rochester had no fairytale ending, but she felt as if she had actually made an impact on someone else which directly impacted her.
The first 15 chapters exemplifies how Jane changed to be for her later life. Her childhood and the way she dealt with her childhood problems were large factors in shaping her as a person. She had to learn to be content with being along, and at the same time she had to learn who to trust and how to connect with people for the good of herself and other people. So far, Jane Eyre has grown into a woman who, yes, still has conflicting problems in her mind, but is definitely more understanding of life than she was at the beginning of the book.
Throughout the book Jane is experiencing an ever changing feeling of loneliness and despair, and it seems as though every time a light begins to shine in her life, something is just as quick to take it away. This affects her social and personal development in many ways due to the waves of emotions she feels during these ups and downs. Her social development for example is affected during her bond with Helen at Lowood. Lowood was something that made her very uncomfortable because she did not know anyone and felt her usual loneliness. This then was changed when Helen was nice to her and allowed her to feel comfortable, but according to Jane’s usual series of unfortunate events that makes up her life. Helen then dies, allowing Jane to slide back into her lonely feelings that cause her despair and cause her to feel lost. This continues when she becomes close to the superintendent of the school and then this follows by her leaving, the feeling of protection and comfort given to her by the superintendent was once again too good to be true for Jane. Also, I am under the assumption that this will be the same result for Jane with Mr. Rochester, who she seems at this point to be interested in. Another trending theme I have noticed about Jane’s personal development is when she is talking to Mr. Rochester in chapter 14. In this chapter is shows how due to her upbringing and her lack of development in certain aspects of life, she is incapable of talking to men without making it obvious that she is not used to the situation. Her upbringing and lack of social relationships causes her to be different than others in everyday social situations and makes her noticeably incapable of certain things causing her a greater deal of discomfort.
ReplyDeleteJane's personal and social development has taken some major junctures as the novel progressed. She has encountered numerous mental states due to the changing environment around her. I noticed three significant events that displayed this alteration in mentality. Jane started off at Gateshead under the authority of Mrs. Reed. The only person who seemed to understand her as a human being was Bessie. Bessie acted as a "guide" for Jane. Jane felt isolated and unattended during her stay here. Mr. Reed left her care in the hands of his wife after his death. Mrs. Reed never really understood or even acknowledged Jane. Jane found ways to make herself feel content and protected from all the negativity in her life. For example, in the beginning when she went behind the red curtain. The curtain was separating her from the antagonism of the people of Gateshead and also protecting her from the dreary day outdoors. She felt comfort in being alone, as this was a way of coping with her frustration. At this point in time, Jane was very morose and did not want much to do with anybody except Bessie. However, she did stick up for herself when she thought it was necessary. The next stage of her life took place at Lowood. At school, she had high expectations in general. To her surprise, she was unable to take the classes she was promised, the children were not very interactive, and needless to say, the food was not all that great and plentiful. She had a hard time adjusting to her new environment even though she wanted nothing more than to be set free from the authority of Mrs. Reed. At the school, she was finally able to make a friend, Helen Burns. They became close as the book went on, showing affection for each other and maintaining their sanity. When Helen got very sick, Jane was devastated of course. Helen was the only one that she could really connect with at the school. Mrs. Temple sort of took Bessie's place in being her personal guide, however, Helen was the one that she could relate to and share mutual feelings with. They were both kids who were perceived as troubled in one way or another. When she passed, it was almost an awakening for Jane. It was almost as if she did not want to let Helen down. From then on, she took charge of her actions, and became more independent. As a result, she was able to take her desired classes such as French and drawing, the food was better and she involved herself more. She was picking herself up from the deep loneliness she was in as a child. At 18 years old, she moved to Thornfield to do something with her life and move forward and forget the awful past. In the class discussion, I mentioned how Helen was almost like a "sacrificial lamb" in a sense that once she passed, things seemed to get better for Jane. She had a better outlook on life all together and wanted to fulfill her utmost potential. When she moved in with Rochester, she became an adult in my eyes. She then took on the role of being a tutor, and a guide just as Bessie and Mrs. Temple had been to her in the years past. She looked after a young, French girl while at Rochester's. During her stay here, Rochester seemed to bring out Jane's past of negativity. For example, when he claimed that Jane must have copied her paintings that she showed him from someone else. Somewhat insulted that he did not see her as what she had become but rather what she once was. He saw her as a juvenile yet he still opened up to her. Jane found this to be suspicious yet intriguing. Throughout these three key events, Jane's emotions of displeasure, whether the situation be good or bad, have proved themselves to be components of her struggling to develop herself into something she could be proud of.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte Bronte seems to toy with the idea of romanticism and both adheres to and strays from the romantic movement. The Romantic Movement had a lot to do with class. In this criteria, Jane Eyre takes the cake. Not only was she an orphaned child of an underrepresented family, she was also constantly undermined by her superiors and forced into a life of service. Her interactions with Mr. Rochester further enhance Jane’s complicated social state. Mr. Rochester appears to come from a highly privileged class - a fact he seems to constantly impose on Jane. “’You have no right to preach to me; you neophyte, that have not passed the porch of life, and are absolutely unacquainted with its mysteries.’ (Bronte 174) ”. In this scene, he not only emphasizes his position in society, but also his apparent wisdom from age. But his strange ways seem to confuse Jane. When the two first met, Rochester chose to hide his identity from Jane in order to get more honest answers from her. It is only till Jane begins to defend herself when Rochester becomes abusive with his title. Jane’s way of speaking to Mr. Rochester seems to reflect her attempt to level with him and speak as equals. Though not consciously aware, Jane Eyre seeks equality wherever she goes. Even as a child she craved to be treated like the other children both in her family and at Lowood. “you must be on your guard against her; you must shun her example. if necessary, avoid her company, exclude her from your sports, and shut her out from your converse.” (Bronte 81). “’ I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me” (Bronte 69)
ReplyDeleteIn her later life, Jane battled with the issue of feminism. In this way, Bronte embraced the rebellious portion of the Romantic Movement. Jane was inevitably forced into obedience throughout her life, but she definitely felt the sting of being a woman in that time period. From her girlhood treatment at Lowood...“’Yes, but we are not to conform to nature: I wish these girls to be the children of Grace: and why that abundance? I have again and again intimated that I desire the hair to be arranged closely, modestly, plainly.” (Bronte 77-78) ...to her interactions with women as an adult: “the good lady evidently belonged to this class; my queries puzzled, but did not draw her out. Mr. Rochester was...a gentleman...nothing more...she inquired and searched no further, and evidently wondered at my wish to gain a more definite notion of his identity.” (Bronte 133). Again, this quote carries a double-meaning. Not only is Jane’s intelligence at fault, but so are the expectations of the women around her. Bronte adheres to the Romantic Movement by inflicting in her writing a sense of personal struggle and rebellion. Though many social issues are addressed in the world around Jane Eyre, her story is still told through her eyes.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte explores the idea of how Jane becomes who she is, and how she navigates the 19th century life she was born into. Jane is thrust into a world where she doesn’t belong, she lives with the Reids when she is a child. They alienate her and force her into a pattern of alienation; She almost learns to alienate herself. She can’t be free, and is trapped in between the shell she is forced to become and breaking out, and snapping. This is really interesting because Bronte plays with the idea of how loneliness affects someone, and how others opinions and actions lead to a conflict of acting out or staying silent. When Jane finally breaks and releases the anger from her treatment she gets in a fight with John Reid. This moment begins to define how Jane has to deal with her emotions. She can’t keep them bottled, and must learn to use them to lift her out of her dismal position in life. One of the next turning points in the book is when Jane is punished when she breaks a slate at Lockwood. She is forced to stand on a chair in front of all the girls, and be humiliated. When she sees their eyes however, it is the first time she feels a sense of belonging. They look up at her like she is a martyr, and their looks give her power. She gets a taste of rebellion once more and this small piece of belonging and power helps her stay strong until she is through with the punishment. Jane is learning to find power in herself when others try to quiet her, and this is part of the beauty of the book. Jane has to find her own freedom and happiness and take it for herself. instead of conforming to what the upper class controlling society wants her to do.
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ReplyDeleteIn Chapters 1-15 of Jane Eyre, we get to experience the changes Jane goes through from her childhood to blossoming into a young woman. The novel, starts lonely and dreary. This setting continue throughout the book. Jane is outcasted from the beginning, looked down upon and punished for nothing. She attempts to stay as silent and well-behaved as possible under the care of her cruel aunt. A big breakthrough moment was when she stood up for herself and responded back to her aunt, using her voice and expressing her hatred and thoughts of her. This led to her leaving Gateshead and going to Lowood, the school for orphan girls. We see many personal and social developments in Jane here. Starting from when she arrives, she automatically warms up to Miss Temple, giving her the role of comfort for Jane. Jane then bonds with Helen over reading and similar upbringings. Helen teaches Jane many valuable lessons about “surviving” Lowood. In Chapter 4, Helen tells Jane, “It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, then to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you- and, besides, the Bible bids us to return good for evil.”(Page 67). Jane learns why it's good to restrain from defending herself and just following orders. After Helen’s death, Jane continues school and falls into routine and order. Jane fits in and begins to feel comfortable here, her social development growing. She eventually becomes a teacher at Lowood. Though, she seeks more and advertises herself and gets a job as a governess. At Thornfield, she uses the lessons and morals she has learned from Lowood. Though, Jane is still quick to say what first pops into her mind. When Mr.Rochester arrives and begins to push Jane to break these morals and step outside her boundaries, she’s quick to oblige and use her voice. She is put into many uncomfortable situations she’s never been before, mostly after only knowing how to communicate with girls. Though, Jane is very intelligent and can hold her own in most scenarios. Jane’s personal and social developments throughout these chapters are quick to change depending on her environment and company. She uses these developments to shape the young women she is becoming throughout this novel.
ReplyDeleteThroughout Jane Eyre, we see her develop from a helpless child with no one she can really fall back on, to an independent woman who is capable of supporting herself. I feel as though, throughout the story, there are specific turning points that allow her to build both in character and mindset. As a child, she is given some sense of a cruel reality, at a really young age, almost forcing her to become self- supportive. However, though she becomes self-supportive, she seems quite the opposite, more dark and dreary than anything else. She is unusually pessimistic, for a child, but very sophisticated. This sort of darkness is slowly lifted throughout the first 15 chapters, but remains to linger. As we read, we see one turning point when she goes off to school. Helen becomes her balance, while Ms. Temple becomes like a mother figure, something Jane had never had. This was specifically important because she helped guide Jane and develop her character. It was not until Helen’s death, however, that Jane became more optimistic and the tone of her writing became much more lighthearted. Helen’s death signified Jane’s past being let go. Her death allowed Jane to see how fragile life is and this being one of the reasons that I believe Jane eventually left the school to take other opportunities, such as teaching Adele at Rochester’s home. Though the entire story Jane is independent, she does not take initiative of her independence until she moves into rochester’s home. It is here that she begins to open up after her 18 years of being emotionally confined within herself. This is why I believe this is a huge transition for her, entering her adulthood. Throughout the book we see how she refers to the winter months quite often, whether it be detailed description or listing the names of the winter months. This helps symbolize that she is like the winter, cold and dark, and frozen within herself. However, when she moves into Rochester’s home and begins teaching Adele, taking on a mother-like role, she begins to thaw. On the other hand, her and Rochester seem to have a romantic connection. There is constantly some odd sort of romantic tension between them, another concept new to Jane. He shows growing interest in her but is quite confusing in doing so. Rochester seems to “flirt” with her in a way a third grade boy would, through teasing. This shows that he is somewhat lonely and secluded, how Jane had been her whole life. However, he masks his loneliness with his cockyness. He has a bipolar type of personality but seems to care for Jane. Oddly enough, he reminds me somewhat of the mad hatter. He does not make sense and when I think he does, I still question it.
ReplyDeleteIn Jane Eyre, Jane has had two extremely important changes in her life that have altered the path of her life. What makes both of these changes significant is the fact that she was the one who made the decisions for them. During this time period women didn’t really get to choose the path that they wanted to go on for their life, but these two changes clearly show that Jane can choose her path. The first change that Jane goes through happens at the beginning of the book when she is living at Mrs. Reeds house and it is suggested that she goes and gets an education at Lowood. Although not completely her decision she is completely for it and she wants to go to school so desperately so she can get away from Mrs. Reed and her children. After a meeting with Mr. Brocklehurst, Mrs. Reed, and Jane, Jane finally stands up for herself to Mrs. Reed. This is an important change for Jane because before she would just take everything that Mrs. Reed would do to her without saying anything, but now that she has stood up for her, it paves a path for her for the rest of her life. You see many other times in the book where she continually stands up for herself and this one time when she did it to Mrs. Reed is the starting block for all the other times. The second change in Jane’s life that is very significant is when she puts out an advertisement to become a governess for someone. This is an important change for her not only because she is finally getting away from Lowood where she has spent most of her childhood and teenage years, but she is also choosing something that she wants to do and is not listening to other people telling her what to do. She is able to make this decision for herself and she is even able to get a job by herself. Also this is a significant change because Thornfield is the most important place of the book and finally we, as readers, are able to see more into Jane’s life and interpret more things about her and her personality. Without the characters at Thornfield some parts of her personality would have never come out, so now we are able to see many different levels of Jane.
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre started out as an alone, misunderstood, helpless child in a world of mean, unforgiving people. When she is first introduced, she is mistreated by Mrs. Reed and simply takes the unfairness, as she has done for the entirety of her life. She has learned to simply accept being mistreated. However, when Mrs. Reed falsely accuses her of being a liar, a large change occurs within Jane. “How dare I, Mrs. Reed? How dare I? Because it is the truth. You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity. I shall remember how you thrust me back-into the red room, and locked me up there, to my dying day; though I was in agony; though I cried out ‘Have mercy! Have mercy aunt Reed!’ And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me-knocked me down for nothing. I will tell anybody who asks me questions, this exact tale. People think you a good woman, but you are bad; hard- hearted. You are deceitful!’ (Page 41) This is a total breakthrough moment for Jane. After this scene, whenever she has a conflict with anyone, she stands up for herself and her rights. This is such an important aspect to the book because it proves that even though she had a terrible child and grew up in horrendous conditions, she still grew up to be a strong woman. This is huge for women empowerment in this time period because women were usually looked upon as the weaker sex. Jane proves that she is less than no one, including men. When compared to Rochester, it is clearly visible that she is the stronger of the two. Rochester is unpredictable and moody, but Jane always counteracts him with her confidence and wit. So although she sees her childhood as nothing but bad, it really helped shape her into a strong, independent woman who is a great example of how women can and will be just as powerful and important as men.
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre, being a bildungsroman, features many moments where the protagonist displays various forms of development in social and personal ways. To understand how she changes. it is important to recognize her initial character. Jane starts off as a frightful 10-year-old under the care of a strict aunt. Her cousins, particularly John Reed, show no respect for her. Jane’s development is clear when she has time to think in the red room. She finally questions her obvious state of oppression, asking, “Why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always accused, for ever condemned?” (Pg. 12) She works her way from thoughts to words when finding out she would be attending Lowood. Jane fully confronts Ms. Reed, calling her cruel and no aunt of hers, and ensuring that the whole world would learn of her wickedness. In Lowood, Jane undergoes more change. At first she is overwhelmed by the strict set ways of the school. But she finds ways to feel more welcome. Helen Burns gives insight to Jane on forgiveness and enduring received punishments. Ms. Temple shows to be very kind to Jane, helping fix her reputation at the school, which was initially tainted by the words Ms. Reed told Mr. Brocklehurst. Support such as this made Jane stronger. She was able to endure the hardships of school as time went on, and she found it gradually easier and easier. Jane reached the point where she was able to pursue her desired career as a governess. She left the school and set off, on to the next stage of her life. She does not need the support she had from Helen and Ms. Temple anymore. Jane’s individualism is kept through chapter 15, as she shows to be mature and confident.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel Jane Eyre, Jane struggles with the contrast between a solitary environment and a social environment. In the first few chapters of the book Jane’s character is guarded and very comfortable being by herself. When the story opens she is isolated from the Reed’s and does not show any desire to connect with them. As the novel continues, however, Jane has a couple of breakthroughs with social development. A scene involving Jane and Helen, highlights this development as Jane begins to form a relationship with another person and break out of her shell. This quote shows her realization of how difficult a solitary life would be, “If others don’t love me, I would rather die than live-I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen.” (Bronte 84) It is here that the reader sees a shift with in Jane as she expresses her desire for affection and a connection with others. Helen’s death is a sort of turning point in the novel for Jane, as part of her dies with Helen. Her death is a sort of awakening for Jane as she begins to break out of the boxes others have confined her to. After Jane moves to Thornfield, she continues to grow socially. Just the fact that Jane went to Thornfield signifies a big step in her social development. That she has the power to make a choice for herself, instead of being restricted by everyone else. Jane moving to Thornfield completely transitioned her from a child to an adult. When Jane encounters Rochester, he is so different than anyone she has known that it causes her to change. He immediately challenges her to communicate with him about things she has never really discussed before. In this environment Jane appears to have a voice that people will actually listen to for the first time in her life. Her development as an individual is shaped by the people around her. In the first fifteen chapters Jane grows socially and begins to develop her own identity and her own voice.
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ReplyDeleteFrom chapters 1-15 in Jane Eyre, Jane faced both challenges and opportunities that forced her character to develop. Just before Mrs. Reed finally sent Jane to school, Jane had this to say to her aunt: “I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. I will never come to visit you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick, and that you treated me with miserable cruelty” (63). Jane had clearly been upset with the Reeds before this, but she was never quite as candid with her family as she was in this moment. This was because Jane still wanted to be accepted by them, because she wanted to be loved by someone, even though it was pointless to look for love from the Reeds. However, at this point, Jane is finally able to be free from her abusive family. Jane even says “’Ere I had finished this reply, my soul began to expand, to exult, with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt. It seemed as if an invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into unhoped-for liberty” (63). When Jane says she achieved an “unhoped for liberty”, she means that she had always wanted a bond with the Reeds, even though they had not wanted one with her. She did not truly want to be free from them, she really just wanted them to be kind to her and give her affection. Yet, in this moment that Jane acquires her freedom, she realized she needed to triumph over the Reeds in order to be happy. Not relying on the Reeds was her first step to become less reliant on other people’s approval and affection.
While Jane was attending Lowood, she received some positive affection in spite of the terrible conditions of the school. However, she still depended on this affection from others.“I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest” (128). Helen tells Jane the truth, which is she depends too much on love. Yet, even after being told this, she still finds it difficult to let this part of herself go. When Helen dies, Jane loses the person that she depended on for love, and must move on. This allows Jane to take another step in her development.
In the first 15 chapters of Jane Eyre, Jane goes from needing a comfortable haven feeling to being able to give that to someone else who may be in a similar situation to her. This idea of a secluded haven begins with the red room, the curtain, and Miss Temple as Jane's protection from the harsh antagonistic force driving against her, but once she makes it to the estate she doesn't need this home anymore. She proves that she doesn't need the comfort of a home or a connection with a positive role model by choosing to leave a comfortable setting as teacher and deciding to change roles to become the role model for someone else. This is a breakthrough moment for Jane because she is transitioning from a girl who chose to hide behind curtains and who found comfort in a haunted room to someone who becomes the role model for another orphaned girl who might need a home in the way that Jane did. The curtain and window that jane hid behind at the start of the book provided a barrier between Jane and the hostile world both outside and inside of the house. The red room was supposed to be a punishment for Jane, but it gave her relief from the abuse of her family. When she goes to school she hopes for all of the hardship to be gone but there is still friction with her and the figures of power in her life, in this case the headmaster. When the headmaster leaves, Jane experiences a figure of power who is trustworthy and who she can look up to, Miss Temple. Jane grows because she is no longer oppressed by a corrupt figure of power. She discovers that she wants to teach, a sign that Miss Temple has a positive influence on her and is inspiring her to do something that seems out of her comfort zone when compared to the secluded little girl she was at the start of the book. Jane then makes another major decision for herself in choosing to work at the estate and help Adele, because Jane is becoming a positive role model for Adele in the way that Miss Temple was for her. Adele has no real parents, no connection, which Jane recognizes and becomes the connection that adele can best relate to. In the first 15 chapters, Jane Eyre went from a child who needed a sense of protection to a woman who is able to form bonds to make those who might feel secluded feel like they have a home.
ReplyDeleteChapter 1-15 guides the reader from Jane Eyre's childhood to young adulthood. During this learning period Jane develops socially and personally through experiencing suffer and hate yet constructing personal relationships with others. While Jane was at the orphanage she experienced virulent behavior by John Reed and Mrs Reed. She was forced to experience terror and loneliness for days and would seemingly do anything to get out of the orphanage. However, when asked by Mr Lloyd if she would prefer to live with a low class uncle Jane opposed "No; I should not like to belong to poor people". This perpespective that Jane currenlty has gives evidence to how the environment around her effects her viewpoint; she would rather suffer and be treated horribly then live a low class lifestyle. Later while Jane is attending Lowood she meets a girl named Helen. Helen becomes Janes first real friend and enlightens Jane with the knowledge that Mrs Reed wasn’t doing her a favor by sending her to this school. Here the quality of water, food and facilities weas very unhealthy along with the girls being treated very poorly and publicly humiliated as punishment. Janes character developed significantly when Mr Brocklehurst stood her up in front of the school declaring her to be a liar and banning anyone to speak to her for the rest of the day. Jane felt humiliated throughout the day besides when Helen would walk by and smile at her and later telling her that none of her classmates thought down of her, if anything they pitied her for what she had experienced. After this event, Jane’s character seemed to care less about judgement and criticism resulting in a huge personal development.
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ReplyDeleteIn the first chapters of Jane Eyre Jane is constantly undergoing changes, often reactions from events that occur throughout the book. In the very beginning of the story, Jane is very submissive and fearful, listening to what she is told to do and accepting punishment, even if she knows it is wrong. She also considers everyone around her as a bad person. When she is locked up in the red room, she seems to break that barrier of fear, or slowly starts to dig into it, causing her courage to rise and people to give her more respect. After she comes out of the red room, she comes out with a “sickness” and is told by Mrs. Reeds to stay away from her kids and herself, getting a closet to sleep in, and constantly having to stay in the playroom. This is not because Jane is sick, but because Mrs. Reeds is aware of the growing confidence building up inside Jane, and is nervous of what she will do with her new found “power”. Her kids still attack Jane verbally, but generally stay away from her. Mrs. Reeds seems scared that Jane will exploit her true self, which eventually does occur when Mrs. Reeds has an argument with Jane when she decides to send her to school. Jane describes all the hurt Mrs. Reeds has caused her, all the pain and suffering, and it completely freaks Mrs. Reeds out because she does not want to seem as though she were a bad person, yet also seems to realize all the trouble she has caused this child. When Jane arrives at the school, she seems to begin to discover herself through other people and through the opportunities provided to her here. There is no one locking her ideas up inside of her. When Jane first finds out that most of the other students here are orphaned or not wanted around by their parents, it enables her to open up and become more determined to make something of herself here, as all the other students are attempting to do as well. She seems to broaden her thirst for learning and knowledge, besides reading fairy tales and fantasy novels. She does not half to escape as much through books as she did in the beginning because she is in a place where she feels safe to exhibit herself. Especially when Ms. Temple stands up for her against Mr. Brocklehurst´s accusations against Jane, it allows her to confront the horrors she left behind, and bring them to a resolve. Ms. Temple helps Jane herself to become less judgemental, and at the same time, causing her to become less fearful of what people think of her.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte Bronte is revered as one of the best feminist writers of her time and all time. Jane Eyre is one example of a character that she has written that push the boundaries that society has set for women at the time. The oppression of women is present at several points within Chapters 1-15 in the novel. As Jane Eyre is recollecting her childhood there is the beginning point where she is being bullied by her ward’s son, John. She has always remained passive in his attempts to wrile her but little Jane shows her first premonitions of revolt against disrespect when she reciprocates the veracity that he has shown her as she writes, “I felt a drop or two of blood from my head trickle down my neck, and was sensible of somewhat pungent suffering: these sensations, for the first time predominated over fear, and I received him in a frantic sort. I don’t very well know what I did with my hands, but he called me ‘Rat! rat!’ and bellowed out allowed.” (pg 6) This outburst is what sent her into her next stage of life at the institute. At the institute, there is a hierarchy of girls ranging in age that are orphaned and receiving education from intellectual women. Now, this would be quite well in the sense that feminism believes in the equal rights of education and lifestyle to women, however the main sponsor of the institute, Mr. Brocklehurst has other ideas about the young girls and their place below him simply because of not only their gender, but their wealth status as well. He is also quite religiously driven, so at one point upon inspection of the hair of the other girls with whom Jane is residing, he declares “All these top-knots must be cut off.” (pg 78) He then goes on to elaborate that he has “a Master to serve whose kingdom is not of this world.” How ironic it is that he has the natural state of the young girls altered because of his impositions when God would be expected to love all forms of his natural children. Jane is then put on the spot, and must suffer silently and in solitude a penance for an accident she did wrong. She does so in passive resistance, not letting her spirit break. As the years go on she becomes a teacher at the institute and the sponsors become less involved, and there is a period of bliss and education where these women have their own little sanctitude of respect and learning that is what should be offered to anyone at the time. Later on in the novel, she comes to become the governess of an estate owned by a certain Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester poses a figurehead similar to that of Mr. Brocklehurst but in a more complex mannerism. Because Jane has matured, the situations presented are different because of her reactions, than to those of when she was a child. One particular conversation between the two reveal the thoughts of both regarding equality. Jane voices her own opinion in a civil manner about men and women being equal, and Mr. Rochester agrees with her but only adds the thought of age being a factor in determining who is “superior” or “wiser.” (pg 173) As Jane has aged and has been met with l challenges in many forms, her responses have remained the same, but with age she has been able to protest the humble resistance that her society has shaped upon and I am eager to see how she may attempt to incite a change in either her personal life regarding it further, or the permanent society around her.
ReplyDeleteIn the first fifteen chapters of Jane Eyre, readers see Jane growing up. She is treated poorly by her aunt and cousins after the death of her parents and uncle. They talk down to her and punish her unfairly and alienate her from the rest of the family. For a long time, she just goes with it and lets them treat her badly. She finally snaps when John makes her call him Master Reed and tells her she has no business taking and reading their books because she is dependant on them. When John holds the book up to throw at her she finally has had enough and calls him cruel and compares him to a slave driver. Jane wants to stick up for herself and encourages others, like Helen, to stick up for themselves too. Jane notices the unfair way she is being treated in when she first arrives at Lowood. At first, she addresses the issue by telling Miss Temple her side of the story to defend herself from her aunt and Mr. Brocklehurst's accusations of her being a liar. She doesn’t want incorrect information like that to be passed on to her teachers and give her a bad reputation with them. But later on in the book when Mr. Brocklehurst stands her up in front of the entire school and tells everyone that she is a liar and forbids everyone from speaking to her for the rest of the day she finds herself unable to do anything. She is frozen and unable to defend herself.
ReplyDeleteA common thing that appears in novels of the Romantic Movement was a “tortured heroine who suffers at the hands of a nefarious villain.” That can be seen in the relationships between Jane and her aunt and Jane and Mr. Brocklehurst.
Chapters 1-15 of Jane Eyre follow Jane as she explores the world for herself and discovers her own opinions on people and ideas, one of the strong opinions that is shown on people is her string dislike for men through out the chapters and her bond that she forms with Helen before she tragically dies at the school, which then creates a small trauma for Jane. As the book proceeds with the plot the reader follows the path of maturity in Jane that Charlotte Bronte creates with her words. She goes from being a girl who is sent to boarding school because of, what I view as, more or less child's rough play with her cousin, to seeing her begin to change at school when she meets Helen, and continues to her being the governess to Adele and living on the estate with everyone else. Though she matures she still carries the paranoia with her from the beginning of the book when she was trapped in the red room and believed it be haunted to when she misconceived Rochester's dog, it is probably something I suspect will be carried with her throughout the rest of the book as she stays at Mr. Rochester's estate with can seem very large and lonely sometimes possibly creating a paranoia that there is somebody else with her. A characteristic of Jane that is followed throughout her story is her not being afraid to speak/do what she wants, such as throwing the book at her cousin and even following to upright saying "No." to Rochester when he asked her if he was handsome.
ReplyDeleteThrough the first fifteen chapters of Jane Eyre the reader witnesses Jane growing up and going through many traumatic and significant parts of life. One of the many breakthroughs that Jane experiences in her early life is the constant physical and emotional abuse from her aunt and cousins, which influenced her as a character. This is significant because Jane grew up in a world where she had no support and had to be her own support and adaptable to thrive. The aunt shunning her and refusing to show love and kindness helped to prepare Jane for the lonely and isolated years ahead. In later chapters, when Jane is sent away to Lowood Institution she was again shunned by her peers by command of the school official. Only Helen showed Jane any acceptance and kindness in her early years of development, so it was probably her passing that was the most traumatic event that she had gone through. This resulted in Jane no longer seeking emotional attachments, instead she clung on desperately to her studies and her artwork, probably due to the fact that it could not betray her. Another important change that Jane faces within the fifteen chapters is her introduction to Mr. Rochester. The only males that Jane had ever come in contact with in the past was her cousin who abused her and the school officials who commanded social suffering. This is significant because Jane has never known the love of a man (love as in kindness) so she has no fundamentals to trust Rochester especially after his blunt and cold remarks towards her. Her poor treatment as a prepubescent has lead her to be an independent, untrusting, individual that many in the novel find interesting.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, Jane Eyre, Jane has been experiencing many breakthroughs from her childhood up to the time where she attended school at Lowood. In the beginning of the novel, Jane hated going outside and she would always stayed inside. “There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.” Jane was constantly being abused by her relatives that was supposed to take good care of her and they even locked her up inside the “red room.” The “red room” symbolizes Jane’s feelings of being isolated, but also herself trying to isolate everyone that is around her. Also, Jane did not have any rights in the house and she had to keep the burden of being abused by her relatives every single day. Everytime she tries to talk to her relatives they will often ignores her and if she gets into a fight with anyone, Jane is all alone and ever since she was little, she had to cope with everything by herself. Time passes by and Jane was granted the permission to attend school at Lowood. At Lowood, Jane met Helen Burns and they became close friends. One day, Helen was to talking to Jane about how she was practicing the doctrine for endurance and Jane were not too happy about it. Jane disagrees strongly with Helen’s views. After Helen’s death, Jane became more independent and it changed her in so many ways. Jane started to progresses and excels in school for at least 6 years. Jane was able to interact with more people than before, but the irony is that the people that Jane associated with is gone most of the time or they passed away. Jane builds this strong character for herself throughout the novel and she became more independent and was able to express her own thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThe Romantic Movement is such a unique form of literature that I feel will always be an important part of the progression of literature throughout the decades. It deals with such important human issues, and dives deep into the minds of people, reaching into the depths of their thoughts and creating amazing stories from them. The Romantic Movement really captures what literature or any type of creative storytelling is meant to do, which is to hold up a mirror to life and portray issues that human beings deal with everyday in their barest form, in order for us to learn from what we see. It really tackles a lot of issues that people may be afraid to talk about in everyday life. Jane Eyre is a perfect example of this movement, which is no surprise considering it is one of the most famous romantic novels of all time. Bronte follows a lot of the usual guidelines that romantic novels follow; a lonely, melancholy lead character who feels trapped by others, a mysterious, dark male love interest who has trapped himself and seems cold, but really has a lot of love to offer. I feel that this combination is so interesting, and Bronte really uses this template to her advantage, creating a slightly supernatural, but definitely fantastical story, that I feel shows the Romantic Movement at it’s best. Unfortunately, I feel that my lack of experience with the romantic movement prevents me from comparing how or if Jane Eyre deviates from other romantic novels, but I will say that Bronte has a way of really allowing these characters, especially Jane, to thrive in the world that they live in. Even while Jane was undergoing reckless torment, she still managed to work through it, and that’s one of the main things that I really love about this book. Although it is dark, and most of the characters are lonely or have had some sort of sorrowful life, they still manage to get a happy ending. The Romantic Movement gives those maybe not so jolly characters somewhere to belong, and reminds the reader that even if you are the type of person that likes the rain, or reading scary books about strange birds, or if you have a crazy ex- wife; you can still have a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteThe Romantic Movement is such a unique form of literature that I feel will always be an important part of the progression of literature throughout the decades. It deals with such important human issues, and dives deep into the minds of people, reaching into the depths of their thoughts and creating amazing stories from them. The Romantic Movement really captures what literature or any type of creative storytelling is meant to do, which is to hold up a mirror to life and portray issues that human beings deal with everyday in their barest form, in order for us to learn from what we see. It really tackles a lot of issues that people may be afraid to talk about in everyday life. Jane Eyre is a perfect example of this movement, which is no surprise considering it is one of the most famous romantic novels of all time. Bronte follows a lot of the usual guidelines that romantic novels follow; a lonely, melancholy lead character who feels trapped by others, a mysterious, dark male love interest who has trapped himself and seems cold, but really has a lot of love to offer. I feel that this combination is so interesting, and Bronte really uses this template to her advantage, creating a slightly supernatural, but definitely fantastical story, that I feel shows the Romantic Movement at it’s best. Unfortunately, I feel that my lack of experience with the romantic movement prevents me from comparing how or if Jane Eyre deviates from other romantic novels, but I will say that Bronte has a way of really allowing these characters, especially Jane, to thrive in the world that they live in. Even while Jane was undergoing reckless torment, she still managed to work through it, and that’s one of the main things that I really love about this book. Although it is dark, and most of the characters are lonely or have had some sort of sorrowful life, they still manage to get a happy ending. The Romantic Movement gives those maybe not so jolly characters somewhere to belong, and reminds the reader that even if you are the type of person that likes the rain, or reading scary books about strange birds, or if you have a crazy ex- wife; you can still have a happy ending.
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