Coming Of Age In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

     Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is a coming-of-age story about an unconventional woman's development within a society of strict rules and expectations. At pivotal moments in Jane's life, she makes choices which are influenced by her emotions and/or her reason. Through the results of those choices, Jane learns to balance passion and practicality to achieve true happiness.

In Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte intertwines various religious ideas in her mid-nineteenth century English setting. Throughout the novel, Jane Eyre blends various religious insights which she has learned from different sources. While Jane was young, she had only a Biblical textbook outlook on life combined with the miserable emotional conditions of her surroundings. This in turn led to Jane being quite mean with Mrs. Reed. When Jane eventually goes off to Lowood and meets Helen Burns, she learns of her religious philosophy far more than the words would mean. Over the course of many years Jane then applies the basis of Helen's religious philosophy and adjusts it for herself in relation to the

Janes view on life is very laid back very similar to Helen 's except. Helen doesn 't fight back because she doesn 't want to be burden

The addition of Helen Burns in Jane’s life leaves a permanent mark as Helen becomes a role model for Jane, by being a patient, forgiving, and wise individual. Helen was sent out of history class and told to stand in the middle of the schoolroom, Jane was shocked at how patiently she accepted the punishment, ‘’I expected she would show sign of great distress and shame; but to my surprise she neither wept or blushed.’’ Helen demonstrates her patience by remaining calm during her punishment, and not wavering during any of her hardships. She has the propensity to face any difficult situation in a peaceful and patient manner. Being at the young age of around thirteen, one would expect her to be fearful or intolerant of her punishments, but she maintains

Brocklehurst’s visit to Gateshead Hall. This is just after Jane has discovered that she is being sent away to Lowood. She confronts her aunt in a fiery argument, unleashing the feelings of rage that emerges from her assertive personality and powerful ego.

Jane makes her journey from Gateshead to Lowood at the age of ten, finally freeing her from her restrictive life with her aunt. Before making her journey, Jane's feelings are conveyed by Brontë through the use of pathetic fallacy:

Lowood also teaches Jane a great deal by giving her one of the greatest benefits to her life: a good education. Jane spends eight years of her life at Lowood where she, "had the means of an excellent education placed within my reach; a fondness for some of my studies, and a desire to excel in all" (pg. 115). Her education means more to her than her simple appearance. She had the option of just sliding by in her studies and leaving Lowood as soon as possible. Instead, she remains in a school

At Lowood Jane is repulsed by Mr. Brocklehurst and his “two-faced” character. Even so, Jane fines her first true friend. Helen Burns, another student at the school. By instruction, Helen is able to prove her messages. When Jane is punished in front of the whole school, she tries to accept it. But Jane still dreams of human affection and is deeply hurt when she is scolded. Jane goes as far to say, “If others don’t love me, I would rather die than live.” Helen’s response, “You think to much of the love of human beings,” (69). Through example Helen teaches Jane too. Helen is punished by, Miss Scatcherd because her finger nails were not clean. Jane wonders why she just took it and did not fight back. Jane says, “When we are struck without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should . . .” Helen replies, “Love you enemies; bless them that curse you . . .” (56). When Helen is dying of Typhus she reminds Jane, “I believe: I have faith: I am going to God,” (82). Jane is able to draw strength from Helen’s faith, making her stronger. Helen’s messages guide Jane through her turbulent life. This is how Jane learns not to worry so much how other think of her.

Helen Burns’s memorable, albeit short-lived role in Jane Eyre proves to be incredibly influential on young Jane during the rest of the novel. Helen serves as Jane’s first direct interaction with strong faith in someone her own age. Helen embodies an incredibly passive faith, believing that she will be rewarded in heaven for her suffering on Earth. She goes as far to say, “...do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you” (Bronte 70). And being a student at Lowood, the boarding school where Jane first makes her acquaintance, she is quite familiar with suffering. All of the students, in fact, are familiar with the sacrifice and self-deprivation present in many aspects of their life, such as their diet of “burned porridge” and “strange

      At Lowood Jane also learns she can be judged by her own merits. Mr. Brocklehurst, the administrator, announced to the entire school that by her Aunt Reed's assessment, Jane is a liar. The superintendent, Miss Temple, as well as Helen Burns, rally to Jane's support. They declare Jane, by the conduct they have observed, to be of good character. This opinion is collaborated and Jane is publicly cleared of any wrong doing.

When Jane is sent to Lowood (an all girl's school), she finds the first true love shown by an adult. Miss Temple, the school's superintendent) treats all of the girls with extreme kindness and gentleness. When the girl's breakfast is burned, she arranges for them to have the luxury of white bread and cheese to make up for it. Also, even while some of the other teachers like Miss Scatcherd and even the school's headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst, are mean to the girls, she is always there for them with a hug and a smile. When Helen falls deathly ill, Jane sees how motherly and unfaltering Miss Temple is towards Helen. Another character who shows Jane love at Lowood is Helen herself. She is the first person Jane's age who is nice to her. Jane grew up with the Reed children's spiteful actions and attitudes toward her and never experienced a peer's kindness until she met Helen.

In the first ten chapters of the book “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte, Jane’s close relationship with Helen Burns reshapes her personality to learn to control her own feelings and Helen gives her encouragement which makes Jane has the confidence to face the future. Jane learns to temper her passions with self-control under the influence of Helen. When Jane is punished by Mr. Brocklehurst, she “mastered the rising hysteria, lifted up my head, and took a firm stand on the stool. (Bronte, 72)” after she communicates with Helen. Helen is actually Jane’s teacher to some extent, or at least that Jane hero-worships and learns from.

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is presented in the Victorian Period of England. It is a novel which tells the story of a child's maturation into adulthood. Jane's developing personality has been shaped by her rough childhood. She has been influenced by many people and experiences. As a woman of her time, Jane has had to deal with the strain of physical appearance. This has a great effect on her mental thinking and decision making. Jane Eyre's cognitive and physical attributes have been affected by her environment throughout her life.

Discuss Charlotte Bronte’s portrayal of childhood in Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’ was a controversial novel for its time. It traces the heroine from an orphan child to a contented adult woman. Through the trials Jane experiences Brontë highlights many hypocritical aspects of Victorian society, mainly focusing on the religious hypocrisy of the era. Subtitled ‘An Autobiography’, the novel in parts closely resembles Brontë’s own childhood and her evocation of Jane’s experiences of Gateshead and Lowood remain as vivid as ever for the modern reader.

Another sign of Jane’s independence was when she became eighteen, decided to leave Lowood and start a new beginning on her own to explore the world and fulfill the emptiness that she feels. In leaving Lowood Jane is enabled to experience more opportunities; love and romance, moving to Thornfield, making new close friends, also proving those that did not believe that she would ever come to much that she could accomplish great things in life. “I remembered that the real world was wide, and that a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had courage to go forth into its expanse.” (pg. 77) This shows how Jane Eyre recognizes that there is a bigger world out there. She understands that there are more opportunities out there waiting for her, and that all she has to do is reach out and grab them.