preview

Examples Of Supernatural Elements In Jane Eyre

Good Essays

In addition to introducing the supernatural element of the story, the early chapters serve as a base for Jane’s future character and thought process. The way she is treated by Mrs. Reed, the children and the servants influences and shapes the way she treats herself and the world around her throughout the novel. From the very beginning, Jane’s rebellious, free mind and her strong sense of justice are undermined the constant self-doubt and a tendency to compare herself with others. While she is aware that much of what she suffers is unjustified, the constancy of the abuse over time does largely succeed to crush her sense of righteousness and instil in her the thought that she is only being treated badly because of her character and physical appearance. She constantly compares herself with her cousins, saying that ‘Eliza, who was headstrong and selfish, was respected’, and ‘Georgiana, who had a spoiled temper, a very acrid spite, a captious and insolent carriage, was universally indulged’, always forgiven because of ‘her beauty, her pink cheeks and golden curls.’ By using negative words such as ‘headstrong’ or ‘insolent’ when she could alternatively describe them as strong-willed or independent, Jane leaves no doubt that, if she envies the treatment afforded to her cousins, she does not envy their character. Her sense of injustice, however, seems to be directed more towards nature than the adults around her, as if she thought that more agreeable or beautiful feature could

Get Access