Emma Cardenas Webb AP Literature and Composition 26 October 2017 Nobel Notebook: Jane Eyre Characters (Revised) Observations Implications Jane Eyre: narrator; protagonist; relatable; lower in social class; looked down upon; follows story of her attempts at trying to find her place in the world; rebellious; eye for an eye disposition; strives for equality/justice; independent; searches for a set of morals/religion that she can follow; believes deeply in love and connecting with other people yet is strikingly independent - resists “love” (marriage) until she is confident in her own independence; she is constantly searching for a way to fit in and be loved Mrs. Reed: Jane’s aunt; cold-hearted; shapes Jane’s disposition as a young child; despises Jane (b/c Mr. Reed loved Jane more than any of his biological children) Edward Rochester: Jane’s eventual husband; scarcely appears at Thornfield at first; is very passionate; forceful; like family to Jane; sympathetic; loses sight for a while - has to depend on Jane (this is the opposite of typical marriage relationships in this time period) Jane and Rochester are on completely different levels as far as money is concerned and jane can’t allow herself to depend solely on him - it is not in her character. St. John Rivers: Jane’s cousin; committed to his religion/God; asks Jane to marry him but doesn’t fully accept love (he is too committed to his religion) The author introduces complex characters with conflicting
We first encounter this relationship between Jane and Rochester during their first dramatic meeting. She encounters him when he falls off his horse and she is required to give him assistance. Jane’s first impression of his face is that ‘He had a dark face, with stern features and a heavy brow’. This may portray the dimness in his face awaiting to be enlightened by a woman which, in this case Jane. Further on in this chapter, unaware of who he is, on her return home, Jane is amazed to discover that the gentleman she assisted in the road was her employer, Mr. Edward Rochester. Jane’s future relationship with Rochester is most clearly set out in their first meeting. Although without any money, reserved and socially dependent, Jane is not
In the early stages of Jane's life she was a very autonomous girl. She grew up in a hostile environment in the home of Mrs. Reed and her three children, John, Eliza, and Georgiana that is known as Gateshead. The Reed family showed no love or any sort of affection towards Jane in any way, shape, or form; for they all despised her. She spent most of her time out of contact of others. The most contact she had with someone was a
Jane Eyre is a powerful novel with many secrets in the storyline between the characters. One of the most shocking secrets was finding out that Rochester has a wife. Since his older brother would inherit his father's fortune, Rochester needed to secure his own future with a marriage for the sake of money, not love. So, he married Bertha, who was both wealthy and beautiful.
Though Jane is well educated and possesses the etiquette and training of a person in upper class society, social prejudices limit her because she is simply a paid servant, in their eyes. While at Thornfield, Jane falls desperately in love with the owner of Thornfield Hall, Mr. Rochester. Jane is Mr. Rochester’s intellectual contemporary, but her social status prevents her from being his true equal. In the novel, Jane proclaims, “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!” (Bronte 637). After Mr. Rochester finally proposes, Jane is hesitant to marry him because she feels as if he would be lowering himself to marry her. This feeling greatly increases after Jane discovers he is married to Bertha Mason, and that he keeps her locked away in Thornfield’s attic due to her insanity. Mr. Rochester proposes that Jane becomes his mistress, which, according to Victorian society, would be more fitting since Jane is a plain governess. Jane realizes that she can never compromise her morals that way and leaves Thornfield. While on her own, Jane still strives to gain independence, discovers new kin, and learns she has a wealthy uncle who has left her a large inheritance. After her loneliness and longing for Mr. Rochester becomes too great, she returns to Thornfield. Jane is
Written by Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre tells the story of its title character as she matures and experiences all that life has to offer in 19th century England. Jane Eyre grows up as an orphan and seeks work as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets and falls in love with Mr. Edward Rochester. After discovering that he is already married, she is introduced to St. John Rivers; he asks her to marry him for the sole purpose of being a missionary’s wife and she instead returns to Mr. Rochester, who she truly loves, and marries him. Throughout her journey, she learns many thing about Mr. Edward Rochester and St. John Rivers. Both men display similar characteristics, but as foils they exhibit many different characteristics as well. Both
Jane is able to rise above her Aunt’s accusations by using them against her and proving that she had been wronged, and not the other way around. Towards the novel, Mrs. Reed reveals that she told Jane’s uncle she had died after he for her over three years ago, reasoning it by explaining it was “Because I disliked you too fixedly and thoroughly ever to lend a hand in lifting you to prosperity” (233). However, Jane’s tells her, “Love me, then, or hate me, as you will. You have my full and free forgiveness; ask now for God’s; and be at peace” (234). With these powerfully simple words, Jane’s character develops as she becomes a better person than her aunt, by forgiving her rather than showing scorn.
"Jane Eyre" is more than a name... it is a character with plenty stories of life, feelings, experiences. Confinement, but also freedom, gothic, but also fairy tale elements, all these are surprised by Charlotte Brontë in the novel Jane Eyre. The novel Jane Eyre centers on the protagonist's development, from an innocent child to the mature woman; and all emotions and experiences she passes through help Jane to become the mature woman she is in the end.
Previously Jane was undeknoced to the details of rochester's first marriage, but with that knowledge she was able to understand and forgive him. She felt empathy knowing she too had tried much to attempt to please her family. But above all else, was his devotion to a mad woman, whom he had been forced to marry. Despite excessive validation/valid reasons for him to put her away,he kept his vow, risking his own life to save her. Throughout the course of the story Jane learns not to dwell on the past, nor dream of the future, but to concentrate on the
Jane Eyre was born an orphan and raised under the hands of a heartless Aunt. Aunt Reed stressed to Jane that she was privileged to live so well without any
Also, even though Rochester and Jane were of different classes, Charlotte Bronte presents him as an intelligent person. Both Edward and Jane enjoy conversations with each other. However, Jane does not express her feelings as clearly as Rochester does. So he dresses up as a gypsy and tries to find out what she thinks of the marriage, which everyone assumes that he will with Blanche. Although, both Jane Eyre and Rochester have are fond of each other, Edward was deceitful to Jane. For example, when Jane found out about Mr Rochester’s first wife, he first says that they can run away as ‘brother and sister’. However Jane refuses. Rochester tries another tactic and asks her to be his mistress. But Jane was too virtuous to accept the offer and had no other alternative but to leave Thornfield.
Edward Fairfax Rochester is an archetypal Byronic hero. He seems “moody” and unattainable and could often be seen as an antihero, however is capable of feeling and displaying strong emotions, as can be seen throughout Jane Eyre. Although perhaps the reader should view Mr Rochester as the malefactor in the novel due to his ill treatment of Bertha Mason primarily, along with the conflicted emotions he causes Jane and the heartbreak she suffers because of him, he does present a good case owing the fault of
Rochester. At first Jane sees him as rude and disrespectful due to his cold and gruesome remarks, but it is her fight and how Jane stands up for herself that leads to one of the most known relationships in literature. Eventually Rochester asks Jane for her hand in marriage but at the scene of the wedding, we come to learn, that Rochester is already married to an insane woman, living in his attic, named Bertha. With this Rochester asks Jane to run away with her to Europe, this is exactly where Jane is faced with a very hard decision between following her heart as everyone wants to do, or keeping her respect and dignity. We can see the respect Jane now has from Rochester when he says to her, “I was wrong to attempt to deceive you; but I feared a stubbornness that exists in your character” (Bronte 354). This shows that Jane has gained Rochester’s respect and the ‘stubbornness’ in Jane’s character is the best thing for her, for without this trait Jane could never gain respect from others, especially men, in his novel. Knowing that Jane has decided to leave her, Rochester begins to persuade Jane to stay with him. He says, “Oh, Jane, this is bitter! This – this is wicked. It would not be wicked to love me” (Bronte 355). Jane replies, “It would to obey you” (Bronte 355), showing that she will not give into his pleading, regardless of how much she loves him because to obey him would lead to the loss
Jane Eyre, an orphan, lives with her abusive aunt, Sarah Reed, and her mean-spirited cousins, John, Eliza, and Georgiana, at Gateshead Hall. She is sent away to the Lowood School where the conditions are very harsh. Jane
Firstly, Jane Eyre is a young woman who faces hardships with great determination. Raised by Mrs. Reed, a cruel aunt, she is sent to
Firstly, Jane Eyre is a young woman who faces hardships with great determination. Raised by Mrs. Reed, a cruel aunt, she is sent