Imagine being an orphan, having no connections with family whatsoever, and being burdened with the idea that you will not be able to accomplish anything; how would you feel? How would you appeal to others? By a combination of analytical criticism and a close reading of Jane Eyre, the aim of this essay is to analyze how Jane’s identity evolves during her quest for love and independence and what influence the relationship with Mr. Rochester, and patriarchal traits has on her identity. Throughout the novel Jane Eyre, the theme of identity develops during her search for love and independence is strongly conveyed through the narrative strategy of Jane, as we follow the protagonist’s development from childhood to becoming a young woman.
Jane Eyre
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When Jane is punished and sent to the Red Room, she transforms overnight from a child to a more mature person. The imprisonment in the Red Room can be interpreted as a voyage into the unconscious. Jane realizes that she is considered different and identified as the “the other” by the household at Gateshead Hall, similar to the lonely characters of the moor in Bessie’s stories. “All John Reed’s violent tyrannies, all his sisters’ proud indifference, all his mother’s aversion, all the servants’ partiality, turned up in my disturbed mind like a deposit in a turbid well” (Bronte 10). When Jane expresses this thought she realizes that they are always going to feel that way. We realize this, because the narrative strategy of Jane Eyre is a Bildungsroman; it is a novel that narrates the story of the protagonist’s growth and internal development on her search for a meaningful existence in society. It is written in the form of an autobiography and narrated by the protagonist Jane Eyre in a friendly, confessional tone. She confines to us, the readers, that at a young age she felt trapped in this life. How she could not escape the confinements of the members of the Reed household’s view of her, or of the room. …show more content…
These were all inequalities that were a major barrier at the time. Even though these barriers were firm, Jane shows strength by standing up to Rochester in one of their evening conferences: “I don’t think, sir that you have a right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience” (Bronte 117). Even though Rochester makes it clear to Jane that he is older and more experienced, Jane still stands up to him and questions his right to command her during their discussions. Rochester being clever but cunning, tests Jane by spreading a rumour that he will marry Blanche Ingram. We read that through her thoughts she is feeling very insecure in regards to her looks. Blanche is a beautiful woman, and Jane is aware of how the society and men rate women regarding how beautiful they are; beautiful women have a higher value than unattractive women. Beauty in a woman is regarded more important than intellect, because a woman was expected to be an ornament without much opinion (Andersson). When we find out that Rochester really loved Jane all along and that he wants to be with her all his life, Jane is overwhelmed with happiness and
Furthermore, Jane says “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself” (Chapter 27, Bronte.) This statement greatly represents the growth that Jane has undergone. She no longer dreads the solitude that once haunted her because she respects herself enough to realize that she did not deserve to experience such great dismay. Through independence and self-recognition, Jane has discovered the importance of loving oneself. Without the reliance on the thoughts of others, the once extremely troubled girl found bliss through a lack of outside control. In regards to her relationship with Mr. Rochester, Jane understands that she must leave him behind to maintain her own well-being. She does not allow the wealth or proclaimed love from Rochester to skew her decisions and she does not linger to dominate the life of her lover. Instead, she moves forward to continue her endless pursuit of happiness and independence.
Ultimately, the relationship of Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester consists of each on being the guiding light, or literal sight, for the other. Rochester becomes the happiness in Jane’s life and depends on her to lead him by the hand through his darkness, or actual blindness. Their love together is the bright light in their relationship that will face constant scorn and derision for its age gap, partial disability, and station
Jane’s approach could be considered romantic and embodies conventional feminist concepts; she remains headstrong and stubborn in the face of injustice. The representation of Jane as a strong, independent woman upholds the belief that woman can achieve their goals. Jane does precisely this; she marries Rochester, becomes a part of a family as well as gains financial independence. The way in which Bronte represents Jane is emphasized through her narrative stance. The reader is presented with a firm and rebellious character, her diction is simple and assertive. She addresses the reader directly and is able to identify and challenge the problems she faces with determination. Furthermore Jane is able to identify and comment on how she feels woman are subjugated by their society; she denounces that “woman are supposed to be very calm generally: but woman feel just as men feel […]” (Bronte
The novel Jane Eyre is about a young lady who was treated unfairly and all she really wanted was happiness and kindness. Many characters get introduced in this novel and many of them change, but Jane Eyre would have to be the one who changes the most. She doesn’t change in a physical way, but her mind set changes. Throughout the novel Eyre becomes frustrated, hopeless, and open minded.
Jane Eyre was written in a time where the Bildungsroman was a common form of literature. The importance was that the mid-nineteenth century was, "the age in which women were, for the first time, ranked equally with men as writers within a major genre" (Sussman 1). In many of these novels, the themes were the same; the protagonist dealt with the same issues, "search for autonomy and selfhood in opposition to the social constraints placed upon the female, including the demand for marriage" (Sussman). Jane Eyre fits this mould perfectly. Throughout the novel, the reader follows Jane Eyre on a journey of development from adolescence to maturity to show that a desire for freedom and change motivates people to search for their own identity.
Jane had a bad upbringing, with her Aunt and family mistreating her. Regarding Mr. Rochester, Blanche knows she is stunningly beautiful and uses this to her advantage. She also prefers to be the center of attention. Opposite of Blanche, Jane keeps to herself and would rather sit quietly than have all the attention.
The potential romance between Mr. Rochester and Blanche conveys Jane’s passion but also jealousy. And with Blanche being “not genuine” and lacking “sympathy and pity”, she is of opposite character to Jane (211). So as Jane admits her “true affection” for Mr. Rochester, her fears of unequal social status because of money make her fear that she has become blinded by her love for him (213). While she “had once kept a sharp lookout”, her love for him makes her forget his faults and the difference in their social standings, which she believes is wrong (214). This reveals the darker troubles in Victorian social equality.
Although she knows Blanche and Rochester are not in love, she believes they will marry due to money and class. Ingram is equal to Rochester, and Jane is not. She knows she cannot unlove him, but "all his attentions appropriated to a great lady who scorned to touch [Jane] with the hem of her roses as she passed" (Bronte 211). In Jane 's mind, she is no match for Blanche, and she refuses to marry Rochester because they are not equal. After Jane and Rochester become engaged for the first time, he attempts to spoil her with gifts and special treatment. However, Jane will not accept. First, he takes Jane to Millcote to buy her accessories. When he looks at her with "passionate pleasure" she looks at him and threatens that he "need not look in that way...if [he does, she 'll] wear nothing but [her] old Lowood frocks to the end of the chapter. [She 'll] be married in this lilac gingham" (309-310). She refuses these gifts as she believes she should not be treated higher than her actual class. She also refuses to dine with Rochester at his request.When he asks her to join she tells him that she has "never dined with [him]; and [she] sees no reason why [she] should now" (311). Rochester then begins to question what she wishes to become of her salary and other days to which she responds that she "shall just go on with it as usual. [She] shall keep out of [his] way all day"
Jane Eyre is a story about a little orphan girl who was raised by an abusive aunt and later was sent to a charity school. Though she met further hardships, she successfully educated herself and took a job as a governess for the Rochester family. The dark history of Mr. Rochester forced Jane to abandon the bond once between them. After a series of challenges and self-exploration, Jane returned as a mature and independent woman and lived a happily ever-after life with the love of her life. Although she faces all different kinds of changes in her life, she never lost the sense of dignity and the determination for maintaining her own autonomy.
Some people say don’t trust the media it’s a bunch of malarkey blown into proportion. I agree with that somewhat, and do understand that the media sometimes is malarkey but there is some truth in the media. In general the media is more negative than positive. Coming from a Muslim family life was good as a child with our community, our neighborhood and had no hatred toward the Muslim people. Then after a fate full day of 9-11-2001, tragic, and heartbreaking day many life changed. The media began to make the Muslim people a scapegoat. The media began to generalize and categorize the Muslim people with a terrorist organizations. The media in general has many other negative impacts on society but the generalization that was blowing up to proportion
One of the most famous passages from the novel comes from Jane’s very clearly feminist inner monologue. She states that “Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel…they suffer from too rigid a restraint…” (130). Jane, as a forward-thinking and progressive protagonist, exemplifies in every sense the essence of gender equality of her time. Bronte reveals the limitations experienced by the female sex and the effects of those limitations on her protagonist. By doing this, the author uses Jane to fulfill her feminist and pro-equality agenda. Another example of Jane’s inner monologue comes from her irritation with Rochester. When Rochester showers Jane with gifts soon after their engagement, Jane’s “…cheek[s] burned with a sense of annoyance and degradation” (309). She becomes increasingly irritated with Rochester because of the complete lack of respect Rochester has for her feelings due to his joy of becoming engaged. Because Jane is already considered inferior to Rochester because of her lack of wealth and her status as an unmarried woman, being pelted with lavish tokens of affection is less than an ideal situation for her. This imbalance between the two highlights the already sexist society of the Victorian era. After Jane’s engagement to Rochester, she recounts the fact that she “…could not, in those days, see God for His creature: of whom I had made an idol” (316). She becomes blinded by the overpowering love she held for Rochester, to the extent that she put him on a pedestal, seeing him as an “idol”, and not a human being capable of fallacies. Bronte uses this dangerous mental circumstance Jane is in to illuminate the clear disparity between men and women of the time. Jane’s infatuation with Rochester serves as an important device implemented by Bronte to further her argument against sexist Victorian
This novel, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë is about the life a woman named Jane Eyre undergoing many changes that wound up shaping the person she had eventually grown up to be. This type of novel which accounts for the psychological development of the protagonist as they grow up is known a bildungsroman. One particular moment or action, which accounts for Jane’s psychological development, that is described in this novel is the adoption of Jane by her relatives known as the Reed family (Chapter 3).
It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex." As a great friendship and affection grow for Jane and Mr. Rochester, Jane notices that Rochester wishes to shower her in jewels, buy her fancy dresses, raise her up to some impossible image of the bride or woman, which does not suit her at all. This new treatment feels unequal, as Rochester would pay for her completely, she feels too dependent on him, and not her own woman. Jane acknowledges that she makes Rochester promise to let her continue on as Adele?s governess and being paid for that so that they are equal, or as she puts it: ?By that I shall earn my board and lodging, and thirty pounds a year besides. I'll furnish my own wardrobe out of that money, and you shall give me nothing but your regard: and if I give you mine in return the debt will be quit." Jane's views on this affair are extremely feminist when taken out of past perspective. In actuality, she attempt to not change the power dynamics of her relationship with Rochester, to be paid for work, instead of becoming his object or property. But she admits later: "My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven.
The novel in which Jane Eyre stars in can be seen criticizing many aspects of those times such as the role and nature of women, child negligence and social hardships for those in a lesser class. Jane Eyre’s alienation from society allows for a greater reveal of the story’s culture, values, and assumptions. It’s presented through the use of gender, class and character conflicts throughout the story. On multiple occasions, Jane is judged for the presented factors reflecting the type of society Jane lives in and what the times were like at that time.
Jane would not like to be poor as poverty is looked down upon and equivalent to being an immoral and degraded human being. For Jane to be a respectable woman in society she must remain with the Reeds. John acknowledges Jane’s dependency: “You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, momma says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg and not to live here with gentleman's children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at out mamma’s expense (14).” Jane is continuously reminded of her inferior position at Gateshead and powerless dependency to people that do not even love her. At this early age Jane has already been integrated into Victorian society as negative notions about the poor have been internalized. Born the daughter of a poor clergyman, Jane is believed to be of lesser value than the Reeds; however, she has passionate tendencies and is unable to control her emotions when necessary.When being abused by John and accusing him of being “like a murderer” (14) she is described as being a “picture of passion (15).” Jane must learn to temper her “fire” because untamed emotions have consequences. Her consequence comes when she is imprisoned in the red room, a visual representation of the intense emotions that have manifested in