Religion Through Spiritual Explorations in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre's literary success of the time has been cheaply commercialized. In other words, Bronte's novel never got the appreciation it deserved, in the areas it deserved. Many 19th century critics merely assigned literary themes to their reviews to "get it over with". Critics commended Jane Eyre for everything from its themes to its form. However, their surface examinations amount to nothing without careful consideration of the deeper underlying background in Jane's life where their hasty principles originate. The widely discussed free will of Jane's, her strong individuality, and independence are segments of a greater scheme, her life. For example: Jane's childhood serves as the

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

“I sincerely, deeply, fervently long to do what is right; and only that” (426). Throughout Jane Eyre, the characters struggle to live out and develop their faiths, according both to God’s will and their own. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, faith and religion are displayed in different forms through the characters of Helen Burns, St. John, and Jane Eyre.

Reality has proven that these perfect lives are a rare commodity instead of the implied commonplace of the world. Her metaphors continue as she deviates from the standard woman’s life into her own, “However, it cannot be concealed that, in that case, I must have somehow fallen over-board…” (35; ch. 4). She continues to coddle them by censuring the events of her life with metaphors. It accentuates the reader’s ignorance to the point of insult as Brontë makes a woman who is “supposed to pass [her] life” in peace, belittle them for not being able to even read about the agony she experienced first-hand. She uses this tone to provoke the reader into questioning where their misconceptions stem from.

The word choice here reflects Jane's situation - she is like the ground, 'petrified' under the influence of her aunt, whose behaviour is mirrored in the term "hard frost" because of the icy discipline she bestows. Mrs Reed's attitude towards Jane highlights one of the main themes of the novel, social class. Jane's aunt sees Jane as inferior as she had humble beginnings: she is "less than a servant". Jane is glad to be leaving her cruel aunt and of having the chance of going to school.

I read the literary criticism titled Bronte’s JANE EYRE, by Julia Miele Rodas. This criticism was about how Bertha acts what Jane wishes she could outwardly express. She says that although we may see Bertha as Jane’s alter ego, she thinks “Miss Ingram may be seen as Bertha Mason’s doppelganger” as well as Grace Poole. She compares how the two look and act to show the similarities between the two. When talking about Grace Poole, Ms. Rodas states that “it is also significant that Jane constantly mistakes Grace Poole... for Bertha”. She thinks that this is Bertha’s way of being able to interact with the outside world.

While Jane Eyre may have a somewhat weak plot, Charlotte Brontë makes up for it in other ways. Jane Eyre is sectioned off into four essential sections and a conclusion. These four sections take place in Gateshead, Lowood Institution, Thornfield, and Marsh End. In each section, Jane “comes into conflict with authority, defeats it by her inner strength, and departs into exile”. For example, at Gateshead Aunt Reed is the opposing force. When Jane stands up for herself, she is sent away to Lowood. Jane then learns “how to overcome the evil cruelty of Mr. Brocklehurst by quiet submission”. No matter where Jane goes, she overcomes the conflict by “aggression and submission”. Jane opposes Blanche Ingram and proceeds to receive Rochester’s love by using submissive behavior. On the contrary, Jane takes a stand

In their books, Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea, both Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys support the idea that women who make religion a priority are rewarded in life, however they showcase this idea in very different ways. Bronte does this by making her character, Jane, overcome many obstacles though the power of Christ and religion. Rhys does this by showing her character, Antoinette, happy and content with religion and then showing her later a passionless “zombi” once religion is no longer a part of her life. For Jane Eyre I chose to examine this scene from chapter 24 page 316 : “My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven. He stood between me and every thought of religion, as an eclipse

Throughout Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë uses the character Jane as a tool to comment on the oppression that women were forced to endure at the time. Jane can be seen as representative of the women who suffered from repression during the Victorian period, a time when patriarchy was commonplace. Brontë herself was affected by the time period, because according to Wolfe, she was deprived “experience and intercourse and travel.” (70) Thus Jane offers a unique perspective as a woman who is both keenly aware of her position and yet trapped by it despite repeated attempts to elevate herself and escape the burden placed on by her different suitors. Although superficially it seems that Jane wants to break away from the relationships that further

“Jane Eyre”, written by Charlotte Bronte, is probably one of the best and most known novels of the Victorian literature which includes autobiographical elements within it. One of the most important themes -despite social class, equality, and feminism- religion plays a significant role because of many reasons. Firstly, the author, Charlotte Bronte, was born as the daughter of a clergyman named Patrick Bronte. Therefore, religion was not something she could chose to bring into her life the way she wanted, but it was something at the centre of concerns and living. Her father was the priest of the Church of England and also part of the evangelicals.

Supernaturality, love, as well as hypocrisy as a sub unit of religion,are dominant themes combined in the retrospective novel 'Jane Eyre'. The novel depicts characters, such as Mr Brocklehurst and St.John Rivers that are challenges to the ideal christian way and faith throughout the novel.

In the novel Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte, the role of religion is the influence it plays through the characters, and how they model different views of Christianity through the views of Jane. Throughout the novel, Jane encounters different people that shape and influence her own belief in a Christian God. Main characters Helen, Mr. Brocklehurst and Eliza, are individuals who model different perceptions of societies perspectives on Christianity, by either use as an instrument of power, an excuse for unethical behavior, or simply to use as a survival through life.

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.

During the novel, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë created the traditional values of what Jane lives by and what she has to live by. The start of the novel starts off with Jane Eyre, a ten year old orphan whose living with the Reeds. With different phases of Jane’s life span occurring and different characteristics of Jane developing, she is at a place where she isn 't familiar with. In the years when she was living with the Reeds, they always showed her the ways on how they think she should live, instead of how she needs to live in order to develop into someone that is able to be independent in the future. Many times, she is constantly pushing past the Victorian Era normality and standards at the beginning of the novel. Even though at the end

In religion, blind faith in God can raise doubts that make it difficult to stay faithful. Living a life that is pleasing to God by following His principles can be challenging to most followers. However, in the religious novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, various characters and events portray the need for God in times of distress and His influence on moral behavior and decisions. Although the hypocritical faith seen in Mr. Brocklehurst shows the negative influences of religion, the contrasting innocent faith of Helen effectively guides Jane to realize the importance of God. She is later able to forgive Mrs. Reed, who wronged her as a child, and make a wiser decision by resisting the temptation of Mr. Rochester.