Charlotte Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’ is a novel that takes you on
a journey through an eponymous heroine’s life. Jane starts off as a dependant,
delicate and isolated young orphan and through experience at Gateshead hall
becomes a strong, independent and successful woman.
Bronte uses a first person narrative which brings a strong
bond between the reader and Jane as we see the world through her eyes. It also
makes Janes experiences real, as though we are living through her abused, harsh
and lonely childhood. For this we really sympathise with Jane. Jane is an ill
treated orphan girl; she has no correlation with her aunt or cousins and is a
‘discord’ at Gateshead hall. Jane feels vulnerable and emotionally unstable; we
feel a great deal of sympathy towards Jane as she questions her existence and
at just the age of ten is already planning attempts of suicide. The reader is
made to feel hatred towards Jane’s aunt as she continually neglects Jane
because she is different to her own children. Jane’s aunt-Mrs. Reed-
dehumanises Jane and is aware that Jane is being bullied by her son John.
Jane's childhood is most definitely not a happy one.
Jane lives with the Reeds because her uncle took her in
following the death of her parents; Jane’s mother was her uncle’s beloved
sister. If Jane’s uncle hadn’t died all would most likely be well for Jane. Mr
Reed loved Jane dearly. He could have left her for the poor house but he took
Jane in and treated her as his own until the day of his death where he made
Mrs. Reed promise to treat her as well as her own children. Little did he know
that her promise would not be kept.
When Jane has an outburst of rage at John Reed, after he
pushes her too far it really surprises us. Jane is terrified of John Reed yet
she follows her gut instinct to fight back and her feisty character shines through
this shy girls fear. ‘Unjust, unjust’ she screams at john. This gives us an insight to her independent
and liberal future.
By the end of the second chapter charlotte Bronte has
succeeded in: showing us that Jane has a strong and free future ahead of her, creating sympathy for the heroine and showing
us how out-of-the-ordinary this young girl is. She is by far more intelligent
than the average ten year old.
‘Jane Eyre’ is a Victorian novel which reflects the customs,
beliefs and traditions of the 19th century society. The novel relies
on the experiences of the writer to make experiences throughout the book
realistic and believable; only one who has experienced so much horror in one’s
life can recall the violence realistically. The novel Jane Eyre was influenced
by Charlotte Bronte’s life. Bronte uses experiences in her own life to relate
to Jane. Bronte, like Jane, had to come to terms with the death of a parent at
a young age. Bronte lived in isolation along with her sister in Yorkshire. Like
Jane, she too went to a boarding school. Another thing both Jane and Bronte had
in common was being brought up by a cold
and unfeeling aunt. The similarity between Bronte and what she describes as a
delicate, isolated and lonely child makes us deeply sympathetic to both of
these shy, reserved women.
Society’s class structure was very important in the
Victorian era. If one was of a higher class, he or she couldn’t mix with anyone
of a lower status. For this Janes’ mother was disowned; she was from a rich
family and yet she married a poor clergy man. Moreover, moving between classes
was difficult. If you were poor, you were most likely going to die of
starvation in a poor house. If it were up to Mrs. Reed, Jane would be in a poor
house .But, much to her dismay it was her husband’s dying wish for Mrs. Reed to
bring Jane up like one of her own children. This has left Jane feeling isolated
and dependant. Her father was a poor curate yet her mother was of the landed
gentry. Jane doesn’t really fit into
either class because although she has been brought up into a middle class
family, she is not accepted by the Reeds and is treated as a dependant. ‘You
are a dependant’ ‘You have no money; your father left you none’. Sympathy is
created as ten year old Jane is constantly rejected and neglected by the Reeds.
The position of women in the Victorian society was extremely
degrading, sexist and unjust. Women were subservient to men. The men were the
‘master’ of the house. It was expected that middle-class women would make a
career out of marriage. Their jobs would be looking after the children. The
only real job women in this class could do, would be some charitable work. Single women, on the other hand, could become
a governess and teach children-for they have none of their own to look after.
Jane starts of as subservient ‘say, ’’what do you want Master Reed’’,’ by
becoming a governess at Thornfield hall Jane becomes more intelligent and free
to think and do as she wishes.
Both gothic and romantic influences are used throughout the
novel. Bronte uses them to create fear and isolation. The romantics believed
that art and nature where powerful and that it helped you find your inner self.
The romantics also believed that everyone can fulfil their potential and
destiny. Jane has a romantic nature; she is strong willed and will succeed. In
chapter two she fights her fears by retaliating against John Reed. This shows
that Jane will overcome all bad in her life. Jane also has a strong sense of
justice like the romantics. She questions why she has been treated so
indifferently. An example of this is ‘Why was i always suffering...For ever
condemned?’ Jane is presented by Bronte in a very romantic manner; she uses
pathetic fallacy and nature to describe Jane’s feeling of coldness and
isolation. Bronte also shows us that Jane finds herself through imagery of
adventure and nature books. Moreover, gothic influences are used in chapter
two, Bronte builds up horror when Jane is treated badly and left locked alone
in the red room. Jane is convinced that her uncle-who died in the red room- has
come back from the dead to haunt her and take revenge for the way Jane has been
treated. This creates a chilly, dark and depressing atmosphere. The
superstitions that Jane has been manipulated into feeling have left her
terrified. Jane screams to get out, but her heartless aunt locks Jane back in
leaving her on her own in her virtual nightmare. Then subsequently Jane faints
from fear and we are left on a cliff hanger...
The setting is described in the first to chapters and is
also used to create sympathy for Jane. Gateshead
hall is a large country house, this shows off their wealth. Furthermore we know
they are well-off by the furniture and rooms described. Examples that show
wealth are ‘folds of scarlet drapery’ and ‘small breakfast-room adjoined the
drawing room.’ They also own numerous bed chambers and own lots of books. Only
the rich owned books; only the rich were taught to read. The use of rich
materials ‘covered in a crimson cloth’ suggests wealth and opulence.
Jane doesn’t like living at Gateshead
hall. Despite all the wealth and comfortable furniture Jane does not fit it
because she is unloved hence this big house doesn’t feel like home to her. Jane
feels a sense of awkwardness in this big house an example of this is ‘I was a
discord’. Jane is left isolated in this mansion, unloved, for she is neither a
servant nor is she accepted as part of the family. ‘You are less then a
servant, for you do nothing for your keep.’
Bronte starts chapter 1 with pathetic fallacy and then uses
it to lead into Mrs Reads’ dislike for Jane. Jane detests the cold and wintry
weather as she despises the Reeds. The miserable setting is affective at
setting the mood and reflecting Jane’s emotions-‘clouds so sombre’. Even Jane’s
imagination is dark and isolated. Whilst looking through adventure books filled
with images she uses words like ‘forlorn, bleak, dreary and desolate’. Jane
sees the worst of everything ‘ghastly moon’ because the Reeds are always
negative towards her. Her imagination and ideas reflect her depression.
Bronte’s description of the red room also creates sympathy
for Jane. Jane’s passionate and wild emotions transform the bedchamber into a
vision of pure horror. ‘Glittering eyes of fear’. The red room is described in
Jane’s point of view: scary, overwhelming and horrific. It is called the red
room to add an element of fear, passion and danger. Abbot uses gothic
references to panic Jane. For instance ‘God will punish her: he might strike
her dead’ ‘say your prayers Miss Eyre’
and ‘ something bad might be permitted to come down the chimney and fetch you
away.’ The servants shut Jane in the room leaving her to her terrors and
nightmares. Jane thinks her uncle has come back from the dead to haunt her
because his last wish has not been carried out. Jane sees the room with a
supernatural presence. Everything in the room becomes terrifying, such as ‘the
room was chill’. Although the red room is scary it also has a sense of
mystery-‘Secret drawer’. As the room gets darker and the day turns to night
Jane’s imagination goes wild. ‘Glittering eyes of fear’ and tiny phantoms’ are
examples of what Jane sees in the dark room. Nothing is how it usually seems,
furniture becomes bloody and ghostly.
The concept of a big, dark and empty room with a little girl in it
increases our sympathy for Jane. It is clear that Jane is vulnerable and has an
emotional break down when she faints.
The novel Jane Eyre is written in first person narrative.
This makes the eponymous heroines experiences so real. She describes the
settings, her family and her treatment in her own perspective. ‘Me she had
dispensed’. In addition it makes the novel true to life, convincing and
recognisable; we see events from Jane’s point of view. The first person
narrative is also an effective device for creating a bond between the reader
and the main protagonist, our sympathy is naturally extended unconditionally
towards Jane; we feel what she is going through. Hence we are encouraged to be
sympathetic towards her situation.
Jane sees herself as an inferior and less attractive to her
cousins. For example ‘humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority.’
As a result to her low self esteem and lack of confidence she is a likely
victim of bullying as she is so vulnerable and such an easy target.
We are sympathetic towards Jane as she recalls her childhood
in an adult’s point of view and our sympathy increases as the adult Jane
acknowledges that no matter how stunning she was Mrs Reed would always be
irritated by her. ‘Now, at the distance of-i will not say how many years, i see
it clearly’, ‘i had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed.’ Mrs Reed is irritated
by Jane because Jane is above the intelligence of a child-Jane would rather
read a book than play outside-and her aunt does not understand this so she
excludes Jane instead of trying to understand her.
Bronte reveals Jane as a lonely and isolated character. Her
life is so sombre, so lamentable, that even when she tries to escape from her
realty to the world of her imagination it is dark, desolate and filled with
evil. She hasn’t been loved or happy in so long that she can’t imagine what
it’s like. Jane looks at adventure books and separates herself from the rest of
the world, leaving her to her own imagination. She hides behind the curtains
and reads. ‘Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view’
Bronte uses very little dialogue between Jane and Mrs Reed
to emphasise on the coldness and distance of their relationship. Jane never
asks Mrs Reed anything, the only time they speak consists of Mrs Reed chiding
Jane. ‘Jane, i don’t like cavillers or questioners’.
Mrs Reed thinks of Jane as a nuisance and doesn’t value her
ideas or opinions. More over Mrs Reed thinks Jane always acts and lies- ‘I was
a precocious actress in her eyes’- that everything Jane does is just a charade.
Mrs Reed addresses Jane as if Jane is always lying. Even when Jane is begging
her aunt to get out of the red room her aunt shows no mercy. ‘I abhor
artifice’. Mrs Reed is very much dictatorial and shows no affection towards
Jane. We readers are initially shocked by how Mrs. Reed treats Jane and by the
way she speaks we instantly know that she is in charge and has the power.
Bronte uses John Reed as a catalyst to increase our sympathy
for Jane. We, as the reader going through Jane's experiences, loath John.
‘Every morsel of flesh on my bones shrank when he came near.’ John Reed
constantly dehumanises Jane and physically bullies her. John is a big, fat 14
year old boy and Jane is a petite, 10 year old girl. The idea of such a big
grotesque boy bullying such a small terrorised girl increases our sympathy for
Jane and our envy towards John. John is the master of the house. He can do what
he wants, when he wants and he knows that there won’t be any consequences for
the actions he takes. ‘He bullied and punished me’. ‘Won’t i tell mamma? But
first...’ John exploits his power by bullying Jane. Furthermore John forces
Jane to address him how he wishes and constantly belittles her.
Jane's’ resentment and strong will to keep on going through
the suffering she faces in the hands of John Reed shows her strength and
potential to do well and be successful.
By the end of chapter 2 Bronte has successfully described
Jane’s increasing anxiety and fear which increases our sympathy for Jane. We
readers recognize that Jane has been treated unfairly. Through chapters 1 and 2
we watch Jane’s fear increase and progress until all the tension and anxiety is
too much for ten year old Jane and she loses control. In conclusion by the end
of chapter Jane is a victim of bullying, terrified and isolated but
surprisingly she still has a strong spirit that nothing can get past and from
this we know that Jane inevitably will do well.
