I have to start by saying that I loved reading Jane Eyre. It might even have to go up there in my top ten favorite books. While in some regards, the outcome of Jane and Mr. Rochester’s relationship is entirely predictable, the twists and turns the novel takes to get there are the epitome of drama.
Despite my enjoyment, for this ultimate blog post, I want to delve deeper into a couple of opinions on the more controversial aspects of Jane Eyre.
Over the course of the novel, I became increasingly comfortable with the age gap between Mr. Rochester and Jane. For those who haven’t yet read Jane Eyre, this is the gap between an 18 year old female and a 35-40 year old male.
Although she makes Mr. Rochester double Jane’s age, Brontë does not dissuade the reader from rooting for their relationship. Mr. Rochester’s eventual injury serves to equalize them and it shows that they are truly codependent. From Jane’s perspective, we see that she does not view him as oppressive — which is important to any sound relationship. Mr. Rochester feels like he can confide in Jane because she is different from other women. These are all good things. In fact, the entire point of their functional marriage is to show that unconventional relationships work; that love is not defined by social status, wealth, or age.
However, I think it’s hardly appropriate for me (a near 18 year old) to go off and marry a 35+ year old. Since it’s equally wrong for me to do this now as it was in the 1800s, I began to wonder if Victorian society got something right. It’s hard for me to say so because there were so many flawed aspects of ‘traditional’ marriages. For example, I’m opposed to the sentiment that a person must marry within a specific gender, race, or social status. And it’s a very good thing that these issues are addressed in the present day.
Now I’m left asking myself: was Brontë’s use of age to illustrate unconventionality ahead of its time or was it wrong? So, I’m troubled… If I believe the message love is love (which I do), where can I draw the line? Moreover, where does unconventional become inappropriate?
After some thought, I realize the thing that troubles me the most about their age gap is not necessarily their difference in age. It’s how young Jane is. It seems to me as though in relationships between teenagers and older adults, the adult is preying on unequal social circumstance and experience.
Side note: One issue I have is that, as an 18 year old, I would not qualify myself as ready for marriage or familial commitments in any way. Jane’s opinion on marriage, even before her disaster at the altar, is not much better. She is apprehensive she will lose autonomy or fall out of love. These problems are too big for most people so new to adult relationships to handle.
However, my main issue with their relationship is that, even though their relationship ended with an equal power dynamic, it started when Mr. Rochester held immense authority over Jane.
This authority stemmed from Mr. Rochester’s social standing, which reflected his gender, wealth, and age. In their first interaction, none of these things matter because Mr. Rochester is humanized by needing Jane’s help after a mishap with his horse. However, some of their following conversations don't sit well with me.
In the beginning, I found Jane’s behavior tense and formal. Mr. Rochester orders her into his presence and commands her— telling her where to sit, when to speak, and often asking uncomfortable probing questions like “Do you think me handsome” (132)? Under similar circumstances (if I were asked this question by my employer) I would consider it sexual harassment.
While the uncomfortable feeling I get from their early encounters could be explained by other factors toward their power inequality, Mr. Rochester clarifies that age is key. “Stubborn?” He says “and annoyed” Ah! It is consistent. I put my request in an absurd, almost insolent form. Miss Eyre, I beg your pardon. That is, once for all, I don’t wish to treat you like an inferior: that is (correcting himself), I claim only such superiority as must result from twenty years’ difference in age and a century’s advance in experience.” To paraphrase, Mr. Rochester is telling Jane that he didn’t mean to upset her by his rude displays of male authority, he is superior to her in no way other than his age. Although this isn’t actually their only difference, even if it were, it still sets up a worrisome dynamic.
Beyond age, I have some notable issues with Mr. Rochester. As I perused for evidence of his power over Jane, I began to notice, more often than not, Mr. Rochester is a terrible person!
As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, he pretends to be a gypsy (fortune teller) in order to get Jane to reveal her feelings about him. While I previously thought this was entertaining, now the word that comes to mind is… manipulative. And Mr. Rochester is manipulative on more than one account.
When Jane asks why he pursued Blanche Ingram instead of her, he cunningly responds that he “feigned courtship of Miss Ingram, because [he] wished to render [Jane] as madly in love with [him] as [he] was with [her]; and [he] knew jealousy would be the best ally [he] could call in for the furtherance to that end” (262). This just seems cruel. He uses his position as a male bachelor to toy with not only one but two women.
Then the evidence for Mr. Rochester’s terrible personality began to pile up. The most terrible thing he does to Jane (in Jane’s opinion) is lie to her about his wife, Bertha. There is so much to unwrap here.
For one, he locked up his mentally ill wife in the attic. This is an innately barbaric thing to do and it’s obviously not how mental health should be handled. I don’t even think that would be considered excusable at the time. What’s worse (as far as his character is concerned) is that he isn’t even sorry for this. He even has the gall to rationalize his behavior… forcibly.
“Jane! Will you hear reason?” he says as he bends down to speak into her ear, “because if you don’t, I’ll try violence” (302). Even though Jane is internally empowered by this, not frightened, I feel differently. I would be terrified if any man did this to me. How did this leave a positive impression the first time through?
Once Mr. Rochester eventually begins to tell Jane about why he acted the way he did, he doesn’t even acknowledge that locking Bertha up was the wrong thing to do. And he insists that he had to lie to protect his future.
To use his own words, “I could not live alone so I tried the companionship of mistresses. The first I chose was Céline Varens… It was a groveling fashion of existence: I should never like to return to it. Hiring a mistress is the next worse thing to buying a slave: both are often by nature, and always by position, inferior: and to live familiarly with inferiors is degrading” (312). Wow. I honestly can’t believe that Mr. Rochester is the heroine of this novel. He thinks he can just “choose” a woman. The way he treats women as objects of his affection is so misogynistic and the fact that he genuinely thinks the trouble with prostitution is how it affects his own reputation just shows what a vain, maniacal man he is. Not to mention that he is a racist who believes that slaves and prostitutes are inferior beings.
In fact, this part of his past and the shame he holds from it impacts how he treats Adele, who he openly disapproves of because she is a bastard child. The difference between how he reveres his own children (at the end) and treats Adele with contempt shows how far misled his character is from any path of good.
In the end, Mr. Rochester is punished for his sin of lying to Jane, atones, and therefore they are able to reunite and be married. But, in my personal opinion, there is no way Mr. Rochester possibly fit all of his failures into that one prayer— especially since he isn’t remorseful for many of them.
For a book that is acclaimed for being feminist, the female lead doesn’t end up with a very good man. If this had been obvious from the beginning, I would be less critical. However, the ending is intended to be happy. I wish that the message that love can be unconventional was less conflicted by the ugly nuances of their relationship. Jane can’t help but love him, so the overall message still works. Ultimately, it’s just disappointing that Mr. Rochester is remembered in literature as a good man/husband.
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
The Meaning of Jane Eyre
As always, I’ve decided to start my post with a plot recap. This reading was certainly eventful, so I'll try to keep it to the main events. Major spoilers following...
Jane finds out that the Rivers —St. John, Mary, and Diana— who were so kind to take her in and provide her with work, are her cousins. Simultaneously, she learns that she has inherited 20,000 pounds and decides to split it four ways with her new family. St. John asks her to accompany him to India and marry him. She says no. After magically hearing Mr. Rochester’s voice call out her name, she decides to return to him. She finds Thornfield burnt to the ground by Bertha (who subsequently commits suicide). In this fire, Mr. Rochester was crippled and blinded. She finds him. They marry and have children.
This was a lot to take in. With so much happening, I took a step back and looked for similarities/differences between characters and then motifs. The most telling evidence for the meaning of the book, I think, came through the contrast between St. John and Jane.
St. John Eyre Rivers is a complicated man. He has devoted himself to God fully yet has fallen in love with Miss Oliver. This love would go against the values of the church and thus it is unacceptable. Even he does not accept it. He states, “I scorn the weakness. I know it is ignoble: a mere fever of the flesh: no I declare, the convulsion of the soul. That is just as fixed as a rock, firm set in the depths of a restless sea. Know to be what I am— a cold, hard man” (376).
St. John lives up to this self-description. His devotion to Christ filled this reading with discussions of divine purpose and proper Christian ways. However, Jane comes to realize that St. John’s flaw is that he cannot love whom he wishes to love. While I don’t think that Bronte is criticizing the church, I think she believes that it misinterprets what our divine purpose may be. Because he is so truly cold and hard, resolute towards being a good samaritan, “he lived only to aspire” (393). This is clearly a criticism. He has no enjoyment of life.
In comparison, by the end of the book, Jane is enjoying every single aspect of her life. She has found a family in the River and is overwhelmed with joy. “This was wealth indeed!— wealth to the heart!... This was a blessing, bright, vivid, and exhilarating;— not like the ponderous gift of gold” (386). I found the language of this revelation very interesting because it suggests that there is an alternate meaning to wealth. Rather than monetary aspirations, Jane enlightened me that there is much more wealth in family.
This is where I began to realize that what Jane was finding— what was absent in the conventions that dictated St. John’s actions— were morality and human connection. Moreover, I think the greater meaning of Jane Eyre revolves around finding love. And the greatest question of love in Jane Eyre, I quickly noted, was marriage.
One thing that I enjoyed particularly about Jane Eyre is that love was not the only idea that Brontë touched upon. In her message about unconventional love, she contrasts the wealthy with the poor.
It is clear that penniless as Jane is, she is not any less valuable or undeserving of Mr. Rochester... or an education. When discussed in the beginning, Jane's attendance of Lowood emphasized her outstanding moral integrity and intelligence. However, similar points about education repeat themself in the end when Jane begins to teach the “children of the poor [who] were excluded from every hope of progress” (355).
This made me realize that Bronte is really sticking her neck out for greater accessibility of education to all children. She depicts Jane as noble, reforming education and bringing it to the lower classes. Most importantly, Jane acknowledges that these poor children have no less natural ability to learn than those with governesses. She reminds us that the children are flesh and blood, they are human and therefore there is a moral obligation to treat them with equality.
It shocks me that this minimal-compensation type work would not have been common because it comes at an economic cost to those with enough money to help. Then again, even in the 21st century there is a difference in primary education accessibility and quality based on affluence. Furthering the comparison, those with money are still, in my opinion, in a position to help.
There are many more subtle messages I received from Jane Eyre. However, these would contribute to my blog post only in length. I’m impressed by all who made it to the end of yet another lengthy blog post.
Thank you!
Jane finds out that the Rivers —St. John, Mary, and Diana— who were so kind to take her in and provide her with work, are her cousins. Simultaneously, she learns that she has inherited 20,000 pounds and decides to split it four ways with her new family. St. John asks her to accompany him to India and marry him. She says no. After magically hearing Mr. Rochester’s voice call out her name, she decides to return to him. She finds Thornfield burnt to the ground by Bertha (who subsequently commits suicide). In this fire, Mr. Rochester was crippled and blinded. She finds him. They marry and have children.
This was a lot to take in. With so much happening, I took a step back and looked for similarities/differences between characters and then motifs. The most telling evidence for the meaning of the book, I think, came through the contrast between St. John and Jane.
St. John Eyre Rivers is a complicated man. He has devoted himself to God fully yet has fallen in love with Miss Oliver. This love would go against the values of the church and thus it is unacceptable. Even he does not accept it. He states, “I scorn the weakness. I know it is ignoble: a mere fever of the flesh: no I declare, the convulsion of the soul. That is just as fixed as a rock, firm set in the depths of a restless sea. Know to be what I am— a cold, hard man” (376).
St. John lives up to this self-description. His devotion to Christ filled this reading with discussions of divine purpose and proper Christian ways. However, Jane comes to realize that St. John’s flaw is that he cannot love whom he wishes to love. While I don’t think that Bronte is criticizing the church, I think she believes that it misinterprets what our divine purpose may be. Because he is so truly cold and hard, resolute towards being a good samaritan, “he lived only to aspire” (393). This is clearly a criticism. He has no enjoyment of life.
In comparison, by the end of the book, Jane is enjoying every single aspect of her life. She has found a family in the River and is overwhelmed with joy. “This was wealth indeed!— wealth to the heart!... This was a blessing, bright, vivid, and exhilarating;— not like the ponderous gift of gold” (386). I found the language of this revelation very interesting because it suggests that there is an alternate meaning to wealth. Rather than monetary aspirations, Jane enlightened me that there is much more wealth in family.
This is where I began to realize that what Jane was finding— what was absent in the conventions that dictated St. John’s actions— were morality and human connection. Moreover, I think the greater meaning of Jane Eyre revolves around finding love. And the greatest question of love in Jane Eyre, I quickly noted, was marriage.
Marriage
Four mentions of marriage come to mind; the first three are loveless.1. Mr. Rochester’s suggested marriage to Blanche Ingram: Mr. Rochester’s distaste for Miss Ingram (and women of her type) makes it clear that this is a marriage of design, not love. Here, Brontë addresses marriages that result from the custom of bachelor’s marrying themselves to women of suitable wealth come to a certain age. She emphasizes there is zero substance in these relationships. They would be mutually unhappy.
2. Mr. Rochester’s marriage to Bertha Mason: This marriage is a clear failure of arranged marriages. Rochester and Bertha, placed together not by attraction but through their parents, grew apart instantly. There was deceit, disgust, and eventual imprisonment. This relationship didn’t scream to me “happy marriage”
3. St John’s proposal to Jane: Jane is clearly opposed to marrying St. John. While this is in large part due to her heart’s attachment to Mr. Rochester, other reasons for her refusal are evident. Jane realizes that “as his wife— at his side always, and always restrained, and always checked — forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital — this would be unendurable” (408).
Brontë makes a clear point in this passage. Jane would be very unhappy in this marriage with St. John. In particular, this is because they do not love each other as mutuals. Jane could not be free or herself with St. John, which is very important to being in a loving relationship. Jane is so passionate about what being in an unloving relationship with St. John would be like, that I can’t help but believe that Brontë generalizes this the feelings of all women trapped in loveless marriages, bound to serve a male suitor.
4. Finally, Mr. Rochester and Jane (of course!). Their relationship is unconventional, yes. I’ll admit that it did take me some time to wrap my head around the idea that Jane was less than half his age. But, I think that was part of the point. Jane and Mr. Rochester’s love was real because (to quote Brontë’s preface) “conventionality is not morality.”
Jane is undoubtedly the happiest at the end when she is reunited with Mr. Rochester. She loves him so much that she is willing to serve him. However, they are still mutuals. Jane regards Mr. Rochester as an equal and vice versa. This brings a critical element to the marriage that none of the others had. Through the positivity of Jane’s freedom (which results from equal footing), Brontë praises the loving relationships that provide such opportunities to women.
3. St John’s proposal to Jane: Jane is clearly opposed to marrying St. John. While this is in large part due to her heart’s attachment to Mr. Rochester, other reasons for her refusal are evident. Jane realizes that “as his wife— at his side always, and always restrained, and always checked — forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital — this would be unendurable” (408).
Brontë makes a clear point in this passage. Jane would be very unhappy in this marriage with St. John. In particular, this is because they do not love each other as mutuals. Jane could not be free or herself with St. John, which is very important to being in a loving relationship. Jane is so passionate about what being in an unloving relationship with St. John would be like, that I can’t help but believe that Brontë generalizes this the feelings of all women trapped in loveless marriages, bound to serve a male suitor.
4. Finally, Mr. Rochester and Jane (of course!). Their relationship is unconventional, yes. I’ll admit that it did take me some time to wrap my head around the idea that Jane was less than half his age. But, I think that was part of the point. Jane and Mr. Rochester’s love was real because (to quote Brontë’s preface) “conventionality is not morality.”
Jane is undoubtedly the happiest at the end when she is reunited with Mr. Rochester. She loves him so much that she is willing to serve him. However, they are still mutuals. Jane regards Mr. Rochester as an equal and vice versa. This brings a critical element to the marriage that none of the others had. Through the positivity of Jane’s freedom (which results from equal footing), Brontë praises the loving relationships that provide such opportunities to women.
“I know what it is to live entirely for and with what I love best on earth…. My husband’s life as fully as he is mine. No woman was ever nearer her mate than I am…” (452)
One thing that I enjoyed particularly about Jane Eyre is that love was not the only idea that Brontë touched upon. In her message about unconventional love, she contrasts the wealthy with the poor.
It is clear that penniless as Jane is, she is not any less valuable or undeserving of Mr. Rochester... or an education. When discussed in the beginning, Jane's attendance of Lowood emphasized her outstanding moral integrity and intelligence. However, similar points about education repeat themself in the end when Jane begins to teach the “children of the poor [who] were excluded from every hope of progress” (355).
“I must not forget that these coarse-clad little peasants are of flesh and blood as good as the scions of gentlest genealogy; and that the germs of native excellence, refinement, intelligence, kind feeling, are as likely to exist in their hearts as those of the best-born” (359).
This made me realize that Bronte is really sticking her neck out for greater accessibility of education to all children. She depicts Jane as noble, reforming education and bringing it to the lower classes. Most importantly, Jane acknowledges that these poor children have no less natural ability to learn than those with governesses. She reminds us that the children are flesh and blood, they are human and therefore there is a moral obligation to treat them with equality.
It shocks me that this minimal-compensation type work would not have been common because it comes at an economic cost to those with enough money to help. Then again, even in the 21st century there is a difference in primary education accessibility and quality based on affluence. Furthering the comparison, those with money are still, in my opinion, in a position to help.
There are many more subtle messages I received from Jane Eyre. However, these would contribute to my blog post only in length. I’m impressed by all who made it to the end of yet another lengthy blog post.
Thank you!
I hope you found following along as worthwhile as I found reading.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Why AP?
Plot Recap
Jane confesses to Mr. Rochester she doesn't want to leave Thornfield upon his marriage to Blanche Ingram because she loves him. He returns the sentiment and asks her to marry him. She says yes. Just before the wedding, Jane is woken in the night by a frightening woman tearing up her veil. Mr. Rochester explains to her that it must have been Grace Poole. However, the wedding when the priest asks for objections, the wedding is interrupted by Richard Mason and lawyer (Mr. Briggs). Mr. Rochester cannot be married because he is already married to Mason’s sister Bertha Mason. Mr. Rochester confirms and shows Jane and company Bertha— now a mad-woman living in the attic— trying to explain that it is only fair that he can remarry because Bertha’s (future) conditions had not been disclosed to him before they wed.
Jane feels betrayed and runs away from her problems Thornfield, quickly losing all of her money and baggage. After near starvation, she finds shelter with a family (St. John, Diana, Mary) and their servant. As I leave her, she is regaining her health and looking for ways to be helpful.
Why AP?
Before I first started reading Jane Eyre, I thought it was obvious that this book is of literary merit (and therefore AP worthy). Yet, beyond hearsay, I had no actual evidence behind this belief. Now, after reading over 75% of it, I’m certain that it is well written and meaningful. However, I was unsure of what defined something as AP. I had to turn to College Board verbatim to see if this hit their definition of “AP worthy”.According to their course audit page, AP Literature “is structured by unit, theme, genre, or other organizational approach that provides opportunities to engage with the big ideas throughout the course: Character, Setting, Structure, Narration, Figurative Language, Literary Argumentation.”
Thus, the question I was left to answer is: does Jane Eyre adequately engage the reader with these “big ideas?”
The answer, most certainly, is yes.
Character and Narration
Jane is the most obvious character to go into detail upon. She is the most complex character and we have seen her develop over the course of her story. Her emotions are dynamic and multifaceted. This provides a great opportunity to look deeply into characterization.
First, Jane is characterized by her own thoughts, her narration. The complexity of Jane’s emotions makes the novel relatable (ish) and dramatic. At the point in which Jane is considering leaving Thornfield, the reader sees a lot of internal tension.
“But, then, a voice within me averred that I could do it and foretold that I should do it. I wrestled with my own resolution: I wanted to be weak that I might avoid the awful passage of further suffering I saw laid out for me; and Conscience, turned tyrant, held Passion by the throat, told her tauntingly, she had yet but dipped her dainty foot in the slough, and swore that with that arm of iron he would thrust her down to unsounded depths of agony” (297).
Jane’s concepts of identity and love after betrayal are enduring. These aspects of character are easily applicable to an AP class. Even 21st century students can readily understand hurt and moral conflict. Grappling with conscience and maintaining a sense of personal strength, Jane is emblematic of any aging teenage character (hence the genre bildungsroman).
Similar to her thoughts, Jane is also characterized through dialogue. Jane often speaks her mind freely and passionately with Mr. Rochester (which is what makes her admirable in his opinion). Jane’s candor and lack of emotional concealment are evidenced in a scene in which Mr. Rochester and her are speaking in the garden about her leaving Thornfield.
“I tell you I must go!” I retorted, roused to something like passion. “Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?—a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? 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! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh;—it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal,—as we are” (253)!
This passage is significant because Jane is treating Mr. Rochester as an equal. It shows that she does not believe that social caste, age, or gender should compromise her treatment as an equal in their relationship. While I could go into depth about how syntax and bold diction reveal Jane's character, instead I would like to focus on the impact of Brontë’s characterization of Jane.
Jane Eyre is around 170 years old. Jane’s action in this passage would be, at the time, highly abnormal and thus controversial. So while it may be viewed differently today, the characterization of Jane was making a statement. When speaking to her superior, rather than being poised, Jane is fervent and outspoken.
Jane was progressive: she defied social conventions and developed feminist ideas. Therefore, identifying these aspects of Jane’s character can teach an important lesson to any AP student. They would learn to recognize how Jane is a foil for other women at the time. Furthermore, in a Question 3 essay, knowledge of how Jane is different from 19th century women may be useful contextualization to earn a sophistication point.
Setting
In Jane Eyre, the setting has added to Jane’s perception of her environment. When described, the setting is described in full detail, creating an atmosphere that is in accordance with Jane’s emotions.
During this particular reading, I was struck by the sensory imagery surrounding Thornfield’s garden.
“But treading the flower and fruit parterres at the upper part of the inclosure, enticed there by the light now rising moon cast on this more open quarter, my step is stayed— not by sound, not by sight, but once more by a warning fragrance.
“Sweet-brier and southernwood, jasmine, pink, and rose have long been yielding their evening sacrifice of incense: this new scent is neither of shrub nor flower; it is — I know it well— it is Mr Rochester’s cigar. I look round and listen. I see trees laden with ripening fruit. I hear a nightingale warbling in a wood half a mile off; no moving form is visible, no coming step audible; but that perfume increases: I must flee” (248).
This passage stood out to me because the imagery surrounding the garden established the setting as, to quote Jane, “Eden-like.” The use of this garden imagery set the scene as natural and beautiful. The flowers and plants prompt ideas of life and fertility. Unlike in a typical young adult novel, in an AP level book setting is used for more than just plot advancement. In these merit-full books, setting imagery often supplements or contrasts the characters’ emotional experience. I found that the scents and visuals that Jane describes enhance the air of romance and seclusion. Jane even recognizes Mr. Rochester’s scent. How romantic?
Structure
Jane Eyre is the epitome of the age old elementary school catchphrase “show don’t tell.” While this applies to Brontë’s imagery, I’d like to quickly note that it applies to the organization of her story as well. Despite following an autobiographical structure (very linear yet told in retrospect), Jane only ever foreshadows future events. Thus, it was almost a complete surprise when we learn that Mr. Rochester is married to a mad woman, Bertha Mason!
… almost.
What makes the plot of Jane Eyre so good, in my opinion, is that I feel like despite having no idea what was going to happen, I saw it coming. And when I looked back on it, there was tons of evidence!
- Mr. Mason is first introduced as an acquaintance from Jamaica, where we learn Mr. Rochester was married.
- Mr. Rochester implies there was a capital error that occurred abroad.
- Some female is going around Thornfield committing arson, biting, and tearing up wedding veils.
- Grace Poole is an incompetent worker and seemingly troublesome yet isn’t fired by Mr. Rochester.
Finally, in a non-academic sense, I have to advocate for Jane Eyre as part of the AP curriculum because it is such an enjoyable read!
Works Cited
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Style Discussion: Ch 12-22
Catching Up on Plot
For my readers who have not yet read it, I want to give a general overview of the first half of Jane Eyre. You may skip these first two paragraphs if you so please; they will not provide any depth to this blog. (I’ll start from the beginning for those who didn’t read my blog on character.) Jane Eyre is an orphaned girl in the 19th century English countryside who leaves the abusive care of the Reed family (headed by her Aunt… in-law) and is educated for 8 years in the dismal conditions of Lowood Academy. At age 18, she seeks work, becoming a governess at Thornfield Manor, the property of a typically absent Mr. Rochester.
In my second reading, Jane settled into life at Thornfield, eventually making the acquaintance of Mr. Rochester. Though around double her age, Rochester takes an interest in Jane because her company is unlike any other’s. Eventually, Jane falls in love with Mr. Rochester. She saves him from an attempted murder by arson but Mr. Rochester subsequently leaves Thornfield and returns with a large party of social elites. Mr. Rochester entertains his guests while Jane keeps relatively distant. This is until a scuffle in the night yields Richard Mason (an unwanted guest) injured by a mysterious woman.
In my second reading, Jane settled into life at Thornfield, eventually making the acquaintance of Mr. Rochester. Though around double her age, Rochester takes an interest in Jane because her company is unlike any other’s. Eventually, Jane falls in love with Mr. Rochester. She saves him from an attempted murder by arson but Mr. Rochester subsequently leaves Thornfield and returns with a large party of social elites. Mr. Rochester entertains his guests while Jane keeps relatively distant. This is until a scuffle in the night yields Richard Mason (an unwanted guest) injured by a mysterious woman.
In another sudden change in plot, Jane must return to the Reed family at Gateshead hall to provide comfort in wake of her cousin John’s death and dying aunt. The reading, however, finished at Thornfield with the promise that Mr. Rochester was to be married to Blanche Ingram (one of the guests at Thornfield).
The general impact this left on me was that Brontë’s style is geared toward the educated. It uses long sentences and detailed descriptions in order to generate a more formal and refined tone.
While it originally seemed daunting to me that punctuation had increased tenfold from my normal readings, in the grand scheme of things, I think these long sentences flow together very well. Moreover, they establish an air of 19th century literature that I would be off put without. A large fraction of my understanding of Jane Eyre has come from the knowledge that social propriety and elaborate displays were highly valued at the time. Thus, without her long and flowery style, Jane would be placed in an entirely different social class by the reader. It is crucial to understanding Jane’s character that we understand that she thinks in a very voluminous thinker and has an observant manner.
As an afterthought, I went back to the preface of my copy of Jane Eyre. Here, I found a “miscellaneous remark” from the second edition preface written by Currier Bell (Brontë’s pen name).
This remark made me realize that Brontë’s style is very profound. Brontë uses specific word choice to emphasize a clear, refined point. It is easy to derive meaning from her remarks because she often repeats and develops her ideas through lists. It also made me realize that Jane’s criticism of the Reed family and undeserving members of high society follow similar stylistic patterns to this excerpt. This implies two things. The first is the obvious: that the preface and novel share a similar tone of criticism or wisdom.
The second thing I gained from reading the preface is that Brontë is very similar to Jane (I think). Jane is a tool used by Brontë to express her ideas about social norms. I think she writes Jane as unconventional because she wants to express her own experience with the appearances of social propriety versus morality. The similarity in style between how Brontë addresses her audience and how Jane narrates her story makes me think that Brontë and Jane both are formed from similar minds and similar educational experiences. In short, they think similarly.
This brings me to the most important aspect of Brontë’s style for Jane Eyre: Point of view. Halfway through the book, it is more than obvious that Jane Eyre would not be the same without direct insights into the mind of Jane Eyre. First person narration makes it so that the reader knows only what can be surmised from Jane’s thoughts. And, Jane’s thoughts are typically very observant, making her story loaded with imagery. In this fashion, she gives us an excess of character description and in the case of her walk to Hay (the town), setting details.
This walk to Hay was the first time where I noticed that Jane was being observant beyond that of her social awareness. This made Jane more unique in my mind because she is aware of her whole environment. Jane’s detailed and positive word choice shows her appreciation of nature, making her seem more calm and down-earth.
Style
With tons of character development and imagery, this most recent section of Jane Eyre, was a mountain of work. Never before in my life have I read something so densely packed with semicolons, em dashes, colons and commas… with the exception of the previous Chapters 1-11. There may have been more punctuation than there were nouns. And still more adjectives.The general impact this left on me was that Brontë’s style is geared toward the educated. It uses long sentences and detailed descriptions in order to generate a more formal and refined tone.
While it originally seemed daunting to me that punctuation had increased tenfold from my normal readings, in the grand scheme of things, I think these long sentences flow together very well. Moreover, they establish an air of 19th century literature that I would be off put without. A large fraction of my understanding of Jane Eyre has come from the knowledge that social propriety and elaborate displays were highly valued at the time. Thus, without her long and flowery style, Jane would be placed in an entirely different social class by the reader. It is crucial to understanding Jane’s character that we understand that she thinks in a very voluminous thinker and has an observant manner.
As an afterthought, I went back to the preface of my copy of Jane Eyre. Here, I found a “miscellaneous remark” from the second edition preface written by Currier Bell (Brontë’s pen name).
“These things and deeds [conventionality and morality] are diametrically opposed: they are as distinct as vice is from virtue. Men too often confound them: they should not be confounded: appearance should not be mistaken for truth; narrow human doctrines… should not be substituted for the world-redeeming creed of Christ” (4).
This remark made me realize that Brontë’s style is very profound. Brontë uses specific word choice to emphasize a clear, refined point. It is easy to derive meaning from her remarks because she often repeats and develops her ideas through lists. It also made me realize that Jane’s criticism of the Reed family and undeserving members of high society follow similar stylistic patterns to this excerpt. This implies two things. The first is the obvious: that the preface and novel share a similar tone of criticism or wisdom.
The second thing I gained from reading the preface is that Brontë is very similar to Jane (I think). Jane is a tool used by Brontë to express her ideas about social norms. I think she writes Jane as unconventional because she wants to express her own experience with the appearances of social propriety versus morality. The similarity in style between how Brontë addresses her audience and how Jane narrates her story makes me think that Brontë and Jane both are formed from similar minds and similar educational experiences. In short, they think similarly.
This brings me to the most important aspect of Brontë’s style for Jane Eyre: Point of view. Halfway through the book, it is more than obvious that Jane Eyre would not be the same without direct insights into the mind of Jane Eyre. First person narration makes it so that the reader knows only what can be surmised from Jane’s thoughts. And, Jane’s thoughts are typically very observant, making her story loaded with imagery. In this fashion, she gives us an excess of character description and in the case of her walk to Hay (the town), setting details.
“On the hill-top above me sat the rising moon; pale yet as a cloud, but brightening momently; she looked over Hay, which, half lost in trees, sent up a blue smoke from its few chimneys; it was yet a mile distant, but in the absolute hush I could hear plainly its thin murmurs of life” (113).
This walk to Hay was the first time where I noticed that Jane was being observant beyond that of her social awareness. This made Jane more unique in my mind because she is aware of her whole environment. Jane’s detailed and positive word choice shows her appreciation of nature, making her seem more calm and down-earth.
These traits clarify to me that Jane has character beyond social interactions: that she doesn’t adhere solely to appearances. Jane’s excess of observations show that she does not focus on conventions but rather “life." In fact, her entire walk to town denoted abnormal behavior (for a governess). If we were to hear about this walk from another perspective, we would gain criticism, not respect for Jane.
Another important thing to note about perspective is that Jane is telling this story in retrospect. While the most clear tell of this is the past tense, sometimes Jane gives insights into her own change in situation, saying that “in those days I was young '' (113) admitting that she was naive.
Another important thing to note about perspective is that Jane is telling this story in retrospect. While the most clear tell of this is the past tense, sometimes Jane gives insights into her own change in situation, saying that “in those days I was young '' (113) admitting that she was naive.
In this manner, her descriptions of Mr. Rochester’s appearance change from ugly to ruggedly handsome. Her changes in opinion are reflected through a change of diction. Originally, he is described with “stern features and a heavy brow; his eyes and gathered eyebrows looked ireful and thwarted” (115).
Later on this unemotional and dark description changes. She admits that her love for him unintentionally grew and that simultaneously “his eyes grew both brilliant and gentle, its ray both searching and sweet” (175). In the greater parts of this key passage, which reveals love and juxtaposes Mr. Rochester with the guests, I found many other major aspects of Jane Eyre’s style
The first two of which are her direct address of the reader and her own changes. She states that she “had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate for my soul the germs of love there detected…” (175). This important quote emphasizes how Jane is telling the story directly to the reader as an autobiography and does not ignore that there is an audience. Thus, I think that means that she feels she has a message to give. I think this will be developed more later on. Likely, it will have to do with the ways she changed.
Additionally, she is very questioning in this passage… lots of question marks when it comes to her own feelings. In comparing Mr. Rochester to his elite counterparts, she wonders whether appearances of wealth and power attract her to him. In effort to be a little more brief, I will simply say that this use of questioning reflects how introspective Jane is.
As a couple of final notes, I would like to give my opinions on the style thus far. For one, I think I prefer the dialogue to the description. There’s nothing worse than seeing a page full of words. I like the wit of Jane’s conversations and how they are emphasized with tone rather than imagery. The dialogue is much more quickly paced too. They use less words to say more.
Finally, I wanted to go on a tangent about a part of Jane Eyre that I found humorous. Particularly, a scene in which Mr. Rochester disguises himself as a fortune teller, fooling his guests and trying to get Jane to speak candidly. While I recognize that this event showed character, in my opinion it also boosted the entertainment value of this book. I can imagine Brontë sitting down to write and thinking ‘wouldn’t this be so ridiculous.’ I think there is a certain humor to unconventionality that she may be recognizing here.
While it’s probably my own supposition, I’d like to think that at least a fraction of Jane Eyre was written without the direct intent of achieving a theme; possibly to just be intellectually stimulating and entertaining.
Later on this unemotional and dark description changes. She admits that her love for him unintentionally grew and that simultaneously “his eyes grew both brilliant and gentle, its ray both searching and sweet” (175). In the greater parts of this key passage, which reveals love and juxtaposes Mr. Rochester with the guests, I found many other major aspects of Jane Eyre’s style
The first two of which are her direct address of the reader and her own changes. She states that she “had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate for my soul the germs of love there detected…” (175). This important quote emphasizes how Jane is telling the story directly to the reader as an autobiography and does not ignore that there is an audience. Thus, I think that means that she feels she has a message to give. I think this will be developed more later on. Likely, it will have to do with the ways she changed.
Additionally, she is very questioning in this passage… lots of question marks when it comes to her own feelings. In comparing Mr. Rochester to his elite counterparts, she wonders whether appearances of wealth and power attract her to him. In effort to be a little more brief, I will simply say that this use of questioning reflects how introspective Jane is.
As a couple of final notes, I would like to give my opinions on the style thus far. For one, I think I prefer the dialogue to the description. There’s nothing worse than seeing a page full of words. I like the wit of Jane’s conversations and how they are emphasized with tone rather than imagery. The dialogue is much more quickly paced too. They use less words to say more.
Finally, I wanted to go on a tangent about a part of Jane Eyre that I found humorous. Particularly, a scene in which Mr. Rochester disguises himself as a fortune teller, fooling his guests and trying to get Jane to speak candidly. While I recognize that this event showed character, in my opinion it also boosted the entertainment value of this book. I can imagine Brontë sitting down to write and thinking ‘wouldn’t this be so ridiculous.’ I think there is a certain humor to unconventionality that she may be recognizing here.
While it’s probably my own supposition, I’d like to think that at least a fraction of Jane Eyre was written without the direct intent of achieving a theme; possibly to just be intellectually stimulating and entertaining.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Character Analysis
However, I found myself more interested in the smaller list of titles from the 19th century. My search narrowed as I decided on what themes I was interested in pursuing: society, women. Primarily, this intrigue stemmed from the many times I have read (and listened to audiobook versions of) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. After asking around for the second time, this time with more specificity, I got significantly few hits: Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Emma, Wuthering Heights, Little Women, Jane Eyre, etc. I would be lying if I did not admit how intimidated by this list I was.
Taking the advice of my sister, I settled on Jane Eyre. For the most part, she eased my worries— calling it “fantastic” and her “favorite book.”
So…
Welcome to this literary blog on Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre!
Going into Jane Eyre, I knew little about what I should expect. “Fantastic” had set the bar for enjoyment very high and similarly, Google’s description as a “bildungsroman” had set the bar for niche vocabulary to an extreme.
A bildungsroman is a coming of age novel. As this genre implied, thus far Jane Eyre has been mainly character driven. I have seen the titular character Jane develop from age 10 to 18.
Jane implies that she takes the blows wielded by the Reeds silently. She is “accustomed to John Reed’s abuse” and “never had an idea of replying to it” (12). However, less than a page later, I was surprised to learn that Jane Eyre is not a martyr. While she is later unfairly given the blame for the fight, I was shocked to see her verbally retaliate to John and get into a brawl. Originally, I was under the impression that Jane would be a powerless child, wholly innocent and a very stereotypical victim. Before this altercation, Jane gave me strong Harry Potter vibes. She ticked all the major boxes: Orphaned pre-teen child; abusive un-loving relationship with an aunt and/or uncle; seemingly more intellectual, thin (less greedy), and quiet than the other children of the house.
However, thus far I prefer Jane Eyre to the Harry Potter series. Although writing style is the most major and obvious reason, I think Jane is also a preferable protagonist. She is more relatable because she acts in her own self-interest, while simultaneously enduring her adverse circumstances. Jane is more passionate, strong-willed, and angsty. While Harry has virtually zero hobbies or interests, Jane spends the first pages of her narrative introducing herself as an avid reader.
Jane’s most impactful act of defiance occurs when she is finally ready to leave Gateshead for school. I liked how Jane had enough confidence to call out Mrs. Reed for being a terrible benefactress, saying “the very thought of [Mrs. Reed] makes [her] sick, and that [Mrs. Reed] treated [her] with miserable cruelty” (38). Furthermore, I enjoyed how Jane’s reasoning for these remarks, telling the truth, painted Jane as a very honest person.
Over time, Jane matures significantly. A large influence in Jane’s progression is her character foil, Helen Burns. Both quiet orphans with an affinity for intellectual gain, Helen Burns and Jane are very similar. However, Helen is significantly less passionate about her treatment and is more receptive to blows upon her honor. Helen is thus more mature, complains less, and is better suited for life at Lowood.
However, Jane is perceptive and learns a lot from her conversations with Helen. In Chapter 7, Jane acknowledges their differences:
Taking the advice of my sister, I settled on Jane Eyre. For the most part, she eased my worries— calling it “fantastic” and her “favorite book.”
So…
Welcome to this literary blog on Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre!
Going into Jane Eyre, I knew little about what I should expect. “Fantastic” had set the bar for enjoyment very high and similarly, Google’s description as a “bildungsroman” had set the bar for niche vocabulary to an extreme.
A bildungsroman is a coming of age novel. As this genre implied, thus far Jane Eyre has been mainly character driven. I have seen the titular character Jane develop from age 10 to 18.
Gateshead
She begins the novel as an abused orphan in the care of the inhabitants of Gateshead. Jane’s benefactors — the living members of the Reed family: Mrs. Reed, John, Georgiana, and Eliza — resent her presence and only keep her due to Mrs. Reed’s obligation to uphold her dead husband’s final wishes.Jane implies that she takes the blows wielded by the Reeds silently. She is “accustomed to John Reed’s abuse” and “never had an idea of replying to it” (12). However, less than a page later, I was surprised to learn that Jane Eyre is not a martyr. While she is later unfairly given the blame for the fight, I was shocked to see her verbally retaliate to John and get into a brawl. Originally, I was under the impression that Jane would be a powerless child, wholly innocent and a very stereotypical victim. Before this altercation, Jane gave me strong Harry Potter vibes. She ticked all the major boxes: Orphaned pre-teen child; abusive un-loving relationship with an aunt and/or uncle; seemingly more intellectual, thin (less greedy), and quiet than the other children of the house.
However, thus far I prefer Jane Eyre to the Harry Potter series. Although writing style is the most major and obvious reason, I think Jane is also a preferable protagonist. She is more relatable because she acts in her own self-interest, while simultaneously enduring her adverse circumstances. Jane is more passionate, strong-willed, and angsty. While Harry has virtually zero hobbies or interests, Jane spends the first pages of her narrative introducing herself as an avid reader.
Jane’s most impactful act of defiance occurs when she is finally ready to leave Gateshead for school. I liked how Jane had enough confidence to call out Mrs. Reed for being a terrible benefactress, saying “the very thought of [Mrs. Reed] makes [her] sick, and that [Mrs. Reed] treated [her] with miserable cruelty” (38). Furthermore, I enjoyed how Jane’s reasoning for these remarks, telling the truth, painted Jane as a very honest person.
Lowood
Jane’s honesty is seemingly important to her honor. While she moves from Gateshead to Lowood (a not-so-charitable charity school for young women), she retains her values of intellect, honor, and honesty. In her first year at school, she seeks out friends who similarly value books and continues to be torn up over issues of shame and honesty.Over time, Jane matures significantly. A large influence in Jane’s progression is her character foil, Helen Burns. Both quiet orphans with an affinity for intellectual gain, Helen Burns and Jane are very similar. However, Helen is significantly less passionate about her treatment and is more receptive to blows upon her honor. Helen is thus more mature, complains less, and is better suited for life at Lowood.
However, Jane is perceptive and learns a lot from her conversations with Helen. In Chapter 7, Jane acknowledges their differences:
Jane states, “It seems disgraceful to be flogged, and sent to stand in the middle of a room full of people; and you are such a great girl: I am far younger than you, and I could not bear it.”
To which Helen replies, “ yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what is your fate to be required to bear” (58).
Although I have not yet deciphered Bronte’s overarching messages about societal expectations on women, I can tell that Helen and Jane contrast each other's adherence to social duties. In this encounter, Jane is less mature (and acknowledges it) and more focused on upholding her own honor. As Jane reveres Helen’s “greatness”, although she can’t yet “comprehend this doctrine of endurance” (58), Jane learns to follow Helen’s example.
This passage foreshadows a future event in which Jane demonstrates a large character development. When Mr. Brocklehurt returns to Lowood and questions Jane’s honor by revealing her believed terrible nature, Jane is forced to face what she cannot bear: standing in shame in the middle of the room. I believe it is here where she transitions from shame to understanding.
Importantly, after 8 years, Jane outgrows the school. I think this shows that Jane’s character has matured beyond the lessons of childhood and is now about to learn about what it means to be a woman in real society. I appreciate that it is Jane that seeks to leave Lowood because her initiative makes her an inspiring role model.
I am intrigued to see what her role at Thornfield will be. Unfortunately, I don’t feel as if I know very much about it yet. All I can tell is that Lowood appears to have prepared her well for her role as a governess thus far. Her knowledge of proper French has helped her and she gets along pleasantly with Mrs. Fairfax and Adele Varens.
I hope to get to her eventual relations with Mr. Rochester very soon, who has not yet been fully introduced. I am curious to see what the shortcomings of Jane’s unconventional childhood will be. She has yet to have a long lasting positive male relationship (as her doctor hardly counts) so I will be interested to see if this is where she falls short.
To which Helen replies, “ yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what is your fate to be required to bear” (58).
Although I have not yet deciphered Bronte’s overarching messages about societal expectations on women, I can tell that Helen and Jane contrast each other's adherence to social duties. In this encounter, Jane is less mature (and acknowledges it) and more focused on upholding her own honor. As Jane reveres Helen’s “greatness”, although she can’t yet “comprehend this doctrine of endurance” (58), Jane learns to follow Helen’s example.
This passage foreshadows a future event in which Jane demonstrates a large character development. When Mr. Brocklehurt returns to Lowood and questions Jane’s honor by revealing her believed terrible nature, Jane is forced to face what she cannot bear: standing in shame in the middle of the room. I believe it is here where she transitions from shame to understanding.
“What sensations were, no language can describe; but, just as they all rose, stifling my breath and constricting my throat, a girl came up and passed me: in passing, she lifted her eyes. What a strange light inspired them! What an extraordinary sensation that ray sent through me! How the new feeling bore me up!” - Bronte, 69In this moment, Jane begins to find comfort in her own suffering, for she knows that bearing it strongly is something to be proud of. For Jane, this feeling is only momentary, as she cries that she is “a girl whom everybody believes to be a liar” (70). However, I still think that this step began the development of Jane’s improvement. After this event, Jane begins to mature much more rapidly. Unfortunately, Helen meets an untimely death from consumption but Jane grows to fill her role as a leader at the school.
Importantly, after 8 years, Jane outgrows the school. I think this shows that Jane’s character has matured beyond the lessons of childhood and is now about to learn about what it means to be a woman in real society. I appreciate that it is Jane that seeks to leave Lowood because her initiative makes her an inspiring role model.
I am intrigued to see what her role at Thornfield will be. Unfortunately, I don’t feel as if I know very much about it yet. All I can tell is that Lowood appears to have prepared her well for her role as a governess thus far. Her knowledge of proper French has helped her and she gets along pleasantly with Mrs. Fairfax and Adele Varens.
I hope to get to her eventual relations with Mr. Rochester very soon, who has not yet been fully introduced. I am curious to see what the shortcomings of Jane’s unconventional childhood will be. She has yet to have a long lasting positive male relationship (as her doctor hardly counts) so I will be interested to see if this is where she falls short.
Works Cited
Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York, Vintage Classics, a division of Random House, 2009.
Short, Stuart N. Charlotte Brontë. Flickr, www.flickr.com/photos/summonedbyfells/8109336290. Accessed 17 Feb. 2021.
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