Analysis of the Character of Jane Eyre.doc

Analysis of the Character of Jane EyreI. IntroductionAmong the distinguished English novelists of the 19th century ware several women. These gifted women of the l9th century had such contributions to the development of the English novel that they justifiably won their places in the front ranks of the brilliant realists including the Bronte sisters who ware all talented and all dying young.Jane Eyre is Charlotte Brontes most successful and popular novel, which was published in 1847. The appearance of the novel took London by storm and brought Charlotte instant fame，though she used her penname. She opposed social norms in her novel and challenged the conventionalists of the time period, when Victorian women were submissive. In the first place, she had an intimate knowledge of her subject matter. In the second place, she had her simple but unparalleled descriptive powers. Actually, Charlotte Bronte did more than merely desoription. She literally makes you taste and smell. The writer presents the readers a new feminine image that was pursuing her ideals constantly. Bronte however delineates her heroin as a head strong, independent, opinionated, and rebellious woman. It was unique in Victorian fiction, and it is，by general consent, a powerful and fascinating story, in which the author, Charlotte Bronte poured too much of her own experience and deep feelings, such as the life at Lowood school and the life as a governess. The novel evolves mainly around the love story of Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. It opens with little Jane as a despised orphan, who was passed into the care of her uncles widow, Mrs. Reed, a harsh and unsympathetic woman who together with her two daughters and son treated Jane cruelly. There she tolerated ten years of neglect and abuse. Being rebellious against her cousin, John, poor Jane was packed off to a charity boarding-school at a tender age of ten, where she stood the harsh disciplines with special vigor. Jane stayed there for eight years, and suffered a lot but she also set herself to learn, qualified herself as a teacher, advertised for a post and was employed as governess of the illegitimate French daughter of Rochester in his country mansion Thornfield. A love relationship develops between Jane and Rochester. Janes resolute and free spirit, her soul of fire, brings from the dominant Rochester a proposal of marriage. But at the very later the wedding ceremony was interrupted, for Rochester is discovered to have a wife-a raving maniac locked in a house at Thornfield. Too proud and independent to be just a mistress to Rochester, Jane, in shock and grief, leaves Thornfield quietly, wandering far away, heart-broken, Penniless and starving. She is rescued by the Rivers family and urged to marry the rigid St. John Rivers on Gods sake to undertake missionary task at his side. As she was about to consent, she pondered, for she heard Rochesters voice crying her name resound in her ears. She refused Johns proposal and returned to Thornfield, only to find the ruin of the blackened mansion, which had been destroyed by a big fire started by the mad wife. In a secluded country house nearby Jane found Rochester, blind and lonely. They married and found happiness together. Ever since it was published, there have appeared a lot of people studying the novel and its author, Charlotte Bronte. Those studies have much information: on one hand, some people praise the authors criticism of the system of education, the English county squires, the position of women in society and the marriage system of the capital to these people. Jane Eyre is a novel, forceful，fresh, unique and true. On the other hand, there are also many people who raised so much cnticism about the novel and its author. Charlotte presents us a common story about love affairs, which is not exceptional compared with other literary works, but its charm attracts us to read it from the beginning to the end attentively. When you finish it, you will have to admit that Jane Eyre is a Great person through her attitude towards love, her opinion about education her distinct character, its causes and effects and Janes progress as a Christian. Janes story inspires females in the modern times to contemplate their situation and seek for the correct ways of selt-reliance and self-liberation.II. Jane Eyres PersonalityA. Janes Independence1. At Gateshead The struggle begins for the despised, outcast, unprotected child at Reeds. She bravely stand up for her rights and fights for the life of success she deserves. At this stage Janes instinct for self-assertion can only express itself in rebellion. An orphan since early childhood, Jane Eyre has no parents or friends, no wealth or possession, misunderstood mistreated by the relatives she does have. All alone in the world, she seems doomed to a life of failure. The cruel treatment she receive from her Aunt Reed and her cousins only exacerbates her feeling of alienation, and deepens her determination of rebellion. She realizes that she will never find a true sense of home or community and feels the need for belonging, to find “kin,” or at least “kindred spirits.” And the “red-room” life only deepens her courage in resisting her aunts unfair punishment, which foreshadows Janes independence or rebelliousness. The poor experience at Gateshead tempers her equally intense need for autonomy and freedom. The Reed family is a demonstration of Janes power to overcome the circumstance. The dramatic presentation of Janes struggle at Gateshead demonstrates that she begins to realize its not necessary to fear authority. 2. At Lowood Jane continues to be socially ostracized, financially trapped, and excluded from love; her sense of independence and her freedom of self-expression are constantly threatened. The cruel treatment from Mr. Brockle hurst and the poor condition there only inspire Jane to gain independence. Helen Burns martylike attitude toward the schools miseries is helpful to Jane. She learns from Helen the ability of endurance. Though Helen suffers from shame and anger when punished, she does try to endure her punishment socially. But Helens death makes Jane angrily believe her own words once more “strike back very hard, resist in justice, return dislike to dislike” (Smith 41). That is the typical rebellious. Its hard for people to imagine or believe that such a short, plain and weak girl contains a never yielding soul and feelings as warm as raging flames not only because of the bad conditions but the indifferent human relationships there. At Lowood, Janes independence rises to a higher level. She learns to he self-restrained from Helen and she find the way to be independent from Miss Temple. In fact, Miss Temple and Helen are in some sense mothers for Jane. From Miss Temple, the girl learns to achieve more humorous thoughts. Her way of confronting the world is still the Promethean way of fiery rebellion, nor miss Temples way of ladylike repression, nor Helens way of sanity renunciation. She learns from her two teachers at least superficially to compromise.3. At Thornfield Hall As a governess, Jane gains financial independence so that she can support herself. Jane now has a social as well as a personal position. Moreover, Janes vision enlarges and goes farther on the way to be independent. When Jane feels deeply attached to Mr. Rochester, she clearly realizes that there is an impossible chasm between them. Mr. Rochester, born of a notable family, is part of upper class while Jane herself, sprinted from low extraction, is just an ordinary governess not more than a servant. However, she does not lose heart and withdraw or even belittle herself. Jane acknowledges her inward feelings before Mr. Rochester. She conducts herself in this battle for love with a great disparity in social status; Jane attaches importance to friendship and frankness but not Mr. Rochesters countless property and his celebrated family status. Jane was not willing to give up her independence and equality to Rochester. When Mr. Rochester proposes to her, Jane accepts because Jane fells Mr. Rochester regarded her at equal levels. But just on the wedding day, Mr. Mason cries out that Rochester already has a wife. Angering at Mr. Rochesters deed, Jane speaks out these words angrily: “Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am automation, a machine without feeling, and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water?” (Marian Allotte 193) At this time, her feeling of preserving independence becomes obvious. She just wants to preserve her self-respect by scarifying her marriage. 4. At Moor House The flight from Thornfield following the interrupted marriage ceremony marks the turning point of Jane, and she undergoes a trial on the moors, which brings her face to face with the real meaning of the personal worth and independence. At Moor House, Jane enjoys economic independence and engages in worthwhile and useful work, she finds work as a schoolmistress, and does some real good to her pupils. But she lacks emotional sustenance. Although St. John proposes marriage, Jane knows their marriage will remain loveless. He admires Jane because she was self-respecting and diligent. St. John offers Jane another kind of freedom: the freedom to act unreservedly on her principles. He opens to Jane the possibility of exercising her talents fully by working and living with him in India. Jane eventually realizes, though, that this freedom will also constitute a form of imprisonment, because she will be forced to keep her true feelings and her true passions always in check. She defaces what she want is real and equal, not as his worthy too. Once again Jane shows her courage in preserving her independence. Nonetheless, the events of Janes staying at Moor House are necessary tests of Janes autonomy. Only after proving her self-sufficiency to herself can she marry Rochester and not be asymmetrically dependent upon him as her “master”. The marriage can be one between equals. B. Janes Rebellious Spirit In Gateshead, she fights against the evil Reeds, by denouncing her cousin Johns indignity in her direct way: Wicked and cruel boy! You are like a murderer-you are like a slave driver-you are like the Roman emperors” (Smith PS). These innocent words are just the true portrayal of Janes rebellious character. Janes characteristic charm and value is embodied here for the first time. Then verb confusion the next-Mrs. Reed, the cold-blooded aunt, who consider herself Janes benefactor. When they quarrel, Jane cuts her down to size, declaring aloud what she thinks of the woman: I am not deceitful: If I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you, the worst of anybody in the world except John” (Smith 30). It is hard to imagine or believe that so plain, so weak a little girl contains soul never to yield and feelings warm as raging flames. If in Gateshead Jane resists only her aunts family, then in Lowood the resist objects has expended into a wider environment and range. Janes rebellious spirit is inspired once more. When Helen Burns is punished by the cruel teacher, she advises Jane to believe in God, sayingthe bible tells us to do well, even if other people hurt us. Sometimes you have to put up with some misfortunes in life”(Smith 46). Jane can not adopt her ideas. She also can not quite believe that heaven existed. Instead she says to Helen: When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard: I am sure we should so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again (Smith 51). I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persisting in disliking them. I must resist those who punish me unjustly” (Smith 51). In the novel, the author does not present us Janes concrete rebellious actions against the education system, but we can see the poor living condition through Janes eyes. In the fiercely freezing cold winter days, the little children have to spend an hour outside every day. We have no boots or gloves，and my hands and feet ached badly. We were growing children, and needed more food than was provided.” The school required punished her body to save her soul. Helen Burns and Jane were the victims of such a principle. As Helen was punished, Jane hates the cruelty and inhumanity of the school and teacher. The hatred became more and more furious. When she was publicly display as ass ugly example of evil. Feeling of shame and anger boiled up inside her，but as she felt she could not bear it any longer, Helen Burns appeared and calmed her. When all the others left there, Jane no longer felt strong or calmed began to cry bitterly. While reading here, miserable feeling came to my body and soul, I seemed to have seen the poor little girls lonely appearance, I seemed to have heard her bitterly crying. The crying expressed all the girls, like Jane, sued for the cruel education system. It was Janes silent but powerful rebellion. In Thornfield, this completely unfamiliar place, Jane still retains her rebellious spirit all along. In Janes age, there is the strict and unfair marriage system that requires that marriage should be based on social status, and the position of woman in society was very low. For many common girls born in poor families, the only way of getting out of poverty was to marry well-marry the men of celebrated families, with wealth and noticeable social status. Just as many young girls did, Jane dreamed for beautiful and sweet love. Later, she fell in love with Rochester, who was wealthy and had higher status. At that time, such love aroused many criticisms, for many people thought it was shameful. However, Jane dared to break through the traditional prejudice and spanned the difference of social groups in status, regardless of all the social criticism. Such kind of actions itself showed the rebellious aspect of Janes character. Twists and turns of love between Jane and Rochester produce a large space to open up Janes character fully. When Jane felt deeply attached to Mr. Rochester, she clearly realized that there was an impassable chasm between them. Mr. Rochester, born of notable family, is part of upper class while Jane herself, sprinted from low extraction, is just an ordinary governess not more than a servant. However, she didnt lose heart and withdraw or even belittle herself. Jane acknowledged her inward feelings before Mr. Rochester. She conducted herself in this battle for love with a great disparity in socialstatus; Jane attached importance to friendly and frank but not Mr. Rochesters countless property and his celebrated family status. She felt satisfaction because Mr. Rochester regarded her as an equal level and she despised Miss Ingram who courted Mr. Rochester just for fame and fortune. That tally with her rebellious spirit. It is also not surprising that when Jane misunderstood that Mr. Rochester planned to marry Ingram and wanted her to stay at Thornfield, Jane spoke out these words angrily: Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton, a machine without feeling, 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! We stood at Gods feet equal as we are!” (Smith 245)This paragraph, I think, is one of the most wonderful parts of the novel. It was also Janes declaration to defend her dignity and ask for equality. She had passionate feelings but she never forgot equality. It was in accordance with her rebellious spirit. Janes high demand for equality is just to fight with the social unjust treatment and traditional marriage system. She took the view that love signified the identity of revolutionary ideals, the unanimity of common wills; it doesnt mean the equivalent of material benefits, or deference to money.To this step，the object Jane resist had become a tradition, a system. In following chapters, Janes rebellious spirit is lasting to Jane, the appearance of the raving maniac-Mr. Rochesters wife is undoubtedly a blot from the blue, but also stimulated her rebellious spirit. She can accept the fact that Mr. Rochester once married but she could not forgive his conceal and cheat, because that put her in an unequal situation. It is impossible for Jane to stay as a governess as before. To defend her dignity and up hold the solemnity legality and purity of marriage, Jane left Lover resolutely and determinedly in spite of Rochesters countless implores. Janes indomitable fights not only win Rochesters respect and true love but also gain the high praise from millions of readers. Here, Janes rebellious spirit has developed to the top.Then she come the last stage-St. Johns house. Jane Eyre refuse Johns proposal because she didnt love him and he didnt love her. 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” (Smith 400). Jane now is fighting against not only St. John but also an ostensible Christian duty-to be a priests wife to serve God. So she once puzzled for the object she resisted was in relation to sacred God. Fortunately, Rochesters calls draw her back and impelled her to make up her mind to refuse St. John. Life is great if you dont weaken. Jane Eyre finally insists at the last moment depending on her born rebellious spirit.C. Jane Eyres Pursuit of Liberty and Equality In order to lead a life of independence, Jane works as a governess at Thornfield Hall. She is looked down upon by