Jane Eyre Free Essays

string(220) " Her treatment towards Jane is proclaimed through the text â€Å"Missis was rather too hard† which denotes that even Bessie finds Mrs Reed’s treatment towards Jane extremely inconsiderate and inappropriate\." In this essay I will be exploring how Charlotte Bronte conveys hardships in her portrayal of life. Furthermore the issue of life in Victorian England and what Victorian readers may think of the treatment of children will also be looked upon. Many of the hardships that children face are shown through the several descriptions and the actions of characters that are close to Jane. We will write a custom essay sample on Jane Eyre or any similar topic only for you Order Now Throughout the text we learn that the novel explores the lack of rights and mistreatment of an orphan by her rich relatives. The issues of child abuse are often considered between the Reed family. In the novel the portrayal of the reed children seems to interfere with Jane’s life. The author emphasises them to be unfriendly and unkind to Jane as she is an adopted sister. They are shown as being immoral and haughty. They like to abuse Jane because they feel she is inferior. Their feelings of superiority towards Jane are what cause them to intimidate and torment Jane. The depiction of John Reed shows him to be a bully and unaffectionate: â€Å"John had not much affection for his mother or sisters† which indicates ungratefulness from John towards the rest of his family. Bronte tries to characterize him as a murderer. The quotation â€Å"I really saw in him a tyrant: a murderer† shows Jane’s feelings towards John; that he is ruthless and bloodthirsty. This is so that the audience can realise how and what Jane feels about her unintelligent cousin. The portrayal of Georgina differs greatly from that of John. A â€Å"spoiled tempered† brat at the mere stage of childhood is the interpretation of Georgina. She is shown as being spiteful through the quote â€Å"acrid spite† and is additionally perceived to be arrogant which is publicized by the extract â€Å"insolent carriage†. These extracts indicate to us that despite the lack of violence that Georgina contributes towards Jane, Jane still dislikes Georgina. Other attributes of Georgina are her â€Å"pink cheeks† and â€Å"golden curls†. These underline features of Georgina that Jane likes, and could possibly be implying that she herself may want to develop the attributes of beauty seen within Georgina, as Jane may not be self confident of her own image. Eliza is pictorised as being â€Å"Eliza who was headstrong and selfish was respected† indicating the personality of Eliza. Eliza is also depicted as being quick-witted. There is no evident quote however by reading between the lines we can obtain this from the passage â€Å"Eliza just put her head in at the door, and said at once: â€Å"She is in the window-seat to be sure Jack. † Bronte dictates Jane’s feelings so the audience are conscious of how and what Jane feels. Mrs Reed is another character of the novel. The way she treats Jane differs greatly from her own children’s treatment. As the responsible adult of the household she is a role model for all the children, however her behaviour is not only damaging Jane, it is also harming her own children. Jane’s harsh treatment from all the family is what causes her to be isolated and unsociable. She treats her children with respect, care and love. We can accumulate this information from the text â€Å"Eliza, John and Georgina were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room: she lay reclined on the sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her (for the time neither quarrelling nor crying) looking perfectly happy. † On the other hand her treatment towards Jane is cruel, unjust and inconsiderate. The quotation â€Å"she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contended, happy little children. † Shows us how immensely the treatment of Jane fluctuates from her cousins. Mrs Reed also treats Jane with unsympathetic punishment. For example when John Reed and Jane had a brawl, Jane was the one who was punished regardless of the fact that John began it. This is when Jane is sent to the red room; â€Å"Take her away into the red-room, and lock her in there† this indicates unfairness from Mrs Reed towards Jane as instead of John being reprimanded she is chastising Jane. All in all Mrs Reeds actions affect Jane in the worst ways possible. This is because as being the adult and landlord of the house she must control the actions of herself and others, however she does not do this for Jane’s benefit therefore Jane is affected drastically. Not only do the actions of one adult articulate the way someone is treated but it is the way a certain group treats someone. In this case there are just three other adults in Jane’s life that either treat her moderately or dishonestly. Abbot is loyal towards her mistress, Mrs Reed, and treats Jane the way Mrs Reed would treat her. The quotation â€Å"No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep. † indicates that despite Jane is a member of the Reed family she is not treated to be as one by both the children and Abbot. Mr Lloyd is an â€Å"apothecary† who is treating Jane the day after her encounter with, what she recalled as being, a spirit. We learn that Jane is happy in Mr Lloyd’s presence as he is a stranger to the occupants of Gateshead and due to this she is protected in his attendance. We can attain this from the quotation â€Å"I felt an inexpressible relief, a soothing conviction of protection and security, when I knew that there was a stranger in the room, an individual not belonging to Gateshead, and not related to Mrs. Reed. † this indicates that Jane is elated as in the presence of a stranger as she will not be physically abused. This in effect proclaims that Jane has a predominant fear of the Reed’s especially Mrs Reed and John Reed. Bessie is manifested as someone who has a love for Jane to some extent as her opinion on Jane changes after the occurrence in the Red Room. However, when Jane misbehaves she handles her appropriately. Her treatment towards Jane is proclaimed through the text â€Å"Missis was rather too hard† which denotes that even Bessie finds Mrs Reed’s treatment towards Jane extremely inconsiderate and inappropriate. You read "Jane Eyre" in category "Papers" On the other hand she treats Jane appropriately when Jane misbehaves or is blamed such as the incident after the fight; â€Å"If you don’t sit still, you must be tied down,† which corroborates that Bessie is a fair person and is un-opinionated person towards Jane. Bronte also creates various moods to help the spectators appreciate Jane’s situation. The weather is related to the mood that Jane will elaborate on in the following and upcoming paragraphs. We can notify this from the quote â€Å"the cold winter had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. † This depicts the darkness, and darkness is usually related with evil and the presence of something terrible about to happen. The weather is like this on the day of Jane’s fight with John Reed and the mood at the beginning of the chapter spawns suspense to some degree. Furthermore, the situation of the Reed accommodation is upon the heath. This shows isolation as there is nothing surrounding the house but grass and other greenery. It, in some ways, relates to Jane as she is isolated in the Reed household. Everyone is opposing her and no one is there to offer her help with the circumstances she is facing such as reciprocated abuse. Charlotte Bronte makes Jane’s fears pragmatic through the dialogue and the description of the Red room. The quotation â€Å"the carpet was red; the table at the foot of the bed was covered with a crimson cloth;† depicts the colour of the room; red, hence the name â€Å"The Red Room†. Jane describes the Red room as being â€Å"one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion. † She also describes some furniture such as â€Å"a bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask,† Bronte does this so that reader gets an insight of the Red rooms features. The author starts to build up suspense by introducing that â€Å"Mr. Reed had been dead nine years: it was in this chamber he breathed his last:† which at once has a dramatic impact on the reader. It brings about the idea of the room being red. Red habitually relates to blood and the demise of Mr Reed enhances the flavour. Jane’s fears are then brought to life through the text â€Å"and the strange little figure stood there gazing at me, with a white face and arms speckling the gloom,† this makes us sense a palpable atmosphere of mystery and the supernatural activities. This is somewhat retrospective of the death of Mr Reed and the connection of Red with blood, as now there is a traditional scheme of a ghost dwelling in the room of someone’s bereavement. As Jane wakes up we notice that within the next few lines Jane’s mood changes rapidly. At first she calm and collective, while she reflects on herself for example; â€Å"All said I was wicked, and perhaps I might be so:† but then after conceiving another paranormal vision her mood turns to anxious and petrified. The segments â€Å"My heart beat thick, my head grew hot† and â€Å"I rushed to the door and shook the door in desperate effort† expose Jane’s fears as she is attempting to escape the room as her vision panics her. Bronte also exemplifies school life in her novel. In this she illustrates the daily hardships that young orphan children face. In this chapter we recognise that Jane isn’t the only child being neglected. She uses Helen Burns as an example of the destitutions facing children. For example the fragment â€Å"the teacher instantly and sharply inflicted on her neck a dozen strokes with the bunch of twigs. † Which acquaints us that Jane isn’t the lone child suffering. She also depicts the teacher to be inconsiderate and inequitable. For instance â€Å"Burns: her memory seemed to have retained the substance of the whole lesson, and she was ready with answers on every point. I kept expecting Miss Scatcherd would praise her attention† this demonstrates inequality and impoliteness from the teacher towards the pupil. There is also a poor quality of life for the residents of Lowood such as â€Å"the water was frozen† and â€Å"Breakfast time came at last, and this morning the porridge was not burnt; the quality was eatable, the quantity small; how small my portion seemed! I wish it had been doubled† this implies that the children are being malnourished. The schools are also cold which we can obtain from the text â€Å"I felt ready to perish with cold. and overcrowded; â€Å"in the course of the day I was enrolled a member of the fourth class,† this all indicates that school life for children was unimaginably pitiless and spiteful and living conditions were criticisable. All in all, throughout the first three chapters, we ascertain that life in Victorian England was appalling especially for orphan children. The poor had to work to earn a living, however, for the rich it was a walk in the park. Regardless of the fact that people had not to accept someone, they did although only for the sake of their reputation. This is what the Reed family did and accommodated Jane. However by doing so they may not comprehend the anguish they are presenting the adopted child. We also learn that school life for children in Victorian England was a disregard towards them as they were disrespected and ignored. The living conditions for children in the schools were abysmal as there were a number of students in one class and they were all emaciated. This may make Victorian readers think that the treatment of children was, to an intensity, immensely astringent, horrendous and unreasonable. It may also make them think about how they treated their children and whether they had mentally and physically destroyed their child’s emotions by means of neglection. Bronte may have done this so that she could express her life to the public. She used her experiences in the Evangelical school and as governess to publish â€Å"Jane Eyre†. Also her experience at the Clergy Daughter’s School, which she left due to harsh conditions, could be another reason. Overall her lifetime experiences are the reasons for her to publish this novel. How to cite Jane Eyre, Papers Jane Eyre Free Essays In the novel Jane Eyre, charlotte Bronte displays the different stages of maturity an individual goes through from childhood to when they become an adult. Bronte shows this idea of maturity clearly in Jane Eyre character. Jane Eyre is a dynamic character as throughout the novel she changes her decisions and ideas according to the situations she faces. We will write a custom essay sample on Jane Eyre or any similar topic only for you Order Now Jane’s action and decision making in the novel demonstrates the growth in her maturity from a rude wilful child to an ambitious young lady and how she struggles to overcome the class and social conflicts at each stage of her life as moves from Gateshead to Lowood and finally to Thronfield.In the opening section of Gateshead, Jane is seen as rude, aggressive wilful child. Jane feels insure as she does not have a family of her own which means that she is isolated both in terms of class and social status. Jane was totally depended on her aunt who is not happy to have Jane with her. Jane’s aunt not only made Jane feel bad by mentioning that her father had no class but also kept her children away from Jane which isolated Jane socially. Jane’s aunts regular insulting of Jane made Jane hate her more. Therefore Jane collected the courage to tell her aunt â€Å"I am glad you are no relation of mine.I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. / I will say that the very thought of you made me sick and that you treated me with miserable cruelty† (36). This shows the very immaturity of Jane as later in the novel when her aunt is in her dead bed and Jane visits her Jane says â€Å"I had once vowed that I will never call her aunt again: I thought it no sin to forget and break the vow now†(230). Jane is willing to forget what her aunt did to her which shows that Jane did in fact mature as time passed. Jane’s character in Gateshead is also not static as she is rude, mean and fights her cousin.However when Jane is with Bessie she tends to be more calm which means that a positive influence of elders does have an effect on a child’s character. Jane’s change in character is first seen in this section of the novel as she comes to Lowood from Gateshead Jane becomes more quiet and in a way comfortable with the surroundings because she knows that all the girls with her are in the same situation as her in terms of class, social and personal isolation. The interaction between Jane and Helen burns has an effect on Jan e’s character.Maturity in Jane’s character is seen when she meets Helen burns who herself is not very happy but still has a positive attitude towards the people and her surroundings in Lowood. In Lowood Jane totally transforms from an aggressive child to a powerless girl. â€Å"there was I, then mounted aloft: I, who had said I could not bear the shame of standing on my natural feet in the middle of the room, was now exposed to general view on a pedestal of infamy†(67). Jane is helpless she knows that her aggressiveness wont work here she cannot choose to do anything but to stand there embarrassed.However if her aunt had done something like that to her then she would have probably fought back for her rights which means that Jane had learned to control her anger which was the indication of her maturity into a young lady. By the end of lowood many changes can be seen in Jane’s character as she becomes more responsible and applies for a governess job at Thornfield which means that she would not be depended on anyone in terms of economy. In Thornfield Jane’s character keep switching from one position to another as she faces the different situations.When s he meets Rochester and falls in love with him during this whole time Jane keeps debating with herself whether Rochester will fall in love with her or not as his class status cannot be compared to hers. He is rich and well known by everyone but she just a governess who has no money, no family and has no where to go. Jane feels insecure in terms of economic status as the fact that Rochester is offering her gifts and telling her that he will keep her happy by providing her all the things that she needs or desires.Jane also changes her position when it comes to the society; she tries to stay away from being in social gatherings. She does not want to go to the party that is organised by Rochester and had invited many people. But Mrs. Fairfax tells her that Rochester insists on her going to the party and also later Mrs. Fairfax gives the idea that â€Å"just let Mr. Rochester see you are there and then slip away no body will notice you†(169). Mrs. Fairfax telling Jane to â€Å"slip away† shows that Jane was not that important either for anyone to notice her presence and absence in the party.When Rochester proposes for marriage Jane totally forgets about the concerns of the class and social differences between her and Rochester but Mrs. Fairfax reminds her of her class â€Å"try and keep Mr Rochester at a distance: distrust yourself as well as him. Gentlemen in his stations are not accustomed to marr y their governesses† (265). This shows that even Mrs. Fairfax did not want Jane to be with Rochester which brings out the whole ideas of first Jane being concerned about the class differences between her and Rochester now Mrs. Fairfax is. We see a major growth in Jane’s character when she finds out that Rochester is already married.Even after what happens Rochester is still wants Jane to be with him but not as him wife but as his mistress. Jane realizes that listening to Rochester and living with him as his mistress would mean that she is not only giving in to passion but also causing the end of her independence. Therefore Jane decides to leave Rochester â€Å"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Preconceived opinions, forgone determination, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot† (317). ane`s rejection of Rochester’s offer shows the maturity of Jane into a fine young lady with dignity and who is not willing to give in to passion and sacrifice her independence. Jane changes her position in terms of class, economic and social isolation. She keeps on changing her attitude towards everything and everyone when it comes to her economy and her social status in the society. â€Å" Jane Eyre repeatedly shifts positions with class discourse, not in order to move towards a final class but in response to economic independence, social exclusion, personal isolation and other circumstances†(Bossche, 47).From Gateshead section until Thornfield Jane is concerned about her class and social status in the society which brings out the mature character of Jane from a rude wilful child toa humble ambitious young lady who makes the right decisions at the right time in the right situation.WORK CITED Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. 1847. Ed. Margarate Smith. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000. Bossche, Chris R. Vanden. What did Jane Eyre do? Ideology, Agency, Class, and the Novel. The Ohio state university, 2005. Maturity in Jane Eyre’s character Wagma Rashid English 111A Dr. Alison Rukhavina How to cite Jane Eyre, Papers Jane Eyre Free Essays Charlotte Bronte was born 2 April 1861, third of the six children of Patrick Bronte and Maria Branwell Bronte. In all her childhood was a sad one. Her mother died in 1821, with her absence, she and two of her older sisters were sent to a school. We will write a custom essay sample on Jane Eyre or any similar topic only for you Order Now Conditions there were bad, even for the standard of the time. It was not long before both her sisters became ill and were sent home, where they both dies in the spring of 1825. Proceeding this her father brought her and another sister who had recently joined back home, but through her description of Jane’s school it is obvious that she never forgot. Charlotte married for a very brief period at the end of her life. Her father had forbidden it but she married anyway. This proves that she knew love, unlike many people of her time she was not forced in to her marriage because of money or convenience. This is something that she was very much against, or so we can infer from her writing, refusing to marry St John because she was still in love with Rochester. But, throughout the book we find that there are very few times when she receives the love she gives. In what might be argued the most important relationship in the book, Jane’s love to Rochester goes unrequited. When Mr Rochester is able bodied he was always â€Å"arrogant† and â€Å"proud†. He played with Jane a lot. In the first proposal, leading her to believe that he was to marry Blanche Ingram â€Å"’Mr Rochester is to be married? ’ ‘Yes; and to the beautiful Miss Ingrm. ’†. He was very cruel to her. Inconsiderate, especially because he doesn’t let Jane know that it is in fact her who he would be marring. He must know that she loves him but he continued anyway. His actions were cruel and, because he knew how it would hurt her, so were his intentions. Not only did he not let her know whom he was marring but he was also already married. A betrayal on both sides if he did marry Jane, all that time he was in full knowledge that what he was doing was wrong and would ultimately upset Jane. It shows that he was careless and inconsiderate with Jane’s heart. One reason he might have done this is the times. Men and women were not considered equals. He, as many other men of the time would have seen a wife as a possession to be obtained. He did not love Jane but merely that he â€Å"wants a wife†. When they meet again after there long time of separation Jane tells him of St John he is â€Å"envious†, â€Å"because your heart is not with me: it is with this cousin-this St John†. Of course it could be possible that he is upset because he believes that Jane loved him, but it seems that that is not an intellectual answer as Jane rejected St John to come after Rochester. The more apparent answer would be that he was jealous of St Johns possession over her. Especially evident because he proposes immediately afterwards, insuring his ownership over her. It is plain that it is Jane’s purity makes her attractive to Rochester, and St John, rather than her character. This purity is represented throughout the book in many ways: She has not gone against her morals; She is unspoilt by riches, humbled by poverty, yet she has not become brutish from that poverty, she holds elegance. After their separation he talks for a while about his time without Jane. He says, â€Å"I want a wife†. This is telling us that he wants a wife, not necessarily Jane, but just the feeling of possession over a woman. As a strong willed man of the time he would want a wife, if only out of pride. He would feel undermined as a man if he weren’t married. Another point is she calls him â€Å"master†; this could be taken as a formality, because he is her employer but it looks more likely that Bronte would write only to give more proof that it is the ownership that was forefront in their relationship. A crippled man such as him would want a young and able woman to look over him through his troubles. The second time he proposes to her he asks â€Å"A poor man you will have to lead about by the hand? . It is clear that it is Bronte, not Rochester speaking at this point. Bronte asks, for the audience and too the audience, both Jane’s and Rochester’s motives. Why does Jane want to marry him? We, as the audience, know that it is because she loves him. Of course it can be argued that Jane herself has other motives, such as money â€Å"he was respectable, with much wealth†. However, because the book is written in first person we believe that she can’t hide anything from us. We are lead to believe that she loves him, †Jane, will you marry me? ’ ‘Yes†. As well as mentioning, â€Å"money† and his â€Å"crippled body†, he mentions their â€Å"twenty year† age difference. All these seem to have no device but to show us how these things are important to him and forefront in his mind. They could be means to show he is unsure weather she deserves him, but if he was really so worried he would surely refuse to marry her, accepting only her help. But why would age and beauty be so important to him if it wasn’t because he wouldn’t love her otherwise? He both recognises and associates Jane with these, which, incidentally make Jane more pure. Evidently they are important to him because he wouldn’t want Jane without them, therefore loving her only for her purity. Mr Rochester had the chance to marry another more beautiful girl Blanche Ingram who is much prettier than Jane â€Å"She was greatly admired†. In fact Jane is not that pretty at all, she was a plain servant when he met her. This could mean that he always loved Jane, but it dose not prove what for. This might show that he didn’t love her for her looks, instead, maybe, for her attention towards him. He recognises that Jane, being poorer and less accustomed to riches would give him more attention and need less herself. Rochester himself seems to be greedy, â€Å"arrogant† and uncaring towards others. He plays with Jane, taunting her, and never gives much attention to other people. The one person he does dote over was Blanche, and we find later that this was just to spite both Ingram and Jane. So it is easy to come to the deduction that he was never completely in love with Jane, attracted mostly by her looks, age, willingness to help him and purity of soul, all of which he was without. How to cite Jane Eyre, Essay examples