Home is intangible. It is not a house, but rather, a state of mind. Home is a sense of belonging, and Jane, the protagonist of the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, struggles to find her home. Jane seeks to gain independence and self-realization which ultimately lead her “home”. Jane’s harsh childhood and complicated relationships cause her a loss of identity and self esteem, which she desires to rediscover in the revelation of her home. In order to find her home, Jane embarks on a journey of self-worth. Jane suffers through a childhood filled with hardship, abandonment, and severe authority figures. This lack of empathy from her relatives causes Jane’s independence to deteriorate. Jane seeks to gain a sense of stability after living a …show more content…
Jane doubts herself and her self-worth, “Why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always accused, for ever condemned? Why could I never please? Why was it useless to try to win anyone’s favor?” (Bronte 36). Jane questioned her own perseverance. She began to question the meaning of her own life, brimming with adversity. Thus, Jane establishes her strength due to these particular hardships. Gao explains the impact of Jane’s youth on her development, “She learns how to live from her childhood environment. Also, just from her growing experiences, it creates her strong personality, beautiful ideal, and wisdom.” Gao explains that Jane’s childhood has a significant impact on her person. Jane’s ability to undergo an atrocious youth allowed her to gain her tenacity. Though she does question herself, ultimately, Jane pursues her own individuality and self-respect. Jane’s pursuit complicates itself when she encounters Mr. …show more content…
Rochester. Mr. Rochester asserts his dominance upon Jane, “‘Miss Eyre, I beg your pardon. The fact 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’” (Bronte 332). Namely, Jane has once again become the inferior. Jane recognizes their difference in class, finances, and age, but she once again refuses to accept that the two are not equals. Jane perseveres once more in gaining her self-worth. Though Rochester attempts to claim superiority, Jane rebels against this oppression, “‘Do you think that 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!’” Bronte (628). Jane has found herself. She has identified her self-worth and her individualism. She denies the inequality of the Victorian Era and sees value in her own identity. Penner describes this defining moment saying, “This heroine’s rebellion against her oppressors marks the beginning of her individualism, her desire for self-possession and expression.” Jane’s confidence allows her to identify her equality with her oppressors. This foundation of Jane’s self-possession allows Jane to understand that she can finally find her
Ultimately, as a woman, she is a limited agent and can only do so much indecently. Jane breaks off from the domestic sphere to which she is confined
Although Jane displays qualities which lead us to believing that she is becoming more independent, her hysteria causes us to see a lack of agency within her character. Ultimately, her hysteria causes her to return to the domestic sphere, which can be critiqued by analyst Carmel L. Morse. Towards the end of the story, Jane makes the decision to call her father and ask for his help: " But, which is to the point, she got to the telephone and called up her father in the city" (57). By relying on the male figure for help, this is an act of agency.
Jane’s freedom has been taken away and she is confined in the
In fact, Jane has learned quite a bit through positive influences such as her best friend, Helen Burns and Mr. Rochester. Not only have they helped her become more introspective, but assisted her in flourishing as a person. It is crucial to have someone with an alternate perspective, who will ensure that you don’t lose your way. Helen was genuinely a great influence on Jane and taught her to seek out the best in people. While Helen assists Jane in correcting her pessimism and negative attitude, she does not do so in a harmful manner but, instead, encourages Jane, telling her that she is “too impulsive, too vehement” and that there is so much more to the world than meets the eye (99).
In the passage from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Brontë uses self-centered diction, extended metaphor, and details about society to demonstrate that although Jane experiences jealousy towards Mr. Rochester’s relationship with Blanche Ingram, she understands the importance of having high social status due to societal standards. At the beginning of the excerpt, the egotistic diction reveals the unlikable traits of Blanche Ingram. Jane thinks that Blanche’s “rank” and “qualifications” are what made her seem charming to Mr. Rochester, and she describes Blanche as “privileged” and says she “smiles so lavishly.” Jane believes that the only reason Mr. Rochester and Blanche are going to get married is due to the high social status of Blanche’s family. The word choice gives a negative
During her painful years there, she develops a rebellious and passionate mentality. It wasn’t until Jane turns eighteen that she learns of her counterpart, Bertha, who represents
When Jane meets Helen at Lowood school, Jane is amazed and confused at Helen’s ability to tolerate the abuse directed at her by the teachers. Both Helen and Jane struggle at the school however, Helen and Jane endure the mistreatment from the teachers individually. “I heard her with wonder: I could not comprehend this doctrine of endurance” (Brontë 6). Jane refuses to conform to the teachers complaints, her free
Jane dislocates herself from the society of her family, one that in a perfect world is every kid’s closest society. Jane’s dislocation results from a ¨lousy childhood¨ filled with a ¨booze hound running around the house naked, with Jane around¨ as a step dad (Salinger 32). Jane lives in the unfair situation where she grows up in an unstable home, and it alienates her from her family. Holden tells how Jane never spoke of her family situation, and that shows how she tried to isolate herself from the family and think about the situation as little as possible. Jane is alienated from her family, but she chooses to do it and feels it is best for her.
Bronte utilizes contrasting social statuses and degrading language to highlight the differing power and attitudes between the social classes, and the implications that power has on relationships. Rochester’s use of power is presented by repetitively projecting his wealth and social status onto those who are not
In the novel we follow the protagonist, a young Victorian woman who struggles to overcome the oppressive patriarchal society in which she is entrapped. It is a story of enclosure and escape, from the imprisonment of her childhood to the possible entrapment of her daunting marriage. Throughout the novel Jane must fight against her inevitable future that society has already chosen for her. We see her attempt to overcome the confinements of her given gender, background and status. She must prove her worth against the men she encounters throughout her life, showing her equality in intelligence and strength.
Rochester was a major influence on Jane as this was a critical time she was maturing, yet she did not let him get in the way of her work. The work that was expected of her what always her top priority, Rochester was her second. “I believe he is of mine;—I am sure he is,—I feel akin to him,—I understand the language of his countenance and movements: though rank and wealth sever us widely, I have something in my brain and heart, in my blood and nerves, that assimilates me mentally to him” (Bronte 266). The relationship between Rochester and Jane was undeniable.
Before Rochester, and his influence, Jane had been accustomed to men in power such as John Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst. Their influences on Jane were more negative as they tore Jane down instead of putting her up. These figures allowed the arrival of a seemingly encouraging, kind, and adoring man such as Rochester to be a shock to Jane when she was first employed at Thornfeild. This stems Janes biggest growth from Rochester, the bettering of her self-esteem. Due to Rochester’s exaggerative language he constantly teaches her the value of her self-worth and her beauty.
Jane experiences adversity throughout her life to the extent that she must become independent despite her desire for connection. During her childhood at Gateshead, Jane is excluded from her family as evident in the high modality language, “[Mrs Reed]...really must exclude me.” This emotional abuse makes Jane more resilient and contributes to her independence at Lowood.
First, Jane Eyre’s attributes displays women in our society who are still in search for meaning and love in their lives. Just like Jane’s spirit of passion despite abuse, these women continue to search for respect from other
The titular Jane in Jane Eyre struggles to free herself from the power of others to achieve independence throughout the course of the book. As a child, she fights against unjust authority figures, and as an adult, she spurs multiple unequal marriage proposals. Bronte, through Jane asserts that a woman should be independent from others. When Jane was young, she tried to free and defend herself from unjust authority figures. When Jane 's aunt unfairly confines Jane to the Red Room, Jane launches into a verbal diatribe against her aunt.