Free Essays on Jane Eyre

Use Your Senses to Make Sense of Jane Eyre In her novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte establishes the reader with a first-hand account of a woman’s triumph over hardships. The character of Jane Eyre is passionate and hungry for equality as an individual. She does, however, lack the most superficial yet very necessary qualities of femininity. Jane is frank and sincere but lacks in personal vanity. Bronte describes Jane as â€Å"small and plain and Quaker-like.† Jane Eyre is a young woman who is completely unprotected by social position. She has no family and is without power or independent wealth. What she lacks in femininity she makes up for with passion and appetite. Throughout the novel, Jane faces many hardships that test her integrity and spirit. In the opening scenes with her aunt, for example Jane shows her true feelings: â€Å"People think you a good woman, but you are bad; hard-hearted. You are deceitful!† and â€Å"I am glad you are no relative of mine; I will never call you aunt again so long as I live. I will never come to see you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say that the very thought of you makes me sick.† (30) In the novel, this series of excited outbursts by Jane surprises the reader. This is a blunt and skeptical little girl who can already see through the hypocrisy of her self-righteous elder. Bronte also projects Jane with rebellious undercurrents. As Jane speaks to the reader candidly, as a friend would, suddenly a few sentences later she refutes what she has just established. This leads the reader on a thought provoking journey always wondering if what seems to be actually is. The novel begins with a blunt statement: â€Å"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. The shrubbery is leafless; the winter sky overcast.† The reader should not jump to the conclusion that Jane fe... Free Essays on Jane Eyre Free Essays on Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontà « portrays the story of a young woman named Jane Eyre in the book Jane Eyre. The title character has a very tough life with many struggles to overcome. In her childhood, she was mistreated and abused by her aunt and cousins, at Gateshead Manor, after her uncle died, and she also lived an impoverished life in a school called Lowood Institution, a type of charity school for girls. After she is grown, she leaves Lowood to become a governess at a place called Thornfield Hall. She falls in love with her employer, but finds out that she cannot marry him. Jane’s parents died when she was young. She can’t even remember them. She lived with her uncle and his family; but when her uncle died, her aunt did not want to care for her. She was little better than a servant. One day her cousin, John Reed, starts teasing her that she is an orphan and that she is only able to live with the Reed’s because of his mother’s charity. He then threw a book at her head, and Jane erupted. â€Å"The volume was flung, it hit me, and I fell, striking my head against the door and cutting it. The cut bled, the pain was sharp: my terror had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded.† (Chapter 1) They got into a fight, which Jane was blamed and punished for. â€Å" ‘Take her away to the red-room, and lock her in there.’ Four hands were immediately laid upon me, and I was borne upstairs.† (Chapter 1) In this first part of the book, Jane shows herself to be strong-minded. Even though all is blamed on her, she tries to help herself, albeit she knows there is no hope. Soon after this incident, Jane is sent to a charity school for girls, called Lowood Institution. At this school there are many deprivations. They have little food, poor sewing utensils, and they have to live very humble lives. The cruel master of Lowood, Mr. Brocklehurst, would not allow the girls at the school to have any luxuries. They couldn’t be in any... Free Essays on Jane Eyre The Progression of Jane What does it mean to be grownup? Throughout her childhood Jane strives toward this elusive plane which she won’t ever reach! Jane Eyre is a passionate work of English literature. Set in the nineteenth century, Charlotte Bronte writes of a girl’s continuous journey through life in search of acceptance and inner strength. Each of the physical journeys made by Jane Eyre have a significant effect on her emotions and cause her to grow and change into the woman she finally becomes. Her experiences at Lowood School, Thornfield Hall, Moor house, and Ferndean correspond with each stage of Jane’s quest and development from an immature child to an intelligent and sophisticated woman. Ten-year-old Jane, orphaned by the death of her parents and uncle, led a discontented life under the care of her aunt, Mrs. Reed. Jane learned at an early age that she would have to strive for everything she wanted. Due to the harsh treatment she was subject to by both her aunt and cousins. Jane also had severe outbursts of retaliation, which resulted in her departure from Gateshead and enrollment at Lowood School. At Lowood, Jane met Helen Burns, a girl who becomes Jane’s friend. With her tender, real qualities, Helen preached to Jane the importance of patience and fortitude. Because of Helen’s Christian lessons of endurance, and forgiveness, Jane accepted her situation at Lowood and made progress in both her studies and her character. Jane admits, â€Å"(she) would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations for Gateshead and its daily luxuries† (75). She became an attentive student gaining the respect of her teachers, which pleased Jane and ga ve her a bit of self-confidence. Jane decided to broaden her horizon after eight years of both attending and teaching at Lowood School. Jane remarks, "A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play..."(94). She finally finds some direction in her l... Free Essays on Jane Eyre The above piece on Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre sparks an idea that may not be formed upon an initial read of the novel. Many readers agree that the character of Jane Eyre was abused by her aunt, Sarah Reed and her children, Jane’s cousins. The passage above entails an encounter with Jane and her spoiled rotten cousin, John Reed. One might argue that Jane Eyre was an abused and neglected child, however, upon closer review, it also could be said that Jane was anything but a â€Å"typical† abused child. She scoffed at her cousin’s taunting of her, â€Å"musing† his ugly appearance. Although he did mistreat her, she fought back with every bit of strength that she had. Would a â€Å"typical† abused child fight back this way? The thought is doubtful. An abused child typically becomes withdrawn and subservient. This is definitely not the road that Jane took in dealing with her â€Å"abuse.† Charlotte Bronte’s portrayal of Jane does i mply that Jane was in an abusive situation. However, Jane stood up and decided she would learn how to â€Å"endure the blow† rather than let it get her down. These early pages of the novel truly set a precedent for how bad things that happen to Jane simply make her stronger. The idea of Jane Eyre’s abuse as a child in her aunt’s home is therefore romanticized in the novel. Romanticism in this case is Jane creating the drama leading up to the encounter with John Reed and also in it’s aftermath. Even after Jane is locked away in the red room, Bessie and Miss Abbott agree that Jane is an â€Å"underhand little thing,† and that they had â€Å"never saw a girl of her age with so much cover.† Once again the idea arises, would an abused child react this way? The abuse certainly existed at some level. However, Jane shocks everyone in the house with her failure to make herself â€Å"agreeable.† It seems that the reason John Reed is so angered by Jane time and time again is because he senses that she is ready to f... Free Essays on Jane Eyre Jane Eyre By: Charlotte Bronte Characters: Jane Eyre: She is the main character of this story. She struggles as she tries to grow up in a family that despises her and treats her as they would a slave. She develops her own sense of independence at this time, which is later a major factor in her life. She falls in love with Mr. Rochester against her own will. She wants to be his equal-not dependent on him. Mr. Rochester: The character that receives the inheritance of Thornfield Hall. He never lives at home because he has a past there that he would rather forget. He is often traveling in England and France. He is rich and handsome and he is a lot more affectionate than men really are (as he is created by a woman). Plot: Jane works as a governess for Mr. Rochester’s supposed daughter. Mr. Rochester is never at the residence because he likes to travel. When Jane finally meets Mr. Rochester she despises him at first, then softens and begins to love him for the exact reasons she hated him in the beginning. He is a wealthy man who is frivolous whereas Jane is frugal. This creates a clash between the two. Every night strange instances happen. Like people’s beds lighting on fire and laughter proceeding it. No one knows who causes this and why it happens. Mr. Rochester has a party at his hall and the guests stay for a month. He gets engaged to one of the rich, beautiful women, and Jane is disturbed by this. She has found that she loves him but cannot convey her feelings to him because she works for him as a governess and does not see herself in a position where she should. One night they are walking in the garden and Mr. Rochester asks Jane to marry him. She thinks he is mocking her, until he confesses that he has loved her for a long time and only became engaged to this other chick because he wanted to see her reaction and wondered if she would love him back. A wedding date is set and they are at the chapel to get married. ... Free Essays on Jane Eyre In what way might Jane Eyre be considered a feminist novel? What points does the novel make about the treatment and position of women in Victorian society? With particular attention to the book’s treatment of marriage, is there any way in which it might be considered anti-feminist? Jane Eyre is a Feminist Novel In the novel Jane Eyre, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the tone of Jane Eyre is in fact a feminist novel. With strength and integrity, Jane is able to break free from the role that the rest of the society has put her in. But is it likely that such event ever took place? Could this really be accepted in a Victorian society? The power and integrity that Jane manages to obtain throughout the novel, was very unusual at this time period. Women’s were to clean, cook, take care of the kids, and satisfy her husband in various ways. A woman like Jane was to be put back in her place; were she belonged. The book reflects the unfairness in the Victorian society, but also how the women always have been discriminated throughout history, and even today. When it comes to marriage, Jane is absolutely clear; she is unwilling to accept love without marriage, and the other way around. They can’t be separated. This was quite rare at a time, were arranged marriages were the most common thing, and were love was not the main part of it. Money and honour were more important than love. Another remark that can be made about marriage is that when Jane finally marries Rochester, she announces it with pride as â€Å"I married him†, and not â€Å"he married me†. This is another example of her own independence. It is hard to say that this book is anti-feminist, unless you believe that the author is being sarcastic. Jane is full of life, and no one can change the fact that she has her own will. Instead, you might consider this book to be propaganda for a women upraise against a society that is ruled by men, created by men, a... Free Essays on Jane Eyre Use Your Senses to Make Sense of Jane Eyre In her novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte establishes the reader with a first-hand account of a woman’s triumph over hardships. The character of Jane Eyre is passionate and hungry for equality as an individual. She does, however, lack the most superficial yet very necessary qualities of femininity. Jane is frank and sincere but lacks in personal vanity. Bronte describes Jane as â€Å"small and plain and Quaker-like.† Jane Eyre is a young woman who is completely unprotected by social position. She has no family and is without power or independent wealth. What she lacks in femininity she makes up for with passion and appetite. Throughout the novel, Jane faces many hardships that test her integrity and spirit. In the opening scenes with her aunt, for example Jane shows her true feelings: â€Å"People think you a good woman, but you are bad; hard-hearted. You are deceitful!† and â€Å"I am glad you are no relative of mine; I will never call you aunt again so long as I live. I will never come to see you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say that the very thought of you makes me sick.† (30) In the novel, this series of excited outbursts by Jane surprises the reader. This is a blunt and skeptical little girl who can already see through the hypocrisy of her self-righteous elder. Bronte also projects Jane with rebellious undercurrents. As Jane speaks to the reader candidly, as a friend would, suddenly a few sentences later she refutes what she has just established. This leads the reader on a thought provoking journey always wondering if what seems to be actually is. The novel begins with a blunt statement: â€Å"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. The shrubbery is leafless; the winter sky overcast.† The reader should not jump to the conclusion that Jane fe... Free Essays on Jane Eyre Jane Eyre By: Charlotte Bronte Published By: Signet Classics No. of pages: 461 England-17th Century Characters: Jane Eyre: She is the main character of this story. She struggles as she tries to grow up in a family that despises her and treats her as they would a slave. She develops her own sense of independence at this time, which is later a major factor in her life. She falls in love with Mr. Rochester against her own will. She wants to be his equal-not dependent on him. Mr. Rochester: The character that receives the inheritance of Thornfield Hall. He never lives at home because he has a past there that he would rather forget. He is often traveling in England and France. He is rich and handsome and he is a lot more affectionate than men really are (as he is created by a woman). Plot: Jane works as a governess for Mr. Rochester’s supposed daughter. Mr. Rochester is never at the residence because he likes to travel. When Jane finally meets Mr. Rochester she despises him at first, then softens and begins to love him for the exact reasons she hated him in the beginning. He is a wealthy man who is frivolous whereas Jane is frugal. This creates a clash between the two. Every night strange instances happen. Like people’s beds lighting on fire and laughter proceeding it. No one knows who causes this and why it happens. Mr. Rochester has a party at his hall and the guests stay for a month. He gets engaged to one of the rich, beautiful women, and Jane is disturbed by this. She has found that she loves him but cannot convey her feelings to him because she works for him as a governess and does not see herself in a position where she should. One night they are walking in the garden and Mr. Rochester asks Jane to marry him. She thinks he is mocking her, until he confesses that he has loved her for a long time and only became engaged to this other chick because he wanted to see her reaction and wondered if she would love him bac...