1. Jane
Eyre is the quintessential coming-of-age-tale, deeply impacted by social
class and status; however, gender plays an integral role in this text. Analyze
Jane's transformation--additionally, discuss your thoughts regarding the ending
of the novel. Does Jane "sell-out" or does she maintain her
integrity?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a wonderful novel that acts as a memoir for Jane as she grows up in some unfortunate situations. In the beginning Jane is staying with her ugly-hearted aunt, Mrs. Reed. She is picked on by her cousins and everyone in the house seems to despise her presence, especially her only male cousin, John. John is the favorite of the house mostly because of his gender and the fact that he is the oldest sibling. His superiority is first seen when he throws a book at Jane and injures her quite severely, but because John can do no wrong, Jane is punished for the incident. She is put in a room where she must stay, by herself, for the rest of the day. Male superiority continues after Jane has left her Aunt’s house to go to school. There she must strive for the approval of the owner of the school, Mr. Brocklehurst. This is hard to come by because when she first met this man he was speaking to her aunt about how Jane was a demon and must be turned in to a good Christian girl. And, being a man of the church, Mr. Brocklehurst took Jane to his school to try and exorcise the demon out of her. Jane eventually rose to his challenge and became the best in her class and continued to teach at the school. After she leaves the school Jane becomes a governess, and then stumbles upon a few of her long lost cousins. She obtains a significant fortune from her Uncle, and her cousin, St. John, asks for her hand in marriage. Thus, she enters in to another situation where male superiority is at play. St. John says that he wants Jane to accompany him to India but he must first marry her because that is what’s right. He cannot bring her as a companion because that would look wrong in the eyes of the members of the church. Therefore, a woman cannot be just a companion because she is too tempting to a man. Jane refuses this offer and goes back to her true love and master, Mr. Rochester. Some could argue that Jane sold herself out by choosing the route she chose, but I do not think she did. Jane knew that she truly loved Mr. Rochester and she would not have been happy with St. John. Also, it seemed like her Christian duty to help a friend in need. Mr. Rochester was blind and had only one hand, he needed her help. Also he was devastated after she left in the first place, so her coming back gave him more of a reason to live. Thus, by choosing her true love Jane conquered Male superiority and maintained her integrity.
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DeleteI agree. Jane always had a superior male above her, but did not let that get in the way of her agenda and what she wanted to accomplish. She knew what she truly wanted and just because she went back to Mr. Rochester does not mean she gave into temptation and male superiority.
DeleteWhile I agree with you for the most part, I think that Jane did not help Mr. Rochester so much out of Christian Duty but instead out of her love for him specifically; if she were completely dedicated to her Christian duty, she would have been more likely to take St. John up on his offer. This distinction demonstrates that Jane makes her own decisions, and does not merely do what others want her to do, as was common with women of the time.
DeleteI believe that Jane did help Mr. Rochester out of her love for him but she justified it by thinking of it as her christian duty. If she hadn't justified it she would have continually felt bad about leaving St. John.
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ReplyDeleteJane Eyre grew up in an unfortunate situation. She was raised by her Aunt Reed who wanted nothing to do with her. She was seen as unintelligent and dependent because her parents were both dead and poor. The Reed children did not like Jane either. The oldest, John, would harass and physically abuse her, which would be the first sign of male superiority in her life. Jane was given no chance to create her own reputation, until she went to Lowood. She was still oppressed by Mr. Brocklehurst, but now she has an opportunity to prove her worth. Even though Mr. Brocklehurst tells the teachers and students that Jane is a villain her confidence grows. Jane does not let Mr. Brocklehurst oppress her and to prove that she stands on the ignominious stool and does not give Mr. Brocklehurst the satisfaction crying, with the help of Helen Burns. Jane became more and more independent as she teaches at Lowood and then becomes a governess at the Rochester residence. Although she has an obvious attraction to her master, Mr. Rochester, she does not allow him to command her to do anything in her personal life. Even as a relationship blooms Jane does not let Mr. Rochester spoil her with expensive jewelry and gifts. After Jane left Rochester she displayed that she was not tempted and would rather have her integrity than material things. She, however, did become dependent on her cousins for some time because she was sick and met the new superior figure in her life, Mr. St John. Even after Jane discovers she inherited a great deal of money and rose to higher social status she still was being backed into a corner by St John. He wanted her to become a missionary and go with him to India, but she would have to marry him. Jane does not succumb to his offer, even if he says she is not carrying out her duty to God. Jane knows what she wants and returns to the crippled Mr. Rochester. Jane came back on her own terms, which exemplifies her strong, independent nature as a person. She does not need his money, but only his love. Mr. Rochester actually depends more on Jane as his master because he only has one hand and cannot see. Just because Jane agreed to marry Mr. Rochester does not mean she "sold out." She maintained her integrity and stayed true to herself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. While I at first thought Jane leaving Rochester was dramatic and unnecessary, I later realized that if she were to stay and live with him, whether as a mistress or otherwise, she would completely lose her agency and break her own moral code. She needed to be on equal footing to Mr. Rochester, not someone below him.
DeleteThis is a very good point. It takes a while for her to find herself, but once she does, she never lets anyone, male or female, even the love of her life, get in the way of her set of standards to which she holds herself.
DeleteI agree that Jane stayed true to herself even though she married Mr. Rochester. I also think your point about her not letting Mr. Rochester spoil her was good. I hadn't thought of that and I believe that was her own way of controlling the situation.
DeleteHow would Jane's life have been different if she never stood up for herself from the very beginning and from then on? Would she have been able to make it this far and met people like Rochester and St. John if she had "sold out"?
DeleteThroughout the eponymous novel, the protagonist, Jane Eyre, transcends the constraints of her society. After her parents untimely deaths, Jane was a poor orphan. Although she was taken in by her wealthy aunt, Mrs. Reed, Jane was never treated equal to Reed’s own children. She was often ridiculed and taunted, even abused at times, by her cousins. From there, she was sent to a boarding school for other girls without parents or wealth like herself. Both as a woman and a poor person, Jane was treated as a second-class citizen for the whole of her adolescence. However, Jane does receive an education and teaching experience while at Lowood. She then rises on the social ladder, by transitioning from a poor, uneducated child to a governess. Governesses, in the Victorian era, occupied a peculiar place on the rungs of social classes. They were part of the working class, but they were responsible for the upbringing of the children of the wealthy, which gave them a degree societal power and respect above the common worker. Furthermore, as a governess, a job that allows the worker to support themselves and be relatively independent, Jane no longer owed herself to an institution that required her to “fit in” with everyone else. Without rules and teachers judging her (or, later on, her superiors or coworkers), Jane did not have to repress her emotions or herself, which gained her the freedom to be herself in addition to financial freedom. At Thornfield, Jane is clearly in a subservient position to her “master,” Mr. Rochester due to her her age, gender, and social class. When she leaves Thornfield, she briefly loses all of her success on the social ladder and becomes destitute, begging for food and shelter. However, while living with Mary, Diana, and St. John Rivers, she learns that she is their cousin and has been bequeathed a great fortune. In one fell swoop, she gains a family and great wealth. Now, she is no longer anybody’s inferior in regards to social classes. She chose to return to Mr. Rochester of her own volition, because of her love for him, not because he has power over her. On her return back to Thornfield, she found out that Rochester has been blinded during a fire. When she returns to him, she truly returns as someone equal to him, if not slightly more able than him. The previous roles are now swapped: now Jane is the one Mr. Rochester must rely on. On the surface, everything appears perfect. Jane is no longer indebted to anyone; she is responsible for herself and can care after the man she loves. However, I do believe Jane has “sold out” slightly. Jane, after accomplishing so much with her life, chose to retire away to take care of Rochester, which is a subservient position in and of itself, without her newfound family. The novel ends in quite an underwhelming fashion, with Jane as the typical mother figure, and Rochester’s manhood slightly restored, as he regained some of his vision. Jane Eyre struggled through so many hardships throughout life, and she had many goals and aspirations unusual for women in this time period; I just wished she had done more with her life than choosing to stay and babysit Rochester, an older man whose relationship with her I never particularly liked anyway. In conclusion, while Jane kept her integrity, I do believe she could have chosen a more fulfilling path of life rather than staying with Mr. Rochester.
ReplyDeleteIn leaving Mr. Rochester, she attains greater independence in two ways: 1. she proves that she is able to make her own decisions, and she does not hinge upon what her "superiors" tell her to do, and 2. she is able to become financially independent and attain her own family in the Rivers. After her time with the rivers, she is fully independent and does not need any material items from anyone. After this point, anything she seeks out is something beyond material items. True, she could have done more than just stay with Mr. Rochester, but as an independent person, she made her own choice to stay with him. Therefore, in coming back to Mr. Rochester, she is able to maintain her independence without truly selling out.
DeleteThroughout the novel Jane changes a tremendous amount. Once she met Mr. Rochester it changed what she wanted because she was in love with him. She kept her morals, goals and made her own decisions, but wanted to be part of his life. I do not think that means she "sold out." It was clear that is how she felt, especially when she was given the opportunity to marry and be a missionary with Mr. St. John.
DeleteJane Eyre undoubtedly lived in a society where women were seen as an elevated version of the help, if that: women were expected to stick to their sphere of domestic life, taking up hobbies like embroidering and playing the piano if they were fortunate, and cooking and cleaning if they were not. Above all, they were dependents; their success was frequently limited to that of their husbands or family. As a young girl, John Reed made it clear that Jane was in no position to expect privileges: “You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mamma says; you have no money; your father left you none’ you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mamma’s expense” (Bronte 4). While John Reed is correct in saying that Jane was a dependent, he is unable to see that Jane could grow to become an independent woman. As Jane grows older, she grows to become more independent than anyone could have imagined, effectively overcoming the gender norms of the time, creating her own success by means of hard work. Jane makes her own decisions and learns to lead herself; the reader is able to follow her as she grows progressively more independent. She takes a step towards independence as she teaches at Lowood, and then more so as she puts out her own advertisement to be a governess. She makes her own decisions, and refuses to yield to what a man tells her if she thinks differently, as exemplified in her leaving Mr. Rochester. She leaves Thornfield with next to nothing: no help, little money, and few possessions. Later, with some help from Mary, Diana, and St. John, she is able to kick start the town’s new school and continues to make difficult decisions by herself as she turns St. John’s offer down and goes off to find Mr. Rochester. As she returns to Thornfield to find Mr. Rochester, she is not selling out; on the contrary, she is proving her own ability to make hard decisions, again rising above her society’s image of what a young woman should be.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you about Jane being an individual and having the agency to choose for herself, but the novel still does have somewhat of a bittersweet ending for me as, while Jane is financially free and independent of others, she still ends the novel fulfilling the gender roles which she originally resisted and subverted. She is in the typical position for a woman, which is as a mother and wife. She gained so much freedom and sought out unique experiences on her own during her journey, but her end destination is no different from any other woman that stuck to convention Victorian values.
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ReplyDeleteWe can all agree that Jane was unfortunate in her beginning circumstances. Jane started the novel as a naïve young girl, who did not know how to handle her emotions or thoughts. Her low status in the society did not teach her the manners and qualities associated with poise and eloquence. Nevertheless, Jane’s Lowood education simmered down her vivacious personality, yet, it never truly left her. In the beginning of the novel, Jane was a mistreated child who had no guidance of what society expected of a young girl, she only saw through her cousins the girl she could never be: pretty, fair, and innocent. Also, due to her societal status her gender did not matter. In the working class, there were small windows for women to act how women are “supposed” to act in the Victorian society; women were too busy working to survive to care about what the gender norms were. This instability of working-class gender roles caused the male and female spheres in the higher classes to have a sharp division, so as to maintain traditional gender norms. Jane was able to breakthrough from the class barrier when she became a governess. As Emily Freed said earlier, the governesses exhibit an crucial influence and power upon the middle-class children; thus, Jane is rising up in Victorian society. In Esther Godfrey’s “‘Jane Eyre’, from Governess to Girl Bride”, Godfrey describes how for Victorians there was a threat to gender stability from the governesses. Not only could the governess contaminate the children with androgynous gender notions and ambiguous class ideals, but also sexually awaken the middle-class men. Godfrey said the governesses were, “feminine and yet they were not feminine; they were sexual objects and gender subjects; they occupied a place simultaneously within and outside middle-class society.” (Godfrey 859) Jane could fulfil the desire of Rochester’s middle-class male stereotype because she was not tied down to gender norms or sexual restrictions, as are middle-class wives and daughters. Furthermore, the romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester can be depicted in Carl Jung’s Electra Complex. Mr. Rochester could easily be Jane’s father (which is mentioned throughout the novel), and since Jane grew up without a father figure she can fulfill this need of a father figure in Mr. Rochester. This theory can be seen evidently when Rochester rejoices in his conquest of a younger wife and calls Jane a “girl bride”. Even though, according to Godfrey, Jane wanted to fulfill this oedipal attraction she had to leave Thornfield when she found out about Rochester’s marriage to Bertha Mason. Jane did not want to compromise her integrity and her hard work in the class struggle for a dishonest man.
ReplyDeleteLater, in the story she returned to Rochester because she realized that she truly loved him; in doing so, she maintained her integrity and loyalty to herself and her loved ones. She transformed into a woman of status and power, she was rich. She broke through the barriers that society had put up, because she knew that her true love was Mr. Rochester and no one could fill the void he left, not even St. John Rivers, who was only 29. As Mr. Rochester said himself, “it appeared to me so absolutely rational that I should be considered free to love and be loved.” (Brontë 295) Therefore, Jane tore through the barriers of societal pressure, past horrors, and gender norms so they can honor their hearts and souls and rekindle the love they had. Whether it was an oedipal attraction or actual love, Jane did not sell-out for what society had planned for her.
Jane Eyre, throughout the novel, is portrayed as a strong-willed, autonomous woman. Unfortunately for her, she was an orphan and was left to the devices of her wealthy, but insufferable aunt, Mrs. Reed, and her less than kind children. Because of this, Jane was brought up in an environment of perpetual negativity and cruelty. Jane was constantly a victim of their torment and was made to feel insignificant in a society that already tended to make women feel small. Jane’s cousin, John Reed, served as an example of gender roles in the Victorian society. John was given much more freedom than Jane and faced no consequences for his foul actions; he bullied, and even abused Jane incessantly, yet his mother would only chastise Jane, whom she hated from the start. This behavior on behalf of Mrs. Reed was very confusing for Jane because it put John’s male ego above a sense of morality and fairness. When kicked out of her aunt’s house and shipped off to Lowood, Jane was given the opportunity to make something of herself, to take that spirit and passion she had and harness it into something magnificent. But still, there were domineering male figures in her life, Mr. Brocklehurst this time around, who humiliated her and tried to make her feel weak and worthless. Jane simply could not escape the overwhelming grip of male supremacy. Jane, however, still took advantage of the opportunity before her, and unlike many women of the time, Jane had an education and was intelligent. Jane then decided that after several years at Lowood, both as a student and a teacher, she would like to continue her journey independently outside of the establishment. However, her means of escape were limited by the career opportunities she had as a woman. Despite having a great background and quick mind, she could only become a governess. After sometime as Mr. Rochester’s governess, she showed the ultimate demonstration of her strength and individualism. Despite loving him dearly and nearly becoming his wife, she makes the conscious decision to remove herself from a negative situation after discovering Mr. Rochester was hiding his mad wife in their very own household. Jane made herself the number one priority, which was quite rare for a woman of the time, who was so often seen as an obedient servant for her children and more so, her husband. Jane was fiercely independent and took it upon herself to find new opportunities and have a fresh start. Although she spent some time begging and living in destitution, she found her place among her long-lost cousins, and eventually came across a fortune of her own. Personally, I feel that her choice in the end to return to Mr. Rochester was not selling out. In life everyone has their own goals and things they wish to achieve; as you grow, these goals can change and evolve, but that’s only natural. Although she may have initially aspired to more than being a wife and mother, that does not make her ultimate choice any less significant. She made the choice for herself and by herself, without any influence. She knew in her heart that being with Mr. Rochester was what would make her happy; choosing to be happy doesn’t make her a sellout. Also, just because her final choice happened to align more so with what society would have expected from a young woman such as Jane, it does not take away from the fact that she thought through her decision and came to it of her own accord. She stayed true to herself in the sense that she did what she desired rather than succumbing to the wishes of others.
ReplyDeleteEven from a young age, Jane Eyre was always a girl who did whatever she wanted to do. Despite what Mrs. Reed thought, though, she was not a bad child. Jane’s actions as a young girl were definitely overstated and exaggerated by Mrs. Reed to fit her own distaste for the child; for Jane only ever acted as any child would: testing boundaries, being naturally inquisitive, and learning to detest being talked down to. There was nothing particularly bad about Jane that would set her apart from other children her age, yet she is harassed by a grown woman who has a personal vendetta against her. Considering this, one would think Jane grew to be a hateful and submissive towards the whole world, but Jane is able to overcome the odds and develop into a strong-minded and independent woman who ultimately does what she wants and thinks is best. Through the combination of exposure to harsh experiences from an early age and schooling at Lowood, Jane becomes the woman who finds her own place in life without relying too heavily on others. She is independent enough to leave her safe life with Mr. Rochester, but she is not too independent to accept help, as she does with the Rivers. It is astounding that Jane has the level-head and self awareness to be able to make the very careful distinction when it comes to independence, for it is what sets Jane apart from other people altogether, male or female, and it is an admirable trait to possess. Looking at where she comes from, an ugly misbehaved orphan sent away to the strictest boarding school so as to not bother her aunt, it seems like a miracle that she could have survived so well. Even though the fortune that Jane comes to at the end of the novel is not the result of her efforts, she shares most of it with her cousins. Coming from a deprived background, Jane did not allow greed to overtake her, and looked at her fortune with the same level head which compelled her to leave Mr. Rochester. In the end, it is this same level head that brings her back to Mr. Rochester. When Jane’s entire life is sorted out, when she has all the money she’ll ever need and the family she’s always wanted, she still feels herself lacking. She realizes that, after all the time that had passed, she still misses Mr. Rochester. She knows definitely that he is what she wants, so she goes to him. This is not “selling out” since it was not as if Jane, on a whim, decided that she wanted to be with this man. It was not as if Jane had just met him and was giving up her long-term happiness for the sake of instant gratification. By the end of the novel, she has already experienced life with and without him. It is not absurd for her to decide that she enjoys life much more with Mr. Rochester than without him. She uses the same assessing skills and logical thinking to allow her to choose the least conventional path, and this does not by any means undermine her integrity. If anything, it elevates it, for it further demonstrates just how independent and free thinking Jane can be; she chooses love because it is what she wants, and she is not afraid to go after what she wants.
ReplyDeleteEven from a young age, Jane Eyre was always a girl who did whatever she wanted to do. Despite what Mrs. Reed thought, though, she was not a bad child. Jane’s actions as a young girl were definitely overstated and exaggerated by Mrs. Reed to fit her own distaste for the child; for Jane only ever acted as any child would: testing boundaries, being naturally inquisitive, and learning to detest being talked down to. There was nothing particularly bad about Jane that would set her apart from other children her age, yet she is harassed by a grown woman who has a personal vendetta against her. Considering this, one would think Jane grew to be a hateful and submissive towards the whole world, but Jane is able to overcome the odds and develop into a strong-minded and independent woman who ultimately does what she wants and thinks is best. Through the combination of exposure to harsh experiences from an early age and schooling at Lowood, Jane becomes the woman who finds her own place in life without relying too heavily on others. She is independent enough to leave her safe life with Mr. Rochester, but she is not too independent to accept help, as she does with the Rivers. It is astounding that Jane has the level-head and self awareness to be able to make the very careful distinction when it comes to independence, for it is what sets Jane apart from other people altogether, male or female, and it is an admirable trait to possess. Looking at where she comes from, an ugly misbehaved orphan sent away to the strictest boarding school so as to not bother her aunt, it seems like a miracle that she could have survived so well. Even though the fortune that Jane comes to at the end of the novel is not the result of her efforts, she shares most of it with her cousins. Coming from a deprived background, Jane did not allow greed to overtake her, and looked at her fortune with the same level head which compelled her to leave Mr. Rochester. In the end, it is this same level head that brings her back to Mr. Rochester. When Jane’s entire life is sorted out, when she has all the money she’ll ever need and the family she’s always wanted, she still feels herself lacking. She realizes that, after all the time that had passed, she still misses Mr. Rochester. She knows definitely that he is what she wants, so she goes to him. This is not “selling out” since it was not as if Jane, on a whim, decided that she wanted to be with this man. It was not as if Jane had just met him and was giving up her long-term happiness for the sake of instant gratification. By the end of the novel, she has already experienced life with and without him. It is not absurd for her to decide that she enjoys life much more with Mr. Rochester than without him. She uses the same assessing skills and logical thinking to allow her to choose the least conventional path, and this does not by any means undermine her integrity. If anything, it elevates it, for it further demonstrates just how independent and free thinking Jane can be; she chooses love because it is what she wants, and she is not afraid to go after what she wants.
ReplyDeleteAfter Jane Eyre's parents died, she was sent to live with the horrid Mrs. Reed. Therefore, Jane did not have a positive influence as young and growing girl that she could look up to and aspire to be like. Mrs. Reed, on the other hand, portrayed the type of woman Jane knew that she did not want to be. Being brought up with a boy like John, who got everything he wanted when he did nothing to deserve it, gave her a bit of a kick and desire to make something of her life bigger than just the Reed house. Once she got out and attended Lowood, she faced another set of hurdles. Mr. Brocklehurst was a male authority figure that disapproved of her. She was shocked when other girls like Helen Burns told her that she should just accept the punishment because it would make her a better person. Jane could not comprehend the fact that others could stand by and be treated so poorly for minor infractions. Lowood proved to be a similar situation to the Reed House, however, Jane did receive a very good education, earning her a job as governess where she would be able to support herself. A major point for Jane is when she first officially met Mr. Rochester. He questions her endlessly about her previous life and her talents. She never cowers to him as an intellectual. Skipping ahead to where she is engaged to Mr. Rochester, Jane refused to let him spoil her with riches and wealth because that never appealed to her. She cared more about intellectual equality rather than being treated like a princess. When it was discovered that Rochester was married, she fled. I see this as a bold and brave move on Jane’s part. She does not let the fact that she has a low social standing get in the way of how she views herself. She did not want to be considered a mistress and stood up for herself, despite Rochester’s pleadings. Jane was poor all of her life so she learned that one of the most important things in life is self-respect. Lastly, when St. John wants her to marry him and go to India, she realizes her true love for Mr. Rochester and returns to him. Jane’s transformation has a pattern of growth in that from a young age, she continually gets stronger and stronger as a person as she learns more about herself. By returning to Rochester at the end, she does not sell-out, she merely discovers what she really wants in life and goes after it. It may have taken her time to figure it out, but she ended up where she wanted to be. In life: in love.
ReplyDeleteA question has been brewing in my head over the topic of Jane's decision and I want to know what you all think. Had Jane returned to Mr. Rochester and found him in the same state as she left him, do you think she would have married him? (the same state= no injuries, but his wife would have perished some other way)
ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe her intention in returning to Rochester, after the unexplained phenomenon of hearing his voice on the wind, was to be with him, regardless of Bertha's status. Bertha's death spelled matrimony with Rochester, independent of his handicaps, not because of them. That is what I personally believe Jane's intentions were in seeking Rochester for a second and final time.
DeleteI think it wouldn't matter what state she found him in. She went back to him because she loved him and wanted to marry him and she was able to accept the baggage that came with him.
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DeleteI agree with Isabella's and Rachel's response. When Jane decided to go back with Mr. Rochester, she did not care what state he was in. All Jane wanted was to be with him. However, as mentioned in my response to prompt 2, Bertha had to die in order for Jane to be cleansed of her darkness (that was symbolized in Bertha's character) so she can return to Mr. Rochester as a new, pure, and intelligent Jane.
DeleteJane’s tale is catalysed by her yearning for compassion and regard from others. Orphaned at a young age and having her only friend die of the consumption, Jane never really received an opportunity to love or to claim a home. At Thornfield, Jane made connects she thought were never possible. She experiences, for the first time, respect at Thornfield where she explains, “I have not been trampled on… I have not been buried with inferior minds and excluded from every glimpse of communion with what is bright and energetic and high (239).” She agrees to marry to Mr. Rochester because she considered them as equals. Her perspective changed when she discovers Mr. Rochester had attempted to make her his mistress. She leaves Thornfield because she is feels she is no longer respected and cannot her morals being a mistress. With the Rivers, the sisters nurse her to health and Jane immediately ask to be put to work so she can earn for herself, another effort to retain her individuality. She continues to express herself when she leaves Mr. Rivers in his attempt to make Jane a missionary wife. I do believe Jane “sold out” since she did return to Thornfield with the mindset that she would be with Mr. Rochester as his mistress. She return to Thornfield not knowing that Bertha had deceased, therefore she did intend to be his mistress. However, in taking charge of her own life in future, choosing to marry Mr. Rochester she did maintain her integrity.
ReplyDeleteJane had a rough life growing up. She was bullied by her family and had only a companion in the house servant, Bessie. Jane shows how she matured by fighting back again Mrs. Reed and standing up for herself. This is the start of Jane’s road to freedom and independence. Once able to escape the Reeds at Lowood she still has a dismal life and lived in poor conditions. She was able to find friendship with Helen Burns, and a maternal relationship with Maria Temple. She does well in school and seeks a change in her life when Maria Temple leaves the school. Jane wants to be independent and make her own life. She gets the job at Thornfield and meets Rochester. Jane soon falls in love with him and worships him over God. Jane is so in love with Rochester that she loses her values of being independent and Rochester becomes a master in a way. Jane leaves and lives with St. John, and Diana and Mary Rivers, her cousins. St. John treats Jane as if he is her master at times. St. John wants Jane to marry him but Jane does not love him. If Jane had married him I think she would have given up her freedom because she would have had to move to India with a man that she did not love. I think Jane made the right choice by going back to Rochester and marrying him. Jane came back because she wanted to. She loved Rochester and he loved her. She was not marrying him for his money or status. She did not sell out because she used her freedom and independence to makes the choices she did. If she sold out she would have married St. John. Jane demonstrated her principles of freedom and independence by leaving Rochester, rejecting St. John, and going back to what she wanted and marrying Rochester.
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning of the novel, Jane is aware of her destitute status. However, she remains grateful for the things and opportunities she does have. It is made very clear to her that she is less deserving than her cousins by Aunt Reed. When she is sent to Lowood, Although she describes the poor conditions at Lowood, she is amongst girls in a similar situation as herself; she sees no one get special treatment. It is here, that Jane is able to make friends and connections for the first time. Despite her being a woman, Jane is quite independent throughout her life. After getting her teaching job at Lowood, she takes it upon herself to advertise and find a job for herself. When she meets Mr. Rochester, although she has feelings for him, she keeps her dignity and does not swoon over him. After their attempted wedding, she takes it upon herself again to be independent, and runs away from Thornfield. At this point, even after being starving and sick, she does not return to him. It is only after St. John's marriage proposal that she realizes that she will always love Mr. Rochester. Therefore, when she returns for him, she is not "selling out". Doing something for love is not necessarily losing integrity. For the first time in her life, she is doing something that is making her happy; she has found her place.
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre, raised by teachers of Lowood, is shown the proper manners and etiquette that a young girl in the Victorian Era is expected to posses. She is taught to be plain and modest, with little personality. As a girl and eventually as a woman, she is expected to be prim, proper, polished, and refined. However, what makes Jane Eyre such an intriguing character is the fact that she conforms to practically none of this. Jane sticks up for herself and is honest, speaking what's really on her mind. As a woman in the Victorian Era, Jane represents someone who steps out of her traditional place by being strong and independent.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the end of the novel I do not think Jane "sold out" by any means. One could argue that after leaving Mr. Rochester, Jane was better off. Independently, she met relatives she never knew she had and broadened her horizons. However, when she goes back to Mr. Rochester, it is not out of weakness, but love. The remarkable incident when they heard each other speaking from such a distance seemed to be destiny. Anyone in that situation, man or woman, regardless of their strength and independence, would likely follow Jane's actions.
Jane returning to Mr. Rochester was the opposite of selling out, because it was her decision. By leaving Mr. Rochester for a time, Jane was able to collect her thoughts and feelings and think rationally. St. John's marriage proposal was the catalyst that sent her heart back to Mr. Rochester, allowing her to realize her love for him. For the time she was gone, Jane had complete control over Rochester's heart, and he lost himself in her absence. She had him wrapped around her finger and she didn't even have to be near him. When she finally did return, he was depending on her to see and guide him due to his blindness. Her control over their relationship in these ways, as a woman, showed how she managed to stray from the traditional gender roles of the era and maintain her integrity, while still following her heart's desires. This is a true example of why love should never be mistaken for weakness.
As a person, by the end of the book, Jane Eyre had definitely evolved from the girl she was in the beginning of the book. Throughout the book she became a stronger and more independent person and did not feel the need to at the whim of every person she worked for if she truly did not have to. In the beginning of the book, Jane took everything that was given to her-- beatings, unfair punishments, unfair conditions-- without necessarily fighting against it. Given the fact that she was also very young, she slowly began to develop independence and stand up for herself. At first she gave in to the unfairness of being locked in the Red Room and getting beaten by the family. However, overtime she got over her constant feelings of inferiority towards everyone. Although it would have been convenient for Jane to marry Rochester, at first or to marry St. John as soon as they proposed, she realized that she was in no way required to accept either of their proposes if she personally did not want to and that is exactly how she faced both issues. Although both men were angry and surprised that she rejected such offers, to Jane and to the reader analyzing her character, it shows how strong she has become over the course of her life.
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