From Servitude to Freedom in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre Essay examples

Jane begins her life in isolation at Gateshead, abused and misunderstood by her Aunt Reed and cousins. She is constantly reminded of her worthlessness to them and the fact that they view her as a burden, and is literally

Brocklehurst, Helen Burns, and St. John Rivers, and Edward Rochester, who try to coax her into each of their respective religious entities. Although Jane does not fully accept any of the religions of her suitors, she does acknowledge Christianity and credit a god for her existence. The first character Jane meets out of these Mr. Brocklehurst. This takes place during her final days in Gateshead Hall. Jane first describes Brocklehurst as a “black pillar” because of his grim appearance and personality. His interactions with Jane could almost be described as standoffish. Mr. Brocklehurst stands on one side with his firm and unbending religious opinions and Jane stands on the other with an almost polar opposite of emotion and energy. The next character from those listed above is Helen Burns. Helen is introduced at the Lowood Institute and offers Jane her devoutly religious views, which she of course does not accept. Jane does, however, befriend Helen, who preaches to “bless them that curse you” and she lives by this saying. The fact that she never takes offense to anything people say to her further proves this

Furthermore, this demeaning and negative attitude Jane is exposed to is further instigated when her cousin, John Reed, expresses her situation by saying: "You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama 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". The truth of Jane's unfortunate situation is expressed against her which results in her feeling no true support from this family and confides only in her childhood nursemaid- Bessie, who although behaves inconsistently and has “a capricious and hasty temper”, is the closest mother figure to her. Furthermore, the friction between Jane and John is further emphasised when the first physical aspect of violence is introduced to the reader through a graphic portrayal, further showing the ultimate rejection Jane experienced

As a young girl, she is essentially trapped in Gateshead. This sprawling house is almost her whole world. Jane has been here for most of her ten years. Her life as a child is

Helen’s life was influential to Jane’s life because she taught her so much, but Helen’s death was more important, because it burdened Jane with carrying on Helen’s legacy. Helen was the first person Jane has cared for in a positive way. She idolizes Helen, arguably as a mother or sister figure, and her death leaves an emptiness in Jane’s life. Although she never announces that she will carry the lessons Helen taught her, Jane’s actions demonstrate the importance and the hold that these lessons have on her life. Most notably, before her death from consumption, Helen tells Jane to study the New Testament and follow Jesus’s notion to “Love your enemies” (Bronte #). When Jane is summoned back to Gateshead, where her aunt is dying, she displays this doctrine in its fullest. Mrs. Reed was one of Jane’s most antagonizing enemies. She banishes Jane to the “red room” and says she may not be let out until Mrs. Reed came to get her herself. When Jane cries out in terror of seeing a ghost, Mrs. Reed “thrust [her] back and locked [her] in”

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is presented in the Victorian Period of England. It is a novel which tells the story of a child's maturation into adulthood. Jane's developing personality has been shaped by her rough childhood. She has been influenced by many people and experiences. As a woman of her time, Jane has had to deal with the strain of physical appearance. This has a great effect on her mental thinking and decision making. Jane Eyre's cognitive and physical attributes have been affected by her environment throughout her life.

With strict rules, harsh teachers, a hypocritical supervisor, and no companions, Jane immediately begins to hide her emotions. The first true transformation of Jane’s personality can be seen when the school supervisor tarnishes Jane’s reputation. Brocklehurst denounces Jane as a “little castaway: not a member of the true flock, but evidently an interloper and an alien.” stating, “this girl is a liar!” (66-67) Jane remains quiet and is able to sit through this mistreatment without fighting back.

Jane’s need for love internally is exemplified during her time at Gateshead. Under the care of her Aunt Reed, Jane is constantly being treated as an outcast. Despite her continuously aiming to please Jane is still unable to satisfy her Aunt Reed or cousins John, Eliza, and Georgiana Reed. In this toxic environment that is physically, emotionally, and mentally damaging for Jane, she begins to question her self-worth. This is evident when she expresses “Why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always accused, forever condemned? Why could I never please? Why was it useless to try to win any one’s favour?”(9). After her departure from Gateshead to Lowood Institute, the haunting memories of the difficulties she experienced during her earlier years of life still plague Jane’s mind. It is not until her arrival at Thornfield that Jane seemingly presents signs that she is confident in herself. This is evident when she says “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself”(342). Overtime Jane learns to value the qualities she possess and gains the courage to disregard the opinions of others. Furthermore, she discovers that she does not have to sacrifice her life or freedom to truly love

Charlotte Bronte created one of the first feminist novels--Jane Eyre--of her time period when she created the unique and feminist female heroine, Jane Eyre. Throughout the novel, Jane becomes stronger as she speaks out against antagonists. She presses to find happiness whether she is single or married and disregards society’s rules. The novel begins as Jane is a small, orphan child living with her aunt and cousins due to the death of her parents and her uncle. Jane 's aunt--Mrs. Reed--degrades her as she favors her biological children. Jane 's aunt--Mrs. Reed--degrades her as she favors her biological children. Her cousin--John Reed--hits her and then Mrs. Reed chooses to punish her instead and sends her to the room in which her uncle

Following this dramatic scene, there are many situations in which her individualism can again be sensed. During her stay at Lowood Jane is emotionally subdued and her personality is in many ways suppressed. It is not until after Miss Temple, the person that seemed to shine light on the school, leaves that Jane realizes the restrictions that she is under. It is at his point that she has the sudden urge to leave the confinements of the school, seek a job as a governess, and experience the “varied fields of hopes and fears,

10-year-old Jane lives under the custody of her Aunt Reed, who hates her. Jane resents her harsh treatment by her aunt and cousins so much that she has a severe temper outburst, which results in her aunt sending her to Lowood boarding school. At the end of the eight years, she has become a teacher at Lowood. At the age of eighteen she seeks independence and becomes governess at Thornfield Hall.

Having found a new strength in rebellion, Jane is placed in another oppressive situation: Lowood School. In this situation, there is little opportunity for her to resist; she has a different lesson to learn. Shortly after her arrival at Lowood, Jane meets Helen Burns, who teaches her patience and rationality. Helen is in many ways a Christ figure, accepting what happens to her as God's will and speaking often of heavenly rewards. When Jane is falsely accused and humiliated by Mr. Brocklehurst, her instinct is to lash out in anger, and she finds it difficult to deal with her emotions. When Miss Temple asks her to explain why the accusations are false, it is Helen Burns' words that allow Jane to present her side of the story fairly. "...mindful of Helen's warnings

In the society in which Jane lives, men are believed to be superior to women in any circumstance. Mr. Brocklehurst declares, "I have a little boy, younger than you, who knows six Psalms by heart" (28). During Jane’s early years, she is constantly surrounded by male figures such as John Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst,who always belittle her and assure she remains in a submissive position. When Jane answers to Mr. Brocklehurst that she does not like the book of Psalms, he compares her to his son. He makes it very apparent that his son is better than Jane due to his love of Psalms, and also expresses his belief that Jane obtains a wicked heart. The situation in which Jane experiences the immediate comparison to Mr. Brocklehurst’s son prompts her to realize that she will always remain less than any man, despite the situation. Later on in the novel Jane expresses, “Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts just as their brothers do..." (108). In this section of the text from the novel, Jane expresses her frustration on the fact that women are constantly pushed into situations where their predominant worries are based on simple things such as cooking, knitting and cleaning. She believes that women have a right to express their feelings just as much as men do.

Parallel to many of the great feministic novels throughout literary history, Jane Eyre is a story about the quest for authentic love. However, Jane Eyre is unique and separate from other romantic pieces, in that it is also about a woman searching for a sense of self-worth through achieving a degree of independence. Orphaned and dismissed at an early age, Jane was born into a modest lifestyle that was characterized by a form of oppressive servitude of which she had no autonomy. She was busy spending much of her adolescent years locked in chains, both imaginary and real, as well as catering to the needs of her peers. Jane was never being able to enjoy the pleasures and joys that an ordinary and independent child values. Jane struggles

Brocklehurst humiliates Jane by stating that she is an ungrateful liar. He tells the pupils that they must “be on your guard against her, and if necessary, avoid her company” while he tells the teachers to “scrutinize her actions and punish her body to save her soul” (Brontë 75, 76). Jane finds herself in a horrible situation as her bad reputation has followed her, as she is publicly branded as an immoral child at Lowood. Jane is determined to clear her name, and with the help of the Miss Temple, she eventually does so. Thus not allowing Mr. Brocklehurst the slightest power over her, proving again how much her independence and power mean to her.