Bront portrays Jane Eyre as an untypical heroine. Examine Bronts language use, structure and character portrayals.
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
Brontë portrays Jane Eyre as an untypical heroine. Examine Brontë's language use, structure and character portrayals.
The heroism of Jane Eyre is central throughout the novel of the same name. The classic Victorian novel, written by Charlotte Brontë, follows the protagonist Jane Eyre through episodic stages of her life as she strives to find her niche in life. Although she is clearly the heroine in this tale, she often displays characteristics that are contrary to those of a stereotypical heroine and a 19th century woman.
The main character's traits are recognised by the reader early on in the novel, as she begins her first battle in life against her guardian the cruel Mrs Reed and her children. In chapter one, the reader learns to feel sympathy for Jane as she is unjustly accused of attacking Mrs Reed's son John and is immediately sent, without question, to a mysterious place known as the 'red room'. In the ensuing struggle, as she is dragged to the room by the servants, Jane is described 'as a mad cat' and even the central character admits 'I was a trifle beside myself'. It is important in this incident that Jane has a cause for this behaviour, which is why John Reed is an essential device in the early chapters, because, particularly for readers in the Victorian age, this behaviour would be abhorrent and unforgivable, which could lead to the reader losing compassion for Jane. This passionate behaviour, perhaps hinted at with the use of the colour red in the 'red room', is certainly unorthodox for a Victorian girl. It is obvious that this encounter is a crucial point in Jane's life, signposted when Jane comments on her resistance, 'this was an new thing for me'. This is the first time that Jane's rebellious nature has been revealed, which marks the start of a new episode in her life. In fact, the idea that battles against injustice indicate a change in direction is a trend that goes on throughout Jane's life. An example of this is found in chapter 27, when Jane leaves Thornfield after realising that Mr Rochester tried to wed her whilst still married.
The relationship between Jane and Mr Rochester is extremely unusual in many ways when viewed in the context of its time. Under the British class system, a match between two people whose status is poles apart would be unheard of. Jane was an orphaned child, who had been dependant upon charity, and had risen to the role of governess, which was about the most respectable position a single woman could achieve in Victorian society (although it was still a very low position in society). Mr Rochester was a wealthy landowner who, while not possessing striking looks, appeared to be an extremely eligible bachelor. A man that many families would like to marry their daughters to, as the Ingrams demonstrate. The fact that Mr Rochester chooses Jane over the beauteous Blanche Ingram demonstrates what an untypical man he is. Despite this, he never materialises into a hero because of the cruel way that he taunts Jane by pretending that he wants to marry Blanche Ingram. Rochester is able to do this because Jane cannot imagine her master wanting to marry anyone but Blanche Ingram, who she describes as 'the very type of majesty'.
Jane describes herself as 'plain-looking'. Charlotte Brontë described herself in the same way and perhaps she alluded to her attitude towards vanity, particularly in the upper class, through Jane when she chuckles 'there was something ludicrous as well as painful in the Parisienne earnest and innate devotion to matters of dress'. The ignorance of superficial qualities and the faults that both personalities posses, make the relationship between Jane and Mr Rochester less stereotypical than most fictional relationships and perhaps more meaningful. A more cynical reason that could explain why Mr Rochester pursues Jane appears when we learn later that, as a young man, he married Bertha Mason for shallow purposes: money and land in the West Indies. This, as the reader finds out, backfired spectacularly and Jane could be his way of redeeming himself.
The relationship between the two is unbalanced throughout the novel as illustrated by Jane's consistent use of 'Sir' and 'Mr Rochester' to refer to him. The lack of equilibrium exists because Jane is dependant upon Mr Rochester. From the start of the novel, dependency is an aspect of Jane's life; perhaps that is why Bronte chooses to terminate Jane and Rochester's relationship so that Jane can find independence first. In the aftermath of Jane's split from Rochester, she inherits a large amount of money and discovers that she has respectable relatives. This gives her elevated status and, as St John Rivers points out, Jane is now an attractive prospect for marriage. Meanwhile, Rochester loses his sight and the use of his hand in the fire that destroyed his home. When Jane finally returns to him, Rochester is now dependant upon her. When Jane marries him it is for love and not status. This is certainly unique for a woman of the Victorian Age.
A characteristic of many 19th century novels is the contrasting types of love that feature. Jane Eyre is no exception. In Jane's early years she is expected to show love for her carer, Mrs Reed, because she has given her a home. As Bessie tells Jane, 'you are under obligation to Mrs Reed'. Jane finds this preposterous, 'This means I should love Mrs Reed, which I cannot do' because Mrs Reed is, in Jane's opinion, 'a hard-hearted, bad woman'. At Lowood School, Jane discovers, for the first time, the love that she can give to a friend, with ...
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A characteristic of many 19th century novels is the contrasting types of love that feature. Jane Eyre is no exception. In Jane's early years she is expected to show love for her carer, Mrs Reed, because she has given her a home. As Bessie tells Jane, 'you are under obligation to Mrs Reed'. Jane finds this preposterous, 'This means I should love Mrs Reed, which I cannot do' because Mrs Reed is, in Jane's opinion, 'a hard-hearted, bad woman'. At Lowood School, Jane discovers, for the first time, the love that she can give to a friend, with her relationship with Helen Burns, who she regularly refers to as 'dear Helen'. The starkest contrast between certain types of love occurs with Jane's relationships with Mr Rochester and St John. St John represents love for convenience. He says, 'our union must be consecrated and sealed by marriage, or it cannot exist; practical obstacles oppose themselves to any other plan'. St John's proposal is void of any emotional feeling, as Jane realises, 'he shall never love me', he will only 'approve of me'. The polar opposite of St John's idea of love is seen in the relationship between Jane and Edward Rochester. In the aftermath of Rochester's proposal, they constantly tell each other of their mutual love. Rochester goes on to describe Jane as an 'angel'. He is clearly infatuated with Jane and the feeling is reciprocated. At first glance, St John may seem a better proposition as he is handsome and is a clergyman. Rochester, on the other hand, is of no great beauty, has had a dark past and nearly, knowingly, performed bigamy The fact that Jane ends the novel living happily with Rochester, not St John, shows Brontë's idealistic view: true love conquers all.
Religion plays a central role throughout the novel, as it did for the majority of people in the 1800's. The three men that feature in Jane's life most prominently, Mr Brocklehurst, St John and Mr Rochester, all represent different views on religion. Jane, in turn, formulates her own religious ideals. The superintendent of Lowood, Mr Brocklehurst, uses the negative side of religion, such as 'the lake burning with fire and brimstone' (hell), as a weapon to control his staff and students. This may not seem conceivable in the modern era but in the Victorian Age religion was as much of a threat as it was a comfort. The character who appears to gain most comfort from religion is Jane's companion Helen Burns, who finds the strength to endure the adversity in her life because of the belief that 'life is soon over, and death is a certain entrance to happiness'. Helen's example helps Jane to persevere in what she believes in throughout her life and therefore Helen has a brief but important influence over Jane. Edward Rochester is quite abnormal for a Victorian man because he is almost atheist in his religious views. As is common in this novel, a clear idea of this characteristic is given in the introduction of the character, when he blasphemes. St John, like Brocklehurst, wields religion to fulfil his wishes. He very nearly convinces Jane to marry him by persuading her that 'it is God's will that I should marry you'. Ironically it is a supernatural calling (from God), which confirms to Jane that her destiny lies with Mr Rochester. Despite the influence of the men I have mentioned above, Jane retains her distinctiveness and forms her own ideas about religion. This is exhibited when Jane says, 'I mounted to my chamber; locked myself in; fell on my knees and prayed in my way - a different way to St John's, but effective in its own fashion'. Brontë portrays Jane in this way because of her own philosophies concerning religion. Brontë says in her preface, 'Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion', which is her own open rebellion against the people who condemned the morality of the novel. This individuality makes Brontë and her fictional creation, untypical women of their time.
Brontë makes several satirical comments on aspects of Victorian society in the novel Jane Eyre. She was not alone in using fiction to highlight social injustices. Authors like Charles Dickens and George Eliot would write similarly styled novels, which were known as novels of instruction. What separates Jane Eyre from other novels of the time is that Brontë merely presented her ideas through the first person narrative of Jane. This allows the reader to make up his or her own mind. Other novelists would often interrupt their plot to preach their ideals through the authorial voice.
Similar to the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre comments on the poverty that was widespread in the Victorian Age. Jane's attitude on poverty as a young child is made clear in the early chapters when she declares, 'poverty for me is synonymous with degradation'. She also adds that 'poor people' are 'uneducated' and have no 'means of being kind'. These are sentiments that were held by many Victorians. After her acrimonious departure from Thornfield, she finds that, despite being well educated and well spoken, as a beggar she is 'met with distrust'. This situation forces Victorian readers to question the attitude that underprivileged people are, by default, 'bad' and therefore deserve no assistance. In this respect, Brontë was ahead of her time because the general public did not acknowledge the plight of the poor until the first few years of the 20th century, when proper legislation was brought in.
The essence of this novel is Jane's struggle against the constraints of the British class system. This allows Brontë to satirise the class system by creating situations that make it appear ridiculous. An example of this is found in chapter 18 when Jane is excluded from playing a game when Lady Ingram proclaims 'she looks too stupid for any game'. The reader knows that Jane is intelligent and well educated enough to qualify as a governess. Because of this, the notion that, since she is of lower standing, Jane is stupid seems frankly ludicrous. The preposterous proposition that Jane 'looks too stupid', alludes to the superficiality of the upper class. In her preface, Bronte says 'appearance should not be mistaken for truth'. This is a theme that runs throughout the novel and a belief that Brontë holds in high regard. Brontë expresses this often through the dry humour of Jane. An example of this is Jane's musings on Blanche Ingram, 'Genius is said to be self-conscious. I cannot tell whether Miss Ingram was a genius, but she was self-conscious - remarkably self-conscious indeed'.
Charlotte Brontë expresses her feelings about colonialism in the 1800's in the novel Jane Eyre. She does this by creating the storyline that weds Mr Rochester and Bertha Mason. Bertha Mason's family had made its fortune by exploiting slave labour (this is not overtly explained in the novel but it is implied). In finding a wife for Bertha, the Mason family, which had a history of insanity, took advantage of an inexperienced Mr Rochester and tricked him into marrying her. Rochester later describes Bertha Mason as 'coarse and trite' and her nature as 'alien to mine'. I think that, through Rochester, Brontë express her belief that, because of the way colonialists exploit human nature through slavery, they must be uncivilised and inhumane.
The portrayal of Lowood School in Jane Eyre sparked a campaign for better conditions in Victorian schools. The food is described as 'abominable stuff' and 'a nauseous mess'. These descriptions could have been borne from Brontë's own experience of school. The lack of edible food is down to the viewpoint of the miserly Mr Brocklehurst who believes that suffering leads to spiritual development. Brocklehurst says that a lack of luxury 'will render them hardy, patient and self-denying'. Ironically, the deprivation leads only to an outbreak of disease, which kills many of the school's pupils. It is interesting to note that after the typhus epidemic, Mr Brocklehurst was 'discharged from his duties'. I think that Brontë is trying to set a precedent for her contemporaries by punishing the man responsible for the harsh life of the pupils in his care. In the absence of Mr Brockelhurst, Lowood becomes 'a truly useful and noble institution'. This demonstrates to Brontë's 19th century audience that effective action against depraved schools can be beneficial. Through the novel Jane Eyre, Brontë conveys her belief that education is key to the furthering of a person. All the good fortune that occurs in her life, meeting Mr Rochester and inheriting a fortune, takes place when she is a teacher, a skill that she has gained through education. In the 1800's, Brontë's view was highly controversial, particularly when concerning females, because Victorians believed that the greatest personal achievement is gained through marriage, not through education.
To be an unmarried woman in the Victorian Age was to be a social outcast. They were contemptuously called 'old maids' and 'spinsters', a phrase used in the novel by St John. The character Jane Eyre is extremely unusual for her time because she rejects a marriage on the basis that she does not love St John. In the 19th century, women were treated as secondary citizens and their feelings were considered irrelevant. Brontë challenges this belief in the novel when Jane says 'women feel just as men feel'. Subsequent to St Johns proposal, Jane leaves to rejoin Mr Rochester despite knowing that he was married. This would have outraged Victorian readers. Brontë, rather cowardly, placates them somewhat by killing off Rochester's wife.
In writing Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë changed the way women were perceived in fiction. Previously, female characters were seen as merely props for male characters. Jane Eyre showed that women were just as capable of passion as men and could therefore play key roles in fiction. The novel Jane Eyre was crucial in bringing women's rights to the attention of the general public
Charlotte Brontë vividly portrays her characters in Jane Eyre. Sensory language and imagery is used, particularly when Jane first encounters characters, to give the reader clues as to a character's personality and potential effect on Jane's life. This is demonstrated when Jane meets Mr Rochester for the first time. Dark imagery, such as 'dark face' and 'some daylight lingered', hints at the sinister past that, as the reader later finds out, Rochester has experienced. The coldness of St John is intimated when Jane describes him by using words like, 'snow wet', 'chiselled marble' and 'cool'. This precedes the lack of emotion that he shows when proposing to Jane, an incident that leads her to dub him, 'like an automaton'. Another method that Brontë uses to portray her characters is exaggeration. When Jane examines the features of St John for the first time, she likens his beauty to that of a classical statue by using phrases such as 'Athenian mouth', 'tall, slender' and 'classic nose'. Jane sums up her thoughts on St John with: 'It is seldom, indeed, that an English face comes so near the antique models'. The hyperbole that Brontë employs, allows the reader to build up a clear picture in their mind of each character's features. It also demonstrates how the protagonist Jane is often in awe of people that she encounters because of her relatively humble background and appearance. This is seen when Jane describes the Ingram daughters 'as tall as poplars', which indicates not only physical disparities but also the difference between Jane and the Ingrams in social stature.
The character of Jane is somewhat hard to pinpoint because of the conflicting qualities that comprise her character. Her modesty when describing her virtues, 'I am so plain' is typical of a Victorian woman. However, her belief in marrying only for love and not status or convenience is what sets her apart from the female Victorian stereotype. This is shown when Jane rejects St John because she 'had no love for him'. Jane is a woman who sticks to her principles, passionately so, as illustrated by the quote, 'laws and principles are not for times when there is no temptation'.
There are also conflicting messages regarding Jane's appearance. At Lowood Jane is seen as 'pale and colourless' yet 'blooming and smiling' at Thornfield. In my opinion, this is Brontë conveying her belief that all people have inner beauty. Jane is in many ways an insecure person. She is particularly ill at ease when she has any association with the upper class, even when she is due to be married into it. Jane complains 'glad I was to get him out of the silk warehouse, and then out of a jewellers shop: the more he bought me, the more my cheek burned with a sense of annoyance and degradation'. This insecurity is quite unusual for a heroine as they are often portrayed as faultless. However, certain comparisons can be made between Jane and a popular modern-day heroine Bridget Jones, from the film Bridget Jones' Diary whose character is not without blemishes.
Another one of Jane's imperfections is her naivety. This is exposed in chapter 23 when, through Brontë's clever use of vocabulary to represent double-meanings, Jane believes that Mr Rochester wants to marry Blanche Ingram when he is in fact proposing to her. In this episode there is a highly ironic incident when Jane calls Rochester 'a married man - or as good as a married man'. Jane is referring to his relationship with Blanche when in fact he is already married to Bertha Mason, as Jane later finds out. This helps to portray Jane as a unique heroine because a more conventional heroine would not be deceived in this way. From beginning till end, it is clear that the main character of this novel is intelligent. As a child it is clear that the reading of books is Jane's only form of escapism from her tough childhood. Later on in her life Jane shows able skill in becoming a Governess and then teaching the excitable Adele. The style in which the novel is written also exhibits Jane's high level of intellect.
The entire novel is written through the first person narrative of Jane Eyre. Her use of the French language, for example beatué mâle (meaning male beauty), and obscure words, like canzonette (meaning song), indicate that Jane is an intellectual. The first person style makes the reader feel that they are being spoken to directly and consequently the reader believes that they are part of the novel. This relationship between Jane and her audience is strengthened by Brontë's regular use of rhetorical questions directed at the reader, such as, 'can I bear the consciousness that every endowment he bestows is a sacrifice made on principle?'. The prose style that Brontë adopts in this novel is grandiose. It is often inflated and sometimes labours the point. Despite this, the writing is driven and moves relentlessly from incident to incident. This ensures that the reader's interest is kept, which was particularly important for a relatively unknown young novelist like Charlotte Brontë. Another literary device that Brontë utilises in Jane Eyre is the use of symbolism to precede actual events. A good example of this is the chestnut tree that Jane notices is 'split down the centre'. This forewarns the impending separation of Jane and Mr Rochester.
I think one of the reasons Jane Eyre is incongruous is because her creator, Charlotte Brontë was an extraordinary woman for her time. The novel Jane Eyre is subtitled 'An autobiography', a literary device used to convince the reader that Jane is real, and, whilst she denies that Jane Eyre is her own autobiography, certain similarities between Brontë and Jane's passage through life suggest that there could be parallels between their characters. From the beginning of the novel, the author unmasks her own traits in the form of Jane, namely, immersing herself within a book. According to my research, the book 'History of Birds' was a Brontë family favourite and each object, described lovingly by Jane, can be found in the book. The similarities in the main character and Brontë's early life continue with the introduction of Lowood School. Brontë herself had gone to a school called Cowan Bridge, which had the same harsh regime as Lowood. Much later on in Jane's life she is proposed to by St John and Jane promptly rejects him because she feels no true love for him. In Charlotte Brontë's life she rejected no less than five marriage proposals; not only does this show that Brontë put parts of her life into Jane's but it also indicates that Brontë was a very courageous and resilient person. Brontë was an untypical woman and I think this helped her to portray Jane Eyre in the same way.
At the start of Brontë's career, she did not reveal herself to be the strong woman that we know she is, as she went under the masculine guise of Mr Currer Bell. This male pseudonym was necessary because of people like Robert Southey, who was the Poet Laureate of the time, who said 'literature cannot be the business of a woman's life'. Writing and reading went against the grain for what was expected of a women living in the 19th century. Brontë's belief that women have the same rights as men is advocated through the voice of Jane in chapter 12,'women feel just as men feel'. Charlotte Brontë can also be seen as slightly unique for a famous person because, as she said of herself, she was quite plain looking. This is a characteristic that features in Jane to show that people can be attractive without being beautiful.
I think that Jane Eyre is an unconventional woman because she has attitudes to marriage, status and the role of women in society, which are alien to her time. This is because her creator Brontë uses Jane as a vehicle to bring her own beliefs to the attention of her contemporaries and, hopefully, instigate change. Brontë uses different characters, storylines and coded language, such as the meaning of the phrase 'a woman's place', to satirise aspects of Victorian society. To get these points across, Brontë has to give Jane traits, such as passion and intelligence, which are considered unusual for a Victorian woman. These characteristics are never suppressed nor changed throughout the whole novel. Jane's individuality is retained, making her an untypical heroine considering the time that she lived in.
