“He never nocks about wi’ us anymore”
Jane lives with her aunt and three cousins but in her opinion they are not even “fit to associate with me.” At Gateshead hall, the residence of the Reed family, she is bullied by everyone, including the maids. She even has to endure physical bullying from her cousin, John Reed. Subjected to hard work, mistreatment, and fixed hatred Jane has no one to confide in, hence, an outsider.
“I feared nothing but interruption.”
This quote is also evidence that Jane herself recognised she was an outsider:
“I was a discord in Gateshead hall; I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed, her children or her chosen vassalage.”
The characters schooling is the setting for a major part in both novels. In Kes much of the story takes place in the school; we are given an insight in to Billy’s lessons, peer group and his intellectual ability. Jane is sent to boarding school; Lowood Institution for girls. Lowood is a charitable school for orphans. A stern, hypocritical, “Christian” man, by the name of Mr Brocklehurst, treasurer and manager of lowood, inflicts very harsh conditions on the girls and their teachers.
During Jane’s early schooling she does not have an enjoyable time and is exposed to some intrusive experiences, which were both humiliating and degrading. On her first few days no one spoke to Jane, leaving her in the solitude which was so typical of her childhood. Whilst other girls enjoyed the company of each other, when the rare occasion of a break arose, Jane would remain by herself, alone. Jane’s innocence was short lived when a clumsy accident caused her to be brought to the attention of Mr Brocklehurst on his visit. It is then that Mr B remembers her aunts parting requests; that Jane be watched by the other girls and teachers and to proclaim Jane’s tyrannous and deceitful ways. Jane is humiliated and made to stand before the whole school, while her believed deceit was publicly announced:
“If necessary, avoid her company, exclude her from your sports, and shut her out from your converse……-this girl is-a liar.”
Billy is in his final two weeks of school before he leaves to go out and find work. He is in the bottom class, 4c, and is the focus of much torment and bullying, for pupils and staff. Consequently it is not surprising his life is a misery and he is forced to live as an outcast. One major ordeal, in which Billy is the focus of such torment, is in a PE lesson. Billy arrives late for the lesson, because of his involvement in a fight at break, when Mr Sugden, the teacher, tells Billy to get changed. Billy’s response is that he has no kit. With the attention of the whole class, Billy is subsequently forced to don a pair of exceedingly large shorts, several times too big. After the match Billy is eager to return home to exercise kes, so omits having a shower. This does not go down well with Mr S and, using it as an excuse to further bully Billy. Mr S makes Billy have a shower, Billy obeys but then Mr S says he hasn’t washed properly. Billy is then forced to endure a freezing shower, guarded by two other boys. This intimidating experience can be compared to Jane’s, both are very similar. Both characters are forced, by no choice of their own, to suffer the very embarrassing and humiliating experience of being singled out and the focus of attention. Incidents like these allow the authors to emphasise the characters as outsiders.
The character and personalities of both characters are very different, Jane is very mature for her age, she is only ten yet uses very complicated words sentences and description and has a mature viewpoint. Billy, on the other hand is older than Jane, 15 years old, but his use of language and expressed opinion is simple. However, similarities between characteristics each writer uses can be found; Jane and Billy both enjoy their enforced solitude. Jane enjoys reading, “With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy,” and Billy enjoys time with kes. Both of these hobbies do not involve company, whether this is so because neither have anybody to enjoy the company of, or, whether it is because they wish to be alone, still presents them as outsiders.
Jane is outspoken, defiant, and honest, she cannot tolerate injustice, so will speak her mind. In the 19thcentury, which is the era where the book is written and set, children were expected to be seen and not heard. Jane’s defiance defies this, making her stand out from everyone else.
Billy does not have the same defiance Jane has, but if he too suffers injustice, he will draw attention to it. An example of this is when he is speaking to Mr Farthing about his punishment from Gryce, the head teacher. Billy feels he has been done an injustice, being canned for falling asleep, when, in his opinion he has an acceptable excuse; he was up early because he has to do a paper round, and to top it all his brother had taken his bike, so his paper round was more exhausting.
In any novel, the background of the character plays a vital role. It may help explain several things about the character; why the characters are treated in such a way and why the character responds in such away. It also helps the writer to achieve the reader’s empathy. In Jane Eyre we discover that Jane is an orphan who lives with her dead uncle’s wife and children. Her father was a vicar who married Mr Reeds [Jane’s late uncle’s] sister. Jane’s father caught the typhus, on a visit, and Jane’s mother got infected. The Reed family live in a grand house with maids, this is a clear difference when comparing Jane’s life with Billy’s; Billy lives in a small terrace house on a run down estate.
Billy lives with his mother and brother in a run down estate in Barnsley. His father is not at home and his mother is seeing another man, Reg. Billy, like Jane, does not have a good relationship with the others in the house. Billy’s up bringing can explain certain points of his character. He has no ambition; this is because he lives in a run down area where he will not be given much encouragement. And, with no father in the house he has missed some of his childhood upbringing so maybe that’s why he finds it hard to relate to people.
Along with actions and opinions, that make the characters outsiders, the authors use their appearance to make Billy and Jane different from other characters and vulnerable to bullying. Jane overhears Abbot talking to Bessie, a maid:
“If she were a nice pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad.”
In conversation with Mr. Farthing, Billy says that he thinks he is bullied because he is smaller than the other boys in his class.
The techniques the authors use to present the story can change how a character is portrayed; this includes the narrative technique, language use and the structure of the novel. The techniques that both authors use contrast; Barry Hines uses the third person narrative in presenting, whereas Charlotte Bronte uses the first person, so Jane is telling her own story.
The objective narrative, used by Barrie Hines, gives the reader the observing view from outside. The narrator is omniscient, so has total knowledge but does not give any opinion. Using this technique means that Billy’s feelings are conveyed through his speech and actions. An example of Billy’s school work is also used; this is clever because it varies the communication to the reader. It is not direct speech, dialogue or description. The included extract has been cleverly devised to give the reader wider knowledge about Billy. The extract Hines incorporates is a ‘tall story’ Billy has been asked to write. The content must be something Billy believes could never happen. We learn of Billy’s desires; he would like to live within loving and secure surroundings, with a comfortable house and lifestyle. This makes the reader sympathise with Billy, if this is the tallest story Billy is capable to imagine, then his present life must be such a misery with no hope, aspirations or ambitions.
The subjective narrator is the proceedings taken from the persons mind. Jane tells her own story. This method establishes a personal relationship between narrator and reader. Jane is confiding in the reader, so evokes sympathy from the reader. It is easy for Charlotte Bronte to express Jane’s feelings and thoughts because Jane gives a commentary with her interpretations and observations:
“Burns gave no answer: I wondered at her silence”
‘Kes’ is set in Barnsley in the 20th century, so 20th century English is used, and a strong Barnsley dialect in characters dialogue. When comparing it with ‘Jane Eyre’ expressions are short and simple. In contrast, ‘Jane Eyre’ is written in 19th century English, with longer complex sentences and lengthy description. For a 21st century audience the language in ‘Jane Eyre’ compared to Kes, is much more complex, and exhausting read.
Both books use a completely different structure formats. Barry Hines uses ‘a life in the day of Billy Casper’ to tell the story. Hines uses flashbacks, in the form of daydreams, to explain situations to the reader, but the main action takes place in one day. ‘Jane Eyre’ tells her story chronologically, but Bronte’s use of first person narrative allows Jane to comment on situations with hindsight:
“I could not answer the ceaseless inward question –why I thus suffered; now, at the distance of – I will not say how many years – I see it clearly.”
When comparing the ways in which Billy Casper and Jane Eyre are presented as outsiders, parallels can be found between the situations both authors use to present them. However, the writing formats and techniques contrast, obtaining different reactions from the reader. The directions the stories end in, too, take different routes. Hines leaves the reader feeling very sorry for Billy. Kes, Billy’s only companion is brutally killed, in a deliberate onslaught of revenge from Jud. ‘Jane Eyre’, on the other hand, has a ‘happily ever after’ ending. Jane falls in love and gets married, consequently her status is changed. She is no longer ‘unattached’ and an outsider, but has come to lead a fulfilling life.