Compare the ways in which Billy Casper and Jane Eyre are Presented as Outsiders.

Authors Avatar

Jess Rees

09/05/2007

Compare the ways in which Billy Casper and Jane Eyre are Presented as Outsiders

        There are many similarities that can be drawn when comparing these characters; both are presented as outsiders, have family problems, no respectable status and are bullied by peers and elders.  With all this repression it would be instinct for Jane and Billy to try their utmost to conform to expectations but the writers create quite the opposite.  Both characters are individuals and, at times, defiant and outspoken.  Yet amongst all these similarities there are many differences; Jane Eyre is a classic novel written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847 and Billy Casper was created by Barry Hines more than a century later, in 1968.

        

Both characters are very much presented as outsiders, so their relationships with other characters, generally, are not of friendship or companionship, rather relationships of association.  However there are friendships that develop through the story.  Billy’s friendship is evident from the title of the book: “A Kestrel for a Knave.”  Jane Eyre, on the other hand, finds solace in another girl at Lowood called Helen Burns.  Later when Helen falls ill, Jane finds friendship in a girl named Mary Ann Wilson and they both spends pleasant times with Miss Temple, a teacher.

Originally Billy spent time, causing trouble, with a group of lads from his class.  The lads did not seem over interested with Billy, this is evident from their actions and speech; when they said they were going nesting with Billy, they didn’t turn up, leaving Billy on his own.  In this way the author presents Billy as an outsider.  In class, after Billy had been asked to tell a story about himself, the lads all talked to Mr Farthing, the teacher, about Billy, yet again depicting him as an outsider.  Billy finds a kestrel and rears it, Kes, as Billy calls her, becomes a very close friend and Billy finds himself consuming all his spare time with her.  This presents Billy as an outsider from several viewpoints; he is no longer spending time with the other lads and is alone.  What he is instead doing is raising a kestrel which is a very unusual thing to be doing, especially when peers are hanging around getting in to trouble with the police.  It has a subconscious effect in the readers mind; because Billy is doing something unexpected and unusual, it singles him out as different.  Billy’s relationship with his relatives, mum and brother, are not warm either; they frequently ask Billy to do jobs, or errands, for them, without once considering the effects it may have on Billy.  On one occasion Billy was left a note to put a bet on for Jud, his brother.  After consulting men at the bookmakers Billy decided there was not a high chance of Jud winning, so he went out and spent the money on himself.  Unfortunately the particular horse did win, so, Jud, understandably, was extremely annoyed.  When he couldn’t take his anger out on Billy he took it out on the hawk.  Billy’s only and closest companion was dead.  The relationships, as described, and the results from them allow the author create him as “unattached” consequently his “outsider” image is created.  Billy’s friends recognise this too:

Join now!

“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; ...

This is a preview of the whole essay