Jane herself is very clear about the sort of demeanour that is required of a governess. When Rochester has guests at Thornfield, she knows she must “shrink into the shade”. She is expected to be present in the drawing room in the evening but not take part in the conversation unless directly addressed. She frequently refers to the plainness of her dress, and sometimes to her own lack of physical beauty, as appropriate to a governess. When she thinks she is about to marry Rochester, she is not really surprised at Mrs Fairfax’s opinion that it is unwise for her to move out of her own class and into his.
Brocklehurst preaches hell, fire and damnation. The concept of being good and God-fearing is extended to include all sorts of social virtues, such as being clean and neat, respecting your elders, acknowledging your place in the class structure and being obedient to anyone in a more powerful position. Telling people, especially children, that it will keep them out of hell, can best ensure this sort of behaviour. Furthermore, they are more likely to gain salvation if they submit to constant punishment for every misdemeanour.
Helen Burns is an example of someone who has absorbed the ideas presented at Lowood and within the book, represents acceptance of duty and self-denial. Jane admires it but is also baffled by it. Her own proud and rebellious spirit would not let her submit of the sort of bullying which Helen accepts and even welcomes as a punishment.
Helen has faults. She is very untidy and sometimes inattentive in class. For these, she is punished severely particularly by Miss Scatcherd but she bears with fortitude, and without complaint, any cruelty and punishment. Jane struggles with this idea and believes that no-one should have to suffer this oppression and cruelty – “When we are struck at without reason, we should strike back again very hard.”
Helen presents her with an alternative Christian view in that we should bear any amount of suffering in this world in order to benefit in the afterlife, and “love your enemies”. Jane on the other hand, does not accept things merely as they are and wishes to explore and understand them, demonstrating her independence of mind. Jane’s own sense of self allows her to think for herself and not slavishly adhere to the opinions of others.
One of the aspects of Helen Burns’ saintliness is that she seems to have accepted this idea without resentment. She accepts punishment from Miss Scatcherd in a way that amazes Jane. Jane cannot sympathise with it, although she says she knows Helen may be right and she herself may be wrong. She does not ponder on the matter. Jane wants to take time to reflect on, and gain inspiration from, her friend’s humility. Helen’s tolerance taught Jane to endure the same criticism from Blanche when she attempted to humiliate her in front of Rochester. Jane does not respond which would have satisfied Ingram’s intention to provoke and leave herself more open to ridicule.
This problem between what is natural and what is dutiful, recurs throughout the novel. When Jane knows that Rochester loves her, she is in a state of sublime happiness. “My future husband was becoming my whole world……. almost my hope of heaven”. She soon realises that she is making Rochester into an idol and to Jane this was a fearful sin, obscuring her view of God.
After the interrupted wedding and, having learned of Bertha’s existence, the prospects of a bigamous relationship, - although Rochester wants them to live together, to continue a life of sin, - Jane realises that she must keep her self respect, a virtue, along with common sense which was instilled in her by Helen. “I care for myself….. I will respect myself” and “I will keep the laws given by God”. The next day, Jane flees from Thornfield and eventually into the life and arms of St John Rivers.
Jane cannot tolerate his idea of love. His unfeeling comment appals her. “Enough of love would follow upon marriage to render the union right even in your eyes”. Jane realises that she is in danger of putting duty before love and rejects her self-sacrifice of marriage to St John and the life of a missionary, to seek out the man whose past life has challenged the whole structure of her religious and moral code but whom she knows she can never cease to love.
Jane has great inner resources of strength and determination. She refuses to accept the belief of Helen and St John that she should sacrifice happiness on earth in order to get to heaven. This inner strength also supported her through her trials on the moors and of course is manifest in her refusal of St John.
Although the main emphasis at Lowood was on religious instruction, the girls were also taught humility, obedience and forgiveness. Somehow the virtues of tidiness, cleanliness and self-denial were also linked into this and treated as religious virtues. Jane frequently uses God’s name, turns to Him for guidance and seeks forgiveness when she feels she has fallen short of her duty. This teaching of forgiveness compels Jane to return to Mrs Reed’s deathbed.
Mrs Reed had failed three years ago to tell Jane that an uncle had wanted her to join him in Madeira and she had informed him that “Jane Eyre was dead”. Although Mrs Reed still hated Jane, her conscience had forced her to clear her mind of this ill action before she could die. Jane tells her aunt to think no more of it and “to regard me with kindness and forgiveness……”. Aunt Reed couldn’t understand why Jane reacted like this now when she had been treated so cruelly at Gateshead. Jane replied by saying “I am passionate, but not vindictive…..Love me, or hate me……..you have my full and free forgiveness”. This is reminiscent of Helen’s statement “Excuse your tormentor on the grounds that life appears too short to be spent nursing animosity and registering wrongs”.
Even though Jane had been “tormented” in her early life, she did not treat Adele similarly or punish her for being inattentive or absent-minded. Comparisons could be made between Jane’s relationship with Miss Temple at Lowood and now with Adele at Thornfield Hall. At Lowood, Miss Temple “stood me in the stead of mother, governess and latterly companion” and now Jane was providing this same service to Adele, but not necessarily in that same order.
From the day Miss Temple left, Jane was no longer the same. The “settled feeling” had gone, the feeling that had made Lowood “a home”. Jane continues, “I was quiet. I believed I was content. To the eyes of others…..I appeared a disciplined and subdued character”. That same evening Jane’s attitude had changed and she felt that …….”a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had the courage to go forth…….to seek real knowledge of life amidst its perils”.
Each new setting brings on more challenges and more negative feelings to Jane. As she moves through these bad experiences, she learns how better to deal with them and ultimately, she is satisfied. In her arrival at Ferndean, her salvation, Jane finally breaks away from her restraints and has the freedom she always wanted.
Lowood presents Jane with contrasting views of religious experience (those of Brocklehurst and Helen Burns). She gained more of a religious understanding from Helen than she did from Brocklehurst as she could not put her faith in a hypocrite. However she could never quite shake his persuasions e.g. her wedding attire.
The novel ends happily. Jane has proven her independence and has been able to marry the man she loves. She has earned her happiness without violating her integrity or her conscience and both her longing for love and her self-fulfilment have been realised.
REFERENCES/ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Jane Eyre – Contemporary Critical Essays - Heather Glen 1997
Jane Eyre – York Notes for GCSE – York Press 2002
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë – Penguin Popular Classics
Internet Notes – www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/1994