Also within these early years, there is a lot of pathetic fallacy falling back again, on the whole idea of the atmosphere being cold and dark.
She does not experience love at Gateshead, however because she is so eager to be loved she secretly adopts one of the Reeds household maids called Bessie as her mother figure. As Bessie takes the role of Jane’s mother figure, she calms her depression with her appearance and affection. This quote describes how Jane saw her:
“…Bessie’s presence, compared with the thoughts over which I had been brooding, seemed cheerful, even though, as usual, she was some-what cross…I was disposed to bask in her youthful lightness of heart...”
Jane feels warm around Bessie and even though she doesn’t receive the genuine motherly affection from Bessie; she is willing to see the warmer side. The statement shows that even though Bessie was ‘some-what cross’, Jane was eager to see the good behind or through the bad.
Bessie and Jane embraced in a kiss at one point, and I think this was significant to Jane, because it was an exchange of affection and love between them. She also ends the chapter with:
“…Even for me life had its gleams of sunshine…”
This statement proves Jane’s need and appreciation for love; I think that Bessie could be seen as the sunshine, seeing as she also brought warmth into Jane’s life.
However, when Jane moves to Lowood, Bessie is no longer upholding the position of Jane’s mother. Due to this, Jane again is lonely and desperate for a new start. She then ‘adopts’ the headmistress of Lowood, Ms. Temple as her surrogate mother. Jane does this because there is an air of respect and authority about Ms. Temple, as it quotes: “…the whole school rose simultaneously, as if moved by a common spring…for I retain yet the sense of admiring awe with which my eyes traced her steps…”
Before Jane even gets acquainted with Ms. Temple she is already warmed towards her. Here is a quote which describes Jane’s emotions when Ms. Temple spoke to her:
“…The kind whisper went to my heart like a dagger…”
This shows that even the slightest sign of speech or affection from Ms. Temple is easily absorbed by Jane.
Jane also finds herself a friend, Helen Burns, who shows Jane the wider aspect to religion and how to look at life optimistically. Jane admires both Ms. Temple and Helen, and I think these two figures gave a strong approach to the changing of Jane’s personality. Through them, she became accomplished, content and self contained; this was a major changing point from a misled young girl, to a structured young woman.
In the novel, religion is a large part of who Jane is. Throughout her childhood, her knowledge of religion expands widely, reflecting upon her personality and mental appearance.
Jane was aware of Christianity however once encountering Helen Burns, she then learnt how to apply the teachings of Christianity upon herself.
At one point Helen quotes this:
“…and observe what Christ says…love your enemies, bless them that curse you…”
I think that this quote effected Jane’s views for her future to come, because later on in her life when Mrs. Reed requests to see Jane; Jane pays her visits respectfully even though she hates her.
When Helen preaches to Jane, she absorbs all the information and applies it to her future life. At one point we can see that the preaching’s also calm Jane; as it quotes: “…I was silent: Helen had calmed me…”
This indicates that religion meant a lot more to Jane than just guidelines but also as a sort of friend, when in need. The novel is seen to be written by Jane after the events have occurred, showing the significance and the impact of Helen’s friendship and wisdom to Jane.
Religion is also used in a harsh and foul way towards Jane, through Mr. Brocklehurst; as he once quoted publicly:
“…the Evil One had already found a servant and agent in her…who might be one of God’s lambs is a castaway…the native of a Christian land, worse than many…”
He is humiliating Jane, using her religion against her and isolating her from looking into Christianity for help, seeing as she is the epitome of a bad Christian in his eyes.
Right from her childhood, Jane experiences a strong divide in society or mainly between herself and the family. She is constantly reminded of what position she holds in the family and I think this possibly might foreshadow Jane’s rebelliousness when she falls in love with her ‘master’. This is because she ignores the fact that they are ‘master’ and ‘employee’ as such, but she tries to accept them both as equal in an acceptable sense.
Jane reads ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, at the start of the novel. The fact that she is reading this specific book can signify an underlying message of the ‘hierarchy’, before the reader actually encounters it. This is because when Gulliver encounters the Giant, he is somewhat less than him, in strength and physique. Jane could represent Gulliver in more than one sense, seeing as she will be going on her adventure to Lowood Institution etc. and John could represent the Giant.
This is a quote that John Reed (her cousin) said to her: “ …You are a dependant, mama says: you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and no to live here with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals as we do, and wear clothes at mama’s expense…”
This shows that John, is directly informing her of her position within the household, and referring several times to quotes his mother may have used. This shows that it wasn’t a childish bullying statement, but one that began from the mother.
This statement shows that even the servants see her place within the household:
“…No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep…”
This atmosphere around her, is cold and divided steeply even between herself and the house maids. Jane has done nothing wrong, but by the simple fact that the image of this ‘hierarchy’ is constantly repeated to her, she is made to believe that she has.
This is a quote that states what could easily break the hierarchy that Jane is placed into:
“…If Jane were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness…”
It shows that the superficial image, for the perfect child would have to be beautiful. The fact that Charlotte Brontë made Jane into an unconventional heroine, made a very powerful point.
Charlotte however, makes Jane realise that she is not that ‘conventional child’, therefore making her state this:
“…I know that if I had been a sanguine, brilliant, careless, exacting, handsome, romping child – though equally dependant and friendless – Mrs. Reed would have endured my presence more complacently…”
This description that Jane gives to the reader, is the typical ‘conventional child’, who is beautiful and joyful. Jane is a strong willed, passionate, stubborn and rather small and plain character who opposes the identity of a conventional child.
Jane is deprived of certain things during her childhood, in some ways she is physically starved whilst in others she is mentally starved.
Whilst living amongst her ‘family’ she is deprived of affection and most of all love. Due to this, when she moves to Lowood Institution, she is eager to feel affection and love, however at the same time she is physically tired and deprived of comfort. This almost seems like whatever better choice she may make for herself there is always some sort of a sacrifice to make. For example; she lived comfortably in luxury, however she was not surrounded by love in Gateshead; but in Lowood she was deprived of luxuries, but she did experience affection and love.
At one point when Jane is reading a book, there are some statements that may suggest certain points that are happening in the present, or are to happen in the future.
For example, the quote describing the vignettes:
“…to the cold and ghastly moon glancing through bars of a cloud at a wreck just sinking…”
This perhaps suggests to the reader that she cannot fulfil her ambitions and is even deprived of doing so; as this idea could represent the quote: “a wreck just sinking.”
Jane is physically and mentally isolated in different situations. At the beginning of her childhood, she is a penniless orphan who was forced to live in the charity of others (Reed household). Due to this, she is on the borderline of an aristocratic wealthy family, and a poor second class citizen. Therefore, this makes her isolated right from the start, because she does not fit into one of the other two societies or sectors.
At the start of the novel, isolation is immediately shown, while Jane is observing some books. She herself is enclosed between the window seat and curtains.
In this case isolation to her is seen like some kind of freedom away from her unloving family. The colour red is repeated several times during her childhood period. Red, as a general colour can be portrayed as love, anger, passion, hate etc. The colour of the curtains that she draws around her, to isolate herself are described as, “red moreen”.
She is seen like an animal, which should be isolated from society and treated like one. As John once quoted: “You Rat!” and the servants also once stated:
“…She’s like a mad cat…”
Due to this, she is locked in the Red Room like an animal, in a cage, forcefully isolated from the world.
The point of isolation within her life which affected her the most was in the ‘Red Room’. This line states the start of her isolation in the Red Room:
“…They went, shutting the door, and locking it behind them…”
In the book, this sentence was also isolated which gave effect to the position of Jane at that present moment; it also makes a parallel with the literacy use and the context of the sentence.
Due to her isolation, she is also mentally imprisoned within her own mind. She is confused in her mind and she questions many aspects of her life. She quotes: “Unjust - unjust!” at this point she is talking to herself; because she is having a mental battle of psychological pressure .Whilst in the red room, there was more use of pathetic fallacy as it quotes:
“…Daylight began to forsake the Red Room…”
This change happens before Jane has her fit, thickening the layer of suspense and emotional imprisonment, in the dark shadowed room.
When Jane encounters Helen for the first time, Helen is sitting alone- isolated reading on a bench. I think that Jane is more familiar with this image of loneliness therefore she has the urge to talk to Helen. There is an underlying use of pathetic fallacy within this scene. This is because as Jane is outside, she is alone and literally in the cold weather as well as in herself .However when she is inside with Helen, she is literally warm in both senses.
When reading through the book, I linked together some of my observations to create a possible theory.
I realised that beside other significant meanings throughout the book, the colour red, was something that kept appearing throughout. When reading over the incidents when the colour red was mentioned, I noticed that soon after something uncomfortable or bad was going to happen to her. This could mean that the colour red forsee’s danger for Jane.
The first incident, was when Jane was on the window seat enclosed by a thick “moreen red” curtain. Soon after, John came and found her only to abuse her.
The second incident, was in the ‘red room’. Whilst she was within the room, she experienced an unforgettable feeling that would never leave her.
The third incident, was when Jane was sitting in a large room as a break from the long coach journey to Lowood Institution. Even though she only briefly describes the room, she mentioned the fact that there was a “little red gallery” above her. I think this sign of red, foreshadows the hurt that she receives from Mr. Brocklehurst and the uncomfortable, poor conditions of Lowood.
Bedrooms also seem an intimate and significant part of Jane’s upbringing because many life changing things happen to her in them.
Firstly, she is locked in the red room, which is a very significant and emotionally turning point in her life- something that she would never forget.
Secondly, Helen Burns dies within the bedroom of Ms. Temple. This is very significant to Jane, because Helen was the only person that Jane truly admired and loved at that time and for her to die was definitely an unforgettable experience.
Thirdly, in her adult life she experienced the near death of Mr. Rochester with the fire in his bedroom; as well as the encounter of Bertha Mason within her own.
I have noticed that ‘bedrooms’ and the colour ‘red’ are two significant subjects that keep passing throughout the novel. Therefore combining the two could result in an even more dreadful or emotional scene. This does happen, within the ‘Red Room’, which was inevitably a very emotional and scarring event for Jane.
The themes portrayed in Jane Eyre’s childhood, shaped her adult life. This is because at the present, she explains vividly the events that have occurred to her and have made a significant mark in her memory. Her childhood is some what confusing and during the course of her growing up, she moulded herself into a lady who consisted of all the events and pieces of advice she gained from others.
The first 10 chapters are like a process diary of the evolution from the dependant girl, to the independent woman Jane Eyre.
