What is your opinion of Mr. Brocklehurst?

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What is your opinion of Mr. Brocklehurst?

Is he a Christian do-gooder who wants to educate children or an evil tyrant who enjoys torturing children?

Analyse his treatment of the pupils at Lowood, the system and the opinions of others about him and the school

Is there any good in Lowood?

Carla Haughey VC

Jane’s first meeting with Mr. Brocklehurst is set up through the image of the “stiff” unyielding door-handle, which is perhaps hinting at Brocklehurst’s character. Jane’s first impression of Brocklehurst is that of a “black pillar,” a “straight, narrow, sable-clad shape standing erect on the rug; the grim face at the top was like a carved mask.”

 Jane’s description of this “stony stranger” makes him appear cold and stone-like. His features and “all the lines of his frame were equally harsh and prim,” he has an arrogant, rigid disposition. Jane’s humorous description of Brocklehurst’s face echoes that of the wolf in Red Riding Hood, “What a face he had … what a great nose! And what a mouth! And what large prominent teeth,” these wolf-like qualities show Brocklehurst’s predatory nature.

    It is ironic that Brocklehurst who appears to be a religious man, uses his religious beliefs to scare children, his favourite part of Christianity seems to be Hell. Brocklehurst tells Jane that if she “were to be called hence” she would fall into “a pit full of fire” and burn there forever. Brocklehurst is the one with no feelings which is ironic as he accuses Jane of having a “wicked heart” and tells her that she should pray to God to take away her “heart of stone and give her a heart of flesh”.

  Mrs. Reed tells Brocklehurst to “guard against her worst fault, a tendency to deceit,” to which Brocklehurst replies that “ all liars will have their portion in the lake burning with fire and brimstone;” again using his beliefs to scare Jane. Mrs. Reed deliberately

ruins Jane’s chances for a new life away from Gateshead  - she is blacklisted before she has even arrived at Lowood. Mrs Reed wants Jane to be kept “humble” and “useful.” Brocklehurst already hints at his hypocrisy in humility – he has “studied how best to mortify in them (the pupils at Lowood) the worldly sentiment to pride” while his own daughters are spoilt and indulged.

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 Before leaving Brocklehurst gives Jane an “account of the awfully sudden death of Martha G-, a naughty child addicted to falsehood and deceit,” again trying to scare her with his beliefs.

  Pathetic fallacy is used in describing Jane’s arrival at Lowood  “rain, wind and darkness filled the air.” Lowood aimed to prepare impoverished girls for a life of self-denial and submission by breaking their spirits with severe frugality, continuous punishment and repression.

     Brocklehurst encourages humility in the girls and they are kept drearily and “uniformly dressed in brown stuff frocks of quaint fashion,” which was “insufficient to ...

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