EXAMINE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JANE EYRE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HELEN BURNS

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EXAMINE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JANE EYRE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HELEN BURNS

Jane Eyre is a classical novel written in 1947 by Charlotte Bronte, who at the time was also known as “Currer Bell”. This timeless piece is based on the life of an orphaned girl named Jane Eyre who begins her life under the care of an Aunt, Mrs. Reed. Both Jane’s parents have died within only a year of her birth leaving Mrs. Reed with the responsibility of Jane’s well being. However, Mrs. Reeds treatment towards Jane is purely absurd and only provides the child with the bare necessities of life, such as food, clothes and shelter.

Her Aunt as well as her only cousins resent Jane. She is an outcast, but nevertheless at only the age of 10, she stays strong and endures all brutality and criticism. Her strong sense of justice leaves her high spirited and firm, which unfortunately she reveals through severe temper outbursts. Mrs. Reed is horrified by this undisciplined behaviour and therefore arranges for Jane to be sent away to a sever charity boarding school; Lowood. Conditions at this school are unjust, leaving Jane’s life extremely difficult to bare at first. Lowood is run by a cold-hearted and cruel man names Mr. Brocklehurst, who insists on punishing Jane without any proof that she has done anything wrong. Remembering the fact that she is an attentive child, Jane tries her ultimate best to endure these circumstances, which in the end she succeeds in.

On her first night at the school, she meets a young companion named Helen. Helen teaches Jane how to love, care and look after others and encourages her to think beyond this life to god. Jane learns to value Helen’s patient, tolerate approach to life, and begins to respect her as a best friend until one night, Helen dies an unfortunate death due to the poor conditions of Lowood School. She dies of consumption and Jane is left alone with Helen dead in her arms.

The importance of friendship is considered a significant element throughout this noel. Soon after Jane Eyre joined Lowood, she meets Helen Burns, She was the only person who was consistently nice to Jane. Ever since the first night when Helen provided Jane with food, Jane realized that Helen was a kind-hearted and noble person and decided therefore that Helen was her first and best friend.

In contrast to Helen’s personality, Jane has the total opposite approach to life. She is short tempered and will say what she thinks despite the circumstances. She is sincere, straightforward and does not fear to articulate her point of view however fallacious it may be.

One factor of “Jane Eye” which interests the reader is the relationship between Jane, her Aunt and her cousins, compared to Jane’s relationship with Helen. Despite the blood relation between Jane and her aunt and cousins, they treat Jane with sincere disrespect and animosity.

“Then Mrs. Reed subjoined: ‘Take her away to the red-room, and lock her in there’. Four hands were immediately laid upon me, and I was borne upstairs”.

Jane’s Aunt is a selfish woman and despite knowing the fact that Jane has no other relative, she still lacks any sympathetic feeling towards her. Jane is seen as some sort of ‘inferior’ human being in her Aunt’s eyes who lacks discipline. The attitude of Jane’s cousins is exactly the same as her aunts and this is mainly because of her aunt poisoning the children’s’ minds against Jane. They have been brought up to hate Jane and treat her unfairly.

Helen’s attitude towards Jane is entirely adverse to this. In fact, Helen treats Jane as if she is a blood relative hence the readers feeling that roles have been reversed. Ever since the first night of Jane’s arrival at the boarding school, Helen’s compassion was distinguished.Mr. Brocklehurst, the man in charge of Lowood, punishes Jane on her first night at the school by isolating her from her peers and banishing her from food for one day. This is the point where Helen shows her kind-heartedness and affection as she quietly provides Jane with food. Considering the fact that Helen and Jane barely know each other shows how good natured Helen is by providing for Jane in this way. Also, the fact that Helen is three years older than Jane does not get in the way of their friendship, which shows further strength between the relationships of the two girls

We learn throughout this story the way in which Jane and Helen’s opinions correspond as well as the way they differ. Both girls have fervent opinions on life and high ideals.

Although they are alike in many ways, Helen and Jane have very different attitudes to life. Helen believes that everything happens for a reason and in the end we all got to a better place. She is a patient and humble human being and accepts the fact that people are suffering.

“Read the New Testament, and observe what Christ says, and how he acts; make his word your rule, and his conduct your example”

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However unpleasant and unkind a person might be, Helen does not seem to create any hatred towards them and just accepts their behaviour as ordinary and something that everyone should learn to accept. In a way, she could be seen as a rather optimistic character due to her always trying to see the good things In life, and her firm belief in god and the after life strengthens this element a fair deal.

On the other hand, Jane abominates people with a malicious nature. Her character believes that any sort of insensitive behaviour from one human being towards another ...

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