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 is absurd. Her strong sense of equality leaves her character believing that this form of behaviour is not to be tolerated therefore this is why Jane does not prevent herself from speaking her mind.
“Then I should love Mrs. Reed, which I cannot do; I should bless her son John, which is impossible”
This quotation shows Jane’s determination to stick to her opinion and the readers are given the impression that she is very strong minded and is not willing to change her opinion whatever situation she is in.
In a particular part in this novel, the harshness of Miss Scratcherd’s behaviour is revealed. Miss Scratcherd, a teacher at Lowood, decides to punish both Jane and Helen regardless of having a legitimate reason to do so. Both characters, Jane and Helen have extremely different reactions when faced with this situation. Helen, who preaches the virtue of forgiveness, lets Miss Sctratcherd’s treatment pass without any attempt to defend herself.
“Love your enemies”
Miss Scratcherd’s punishment was clearly unjust; therefore this statement made by Helen proves the fact that Helen, in most circumstances, is willing to condone any unfair behaviour performed towards herself or others around her. However, this is not because she feels that unlawful treatment is appropriate because she disapproves of this, but again because of her strong belief in forgiveness. The reader’s of this novel may be able to notice this belief of Helen’s from the way her language is spoken and the way she acts around others.
In contrast to this, Jane’s reaction to Miss Scratcherd’s behaviour is a disgusted motion. Jane strongly disagrees with Helen’s response to the teacher’s unfair punishment and personally I think that Jane is puzzled at why Helen accepts this sort of manipulation.
“When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard”
This tells us the exact feelings of Jane. She feels that if someone treats another being disrespectfully, they should not be forgiven but in fact should be revenged on. She stands up firmly for her rights and defends her beliefs for equality to a great degree.
Jane was obviously stupefied by hearing Helen’s response to Miss Scratcherd. The fact that Helen insists on forgiving Miss Scratcherd, in a sense irritates Jane, as she does not understand why Helen acts in this way. Jane’s firm belief of self-respect and defence makes her find Helen’s ideas, to a certain extent, deficient and abnormal. Jane cannot relate to Helen’s thoughts in this matter, therefore stays attached to her own prospects.
In a later stage of the novel, Mr. Brocklehurst shows up Jane in the presence of the students of Lowood School. She has been branded a liar, as undisciplined and extremely disrespectful. To Jane, this experience was seen as humiliating and degrading. She is worried of what other people will think of her now that she has been accused of being shameful. Jane does not want any sort of negative image being created in the minds of her fellow classmates and does not want to be portrayed as a spiteful child. This shows how Jane values the good opinion of other people. To an extent, the readers are given the impression that maybe sometimes Jane might do things just to please other people rather than herself.
After Mr. Brocklehurst’s visit, Helen does her duty as a friend and comforts Jane. Here is where we see how the two girls’ thoughts differ again. In contrast to how Jane feels about what other people think of her, Helen believes I personal integrity and believes that everything should be done only to please oneself.
“It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a nasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you; and besides, the Bible bids us to return good for evil”
She does not agree with the way Jane would rather please other people than herself and tries to comfort Jane by expressing her opinions on this matter. Helen has faith in the notion that one should feel a sense of goodness and righteousness when performing their actions, regardless of what other people may think. Jane on the other hand values the good opinion of other people and is greatly affected by how people think of her.
“And if I were in your place, I should dislike her; I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose.”
Later on in the novel, the relationship between Miss Temple and Helen is revealed. When Jane has tea with Miss Temple and Helen, she begins to admire their relationship. Jane is fascinated by the love that they share and their intellectual conversations.
“Miss Temple embraced us both, saying, as she drew us to her heart-‘God bless you, my children!’”
Here we can all tell that Miss Temple is a loving character and has an independent mind. We can assume this is because of their education and belief in god.
“Helen, she held a little longer than me; she let her go more reluctantly. It was Helen her eye followed to the door; it was for her she a second time breathed a sad sigh; for her she wiped a tear from her cheek”
This quotation shows how much affection Miss Temple has towards Helen and Jane. The fact that Miss Temple follows Helen around the room with a tear in her eye, tells the reader that Miss Temple knows just how ill Helen is. This creates fear in Miss Temple’s mind, which shows us just how much love Miss Temple has. Jane also realises this, which makes her admire both Helen and Miss Temple and realises how important education can be
Helen’s death is a very emotive part of the story and Charlotte Bronte makes her death extraordinarily moving. In the space of just a short while, Jane and Helen have become the best of friends and the audience are given the impression that they only have each other and rely upon one another. By making Helen die such a moving death, leaves the reader feeling sorry for her departure, as well as creating more emotion for Jane aswell. Jane’s only true companion has now left her and Jane is left all alone.
Helen is young, bright and attentive and unfortunately knows that she is going to die. Surprisingly, Helen has learnt how to accept death with tremendous ease.
“ ‘I believe; I have faith. I am going to god.’
‘Where is god? What is god?’
‘My maker and yours, who will never destroy what he created. I rely implicitly on his power, and confide, wholly in his goodness: I count the hours till that eventful one arrives which shall restore me to him, reveal him to me.’ ”
I Helen’s view, she is certain that she will go to heaven after her death. She believes everyone will go to a better place; therefore that is why she accepts suffering. Helen takes on all the grief and hurt in life in hope that there is a place waiting for her and others, which will repay them of all the pain they have suffered in their previous life. She has faith in god, and this is the main factor of why she accepts death so easily.
Jane shows her affection and gratitude toward Helen in various ways throughout her life in the novel. As Helen lays on her deathbed breathing her last breaths, Jane remains bolted to her side, giving her courage and support right until the very end of Helen’s life.
Despite the fact that she is only a ten-year-old child, who stereotypically would not have had a care in the world, Jane had enough maturity to show her affection and care. This shows that Helen must have had a tremendous impact on Jane’s life and Helen obviously meant a great deal to Jane.
Jane continues to show her love towards Helen later on in life aswell.
“Her grave is in Brocklebridge Churchyard: for fifteen years after her death it was only covered by a grassy mound; but now a gray marble tablet marks the spot, inscribed with her name, and the word ‘Resurgam’”
This proves that even in Jane’s later life, she still remembers Helen, which shows the reader how much affect Helen really did have on Jane.
The concept of this novel is that throughout, Jane Eyre narrates it in the first person. However, in this specific story, this does not necessarily mean that the narrator knows of every element that might occur later on in the novel. The audiences are able to speculate at many elements that Jane Eyre does not yet know of. One of the main examples of this is the way in which Charlotte Bronte steers her readers so that they are made aware of and prepared for Helen’s death.
“When, having done speaking, she breathed a little fast, and coughed a short coughed, I momentarily forgot my own sorrows to yield to a vague concern for her”
This shows the reader that Jane is aware that Helen is not well, however she does not realize how ill Helen in actual fact was. Bronte persistently hints of Helen’s illness throughout the novel, which makes this element more obvious to the audience. In addition to this, Bronte’s contemporaries would recognise the deadly symptoms of TB, which was very common within Lowood at the time. Nevertheless, Jane does not know that Helen is going to die.
The language used by Charlotte Bronte whilst writing this novel would have been perfectly simple for someone of an older audience to comprehend, however, the language of the novel can seem fairly abstruse and confusing for a modern reader to understand.
“I could still not comprehend this doctrine of endurance and still less could I understand or sympathise with the forbearance she expressed for her chastiser”
This quotation is an example of how Jane is feeling. Nowadays, we would be more likely to use rather more straightforward language if we were to say this therefore a modern reader may not be able to perceive what is trying to be said. In addition to this fact, some words are very long and complicated and certain phrases are used which are not familiar to us. We can see how language has changed over time.
The writer expresses Helen’s patient and preserving nature through her style of language.
“It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you; and besides, the Bible bids us return good for evil”
As this quotation reveals, Helen uses language in a considerate and solemn way. By making Helen’s personality this way, Charlotte Bronte has made the element of Helen and Jane’s friendship more compelling to read about considering how Jane’s personality contrasts with that of Helen’s.
Different feelings of the characters are expressed in a specific way throughout ‘Jane Eyre’. Charlotte Bronte uses weather to reflect upon the various emotions of the character for example when Jane is on her way to Lowood.
“ The afternoon came on wet and somewhat misty: as it waned into dusk…”
This kind of unpleasant weather suggests that Jane Eyre is feeling quite depressed and uncertain. This is the pathetic fallacy.
“I heard a wild wind rushing amongst trees”
This quotation is creating the image of a daunting and eerie atmosphere in the minds of the reader and immediately the reader assumes that Jane’s feelings at this stage are most probably going to be of her feeling slightly cared and intimidated by the conditions.
In contrast to these feelings, Jane Eyre shows emotions of happiness and comfort. In chapter 8, Jane is in Miss Temple’s rooms.
“Some heavy clouds, swept from the sky by a rising wind, had left the moon bare; and her light, streaming in through a window near…”
In this quotation, Jane is telling us how bright the moon is as it enters through a window. The moon creates bright light that suggests hope and good expectations. As both Helen and Jane enter the living room of miss Temple, they are greeted with a warm fire burning in the background
“We reached her apartment; it contained a good fire, and looked cheerful.”
This shows a sense of comfort and pleasure within the atmosphere around the room. Jane is describing the warmth and opulence of the individual fire, which shows that Jane is feeling at ease and a sense of tranquility. It Is as if herself and Helen are feeling this way for the first time throughout their time at Lowood.
Charlotte Bronte applies this use of pathetic fallacy throughout the whole novel to express the true feelings and emotions of the characters.
Charlotte Bronte has already made the audience aware of Jane and Helen’ opposing personalities and attitudes to life. Although this aspect is present throughout the entire novel, both characters are brought up to be acutely literate. Nevertheless, they both have their individual interests on what they read which reflect their totally contrasting attitudes to life.
“…there, kneeling by the high wire fender, I found Burns, absorbed, silent, abstracted from all round her by the companionship of a nook, which she read by the dim glare of the embers”
This quotation clearly tells us that Helen sees reading as a wonderful hobby and enjoys it to full extent.
“…Abstracted from all round her by the companionship of a book…”
We can see that Helen does not need the existence of her peers or anyone else infact as long as she has a good book to be absorbed in. She his at ease with herself, and prefers to stay out of everyone’s way by keeping herself occupied in this way. She does not find in necessary to be surrounded by friends to talk to, as long as she has literacy to relax with.
In comparison to Helen’s preference in literature, Jane has an entirely different taste in books.
“Rassalas looked dull to my trifling taste, I saw nothing about fairies or genii; no bright variety seemed to spread over the closely-printed pages. I returned it to her.”
Jane tells the audience how she repels from a book Helen was reading at the time. ‘Rassalas’ is a novel that suggests that the best was to cope with life is to be patient and accept one’s fate. This novel relates immensely to the attitude Helen has towards life and reflects her personality. On the other hand, Jane finds this sort of novel boring and she herself states that the novel ‘looked dull to my trifling taste’. Jane prefers rather more bright and imaginative literature; to an extent fairytales. This is not surprising to the reader, as Jane has already portrayed her personality as being outgoing and strong minded. Jane is not expected to like a book such as ‘Rassalas’ purely due to the fact that the teaching of the book contrasts to the beliefs of Jane.
Charlotte Bronte creates a certain admiration towards Helen Burns throughout the novel. She develops Helen’s ability to deal with punishment to a great extent, which establishes admiration for Helen from the audience.
“I expected she would show signs of great distress and shame; but to my surprise she neither wept nor blushed. Composed through grave, she stood, the central mark of all eyes”
This shows how Helen is willing to put all her feelings behind her and forget all harsh punishments.
Helen plays an extremely important part in the novel. Although she is apparent only in the opening chapters of the novel, she presence is still felt in later stages of the story.
Helen is an effective representation of goodness. The fact that she accepts suffering and punishment, not only makes the audience feel admiration for her, but they feel that they are, to some extent, involved in the novel since Charlotte Bronte deals with such realistic situations. This immediately attaches the reader to the novel.
Also, Helen’s strong belief and faith in her religion provides her character with strength as well as determination.
Helen was a good friend to Jane throughout her time in the novel. As we have already found out, Helen’s behaviour is a total contrast to that of Jane’s. However, as the novel develops, so does the behaviour of Jane. She is taught self-control and discipline and is shown how to behave in an orderly manner in the presence of others; Helen taught all this.
“Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it; it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear”
How a young girl can have such a positive attitude towards life, intrigues the readers along with the way Helen tries to transform Jane into a rather more civilized human being.
The behaviour and attitude of Jane is rather like a modern audience as her thoughts are independent and liberated whereas Helen is the opposite of this. Due to this fact, in many ways, Helen reflects the image of the ideal nineteenth century woman mainly because of the reason that she is submissive. She is obedient and chooses to tolerate anything she is faced with.
As modern readers, we would find the perspective of Jane perfectly natural as she believes in personal justice, however some contemporary readers may disagree with this. This kind of behaviour was absurd therefore Jane would have been seen as ungrateful and a bad example to citizens of previous times. Jane would have been looked at with detest as her demeanor was seen as an ultimate iniquity.
Although Helen would have been the ideal nineteenth century woman in many cases, one thing about her character would have been frowned upon: the fact that she was an intelligent young lady. Helen was always seen as studious and hard working but this was not always admired in a nineteenth century woman. This is mainly because people feared a woman not stereotypically toeing the line and they felt education progressed but poisoned the mind; made women more strong-minded and independent; a lot like Jane’s behaviour, which was disapproved of my the audience back then.
Charlotte Bronte has produced this novel to great success by dealing with different factors, which can relate to a wide range of audiences. Her two main characters, Jane and Helen, are both created to have opposing personalities. This is done to create tension and interest throughout the story. In my opinion, I think that the attitude of Helen is rather unacceptable. I say this because Helen accepts everything she is faced with-especially punishment whereas Jane believes I justice and sticking up for her views. It may be said that I agree with Jane’s behaviour because of the fact that times and views have changed and people nowadays believe in equality and sticking up for oneself. However, Helen’s behaviour is very significant throughout the novel. This is because she has a very strong effect on Jane. Helen acts as a counterbalance to Jane as she balances out her life and gives her things that she was deprived of. Before she went to Lowood, she had no friends or companions, however as soon as Jane arrives at Lowood, Helen offers her her friendship. She is Jane’s ally.
Helen introduces the concept of religious sacrifice throughout the novel. She has extremely strong beliefs about Christianity and bases her opinions on the Bible. She believes that we should sacrifice our life for god and her strong beliefs on this matter make an impact on Jane’s attitude to life, making her a better person.