This retaliation shows how Jane is daring even at this young age, she doesn’t hesitate to take a chance and go through with it, regardless of the consequences. This trait is seen to develop through out the book as she becomes more domineering and daring about all her decisions in her life, this is the crucial feature about jane that sets her apart from the ordinary victorian age woman. the Red Room plays an important role in the book as well as in explaining Jane’s spiritual quality. In the Red Room, Jane “senses” Mr. Reed’s ghost, and as a result she faints.
At Lowood:
When she arrives at Lowood, she sees that its a gloomy place, yet she still finds it fascinating because its a new environment to her, new people and new situations.
Once there, Jane meets Helen, she finds her particularly different from the rest of the students there. Helen is one of those people that just take whatever is thrown at them with total acceptance. Jane doesn’t like this at first, but as time goes on it eventually grows on her. Helen’s personality is formed around a model of christianity that itself is centered around tolerance and acceptance. This ideology is so ingrained into Helen that it even transcended over to jane, and as a result, Jane became more passive and accepting herself. Helen usually gets mistreated by the teachers, and Jane disagrees strongly with such meek tolerance of injustice as she believes in fairness and self-respect. Yet, she admires Helen for being so accepting, and tolerant and for her ability to “love her enemies”.
After time, Helen had died of typhus. This left Jane in sorrow, but Jane sustains the power to keep herself together and excel in her studies. Jane was now capable to adjust and go on through all these misfortunes, something that she has been doing all her life. After six years, Jane’s attitude towards the same routine leads in a different direction, and she decides that her life needs to change. After Ms. Temple gets married and leaves, Jane realizes that she doesn’t have any reason to stay back and is ready to start something new, choose her own lifestyle for once. She finally finds a position as a governess at a manor called Thornfield.
At Thornfield:
When Jane leaves and arrives at the station, she couldn’t find anyone to pick her up. She felt scared and lonely, but it was something which she was used to. Being all alone in this unknown place, she finally finds out where to go and finds her ride to Thornfield.
When she reaches the house, she meets Ms. Fairfax, the housekeeper. Jane feels a little shy at first but then feels better after the generosity and kindness of Ms. Fairfax. Jane had a positive attitude towards this situation and felt that this new job and lifestyle will benefit her, and the change will be good. Like it says in the novel, it is like the new fairer era of life is beginning, “one that was to have its flowers and pleasures, as well as its thorns and toils.” Jane knew that there were going to be some hard stops on the way, but was willing to take the risk for a change. Jane wanted to look her best and be at her best behavior, she wanted to do something different that others could admire. She valued what was good in Mrs. Fairfax and Adele and wished to behold the same vivid kinds of goodness. And one thing that Jane was completely sure about was that she didn’t follow the general rules of the customs due to the sex gender. She felt that women feel just as men feel and they need to exercise for their faculties and have the same privileges as anyone else.
Jane Eyre was introduced to Mr. Rochester as she becomes his young ward’s governess. Jane Eyre’s attitude towards Mr. Rochester was sophisticated and she didn’t seem intimidated by him. Of course, she had to be careful of what she says in front of him, but she wasn’t scared to tell him what she thinks and her opinions. For example, when Mr. Rochester asked Jane if she thought he was handsome, she directly came out with the answer of “no”. This showed how she tends to think in a very frank way, although she doesn’t say it out loud. Although she was frank, she quickly corrected her answer to appear as something more subtle, but still meaning the same thing. She did so because she knew that this would affect Mr.Rochester’s impression towards her, and that would, to some degree, threaten her job. What I’m getting from this is that, Jane has a multifaceted way of thinking, she decisively looks at all the various ways in what she says and thinks can affect her surrounding environ, and for the Victorian era it was a pretty rare trait among women.
Back at Gateshead:
Jane returns to Gateshead upon hearing that her aunt Reed had a heart attack and is nearing death. She gets there and sees Bessie’s husband, Leaven, she talks to him and finds In the out that Mr.John(John Reed) has died, she also sees her other tow cousins; Eliza and Georgiana. Eliza has changed, she is now plain and wants to go to a convent. Georgiana, on the other hand is the same, although she is much more beautiful. The tow sisters haven’t been getting along of late: ever since Eliza foiled Georgiana’s plan of running away with her acquaintance. Later on Jane tries to patch up things with her aunt, but Mrs. Reed is as hostile as ever and she refuses.
One of the most significant things that happens in this chapter is the letter Mrs.Reed gives Jane, the letter that Jane was supposed to receive 3 years ago, but didn’t because Mrs.Reed didn’t like what was in it. In spite of her aunt’s behavior; Jane tries, once more, to patch up with her aunt. But, Mrs.Reed refuses, and dies.
Jane stays at Gateshead for another month because Gerogianna can’t stand staying alone with her sister.
It is around this time that Jane’s character develops more, she becomes more focused and decides to go find her family, yet she is still clouded about rochester as of now.
At Gateshead, Jane is seen trying to mend the relationship with her aunt, but her aunt refuses, and Jane doesn’t care too much about it. This shows the level of understanding and prioritization has. Before, in her childhood, she would be fuming if the same happened.Jane is more accepting now. She understands that she can’t ever fix her relationship with her aunt, but still tries, and even when Mrs.Reed gives her that 3 year old letter, Jane doesn’t spite her like she would have done if she still were a child. although that characteristic is an obvious one, and one that happens in everyone, its a characteristic that. Jane is shocked at first, but that shock reverts back to solemnity.
Rest of story:
In the rest of the story( St. John Rivers, her family, and rochester again) Jane’s character doesn’t develop as much as it did in the first few parts of the novel, as in, all the traits that make her different from the rest of victorian society have developed over her childhood.
In the latter parts of the novel, she just utilizes them to a further extent.
for example when she decides to go back to Rochester and leave St.John Rivers. Also when she decides to split the 20000 pounds she receives from her uncle with the rest of her family. All these decisions were made using the characters she developed as a child, as a student, and as a teacher.
the rest of the story is emphasized so much because of the enormity of her decisions, especially in victorian society where her decisions are kind of frowned upon.
All in all, Jane, as a character developed exponentially in her younger days. Her impulsiveness, perceptiveness were developed as a child, and all the tolerance and acceptance was developed at Lowood. At Thornfield she developed love, and a basic ability to interpret people.
Jane, in any case, was different, and unlike other victorian women she had depth and understanding, and all this was developed throughout the book. I think its what makes Jane Eyre, as a novel, beautiful.
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