Jane Eyre from Childhood to Governess
By: Nikki L.
For the past week, I have been reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Jane is a young orphaned headstrong girl who wants to feel loved by Mrs. Reed who took her in after Mrs. Reed had promised her late husband she would look after Jane. However, Mrs. Reed and her three children mistreated Jane to the point where Mrs. Reed sent her to Lowood Boarding School.
When Jane first arrives at Lowood, she befriends Helen Burns, another student at Lowood; and Miss Temple, a teacher at Lowood. But within a few short months, Helen becomes sick with consumption and dies. Eight years pass at Lowood for Jane, in which she was pupil for six years and a teacher for two years before she sent out an advertisement looking for a new occupation.
Her advertisement is answered by a Mrs. Alice Fairfax who is looking for a well-educated governess for a young girl at Thornfield Hall. Upon arriving at Thornfield, Jane meets Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper, and Adéle, the young French orphan who is the ward of Mr. Rochester. Jane then meets Mr. Rochester, whom Jane believed to be a hard, cruel man, but later falls in love with.
Jane excelled through her years at Lowood by becoming an accomplished woman who can draw, play the piano, read, write, and speak French fluently. After Miss Temple had married, Jane decided to look for another place to work at. At Thornfield, Jane teaches Adéle her studies and meets Mr. Rochester who becomes intrigued with Jane and continues to ask for her company.
Jane is an intriguing, stubborn young woman who speaks her mind, even when she was a child under the care of Mrs. Reed. Her stubbornness will help her while is at Thornfield and later on in the book when she leaves Thornfield and Mr. Rochester. Brontë wrote Jane to be a woman who spoke her mind, had a tender heart, and obeyed the commands of her employer and when she was surrounded by Mr. Rochester’s guests. If Jane had not been a headstrong woman, she would have been trampled on by each person who took advantage of her stature in society.
You are certainly right about how Jane had to stay determined to accomplish what she has this far into the story. In my opinion, I believe that she learned a little of this determination from Helen and all the times where she would tell Jane to keep at it and to forgive even those who did bad to you. Helen was a big part in Jane's life and as the story continues, I don't think she will ever forget that. Great job on the post I really enjoyed reading it and commenting to it.
ReplyDeleteJoel B.(Dragonfist)
Jane is definitely a headstrong women and as i read the book farther and farther it seemed to show more and more. It almost seemed as if she would not marry at all after the disappointment of Mr. Rochester. It is also very interesting to get your incite on the book as you read. I hope you enjoyed the rest of the book as I did with the twist in the end.
ReplyDelete-Brent S.
I read Tess, and i feel that Hardy made his main character the exact opposite of Jane. Whereas Jane is a strong and determined girl, Tess constantly gets taken advantage of of and cannot control the decisions in her life. Jane seems to be able to gain an education even though he is not very high on the social ladder, whereas no matter what Tess does tragedy follows her. Even at the end when she meets the man she loves, and decides to take control of her life my killing the man who raped her, she end up having to die, and give the love of her life to her sister.
ReplyDelete-Jehan T
youre right. She would have never gone against John's "proposal" and she would have never gone back to Rochester if she did not speak her own mind. I liked the ending of the novel. i liked jane as a character. she made me think of myself and gave me courage.
ReplyDelete-angela h