Jane Eyre: Hindsight To fully know ones self and to be able to completely understand and interpret all actions and experiences one goes through is difficult enough. However, analyzing and interpreting the thoughts and feelings of another human being is in itself on an entirely different level. In the novel Jane Eyre, its namesake makes a decision to reject her one true love in favor of moral decency. Certain aspects of the novel discredit the validity of Janes choice. The truthfulness of Janes reason to leave Mr. Rochester can be questioned because Jane Eyre narrates the novel herself. She therefore, can exaggerate or warp any details in regard to her feelings as well as her true intentions or fears. At several points in the book Jane chooses to avoid going into detail because the subject is too painful or would be of no interest to the reader. Such painful memories may have an influence on her development as a child and would give further insight into her personality, weaknesses and strength. Although Jane has a stringent moral Christian upbringing, she has a great deal of pride and cares about the opinions of others around her. When walking from house to house begging for food from strangers, she has a great deal of loathing for herself. She also admits that if she saw someone in a similar situation to herself, she would treat her the exact same way as the people of the hamlet treat her. The pride that Jane carries with her might influence her as she tells her tale. She may change details in order to seem more pious or more proper. Jane has reached a blissful state in finding the love of her employer Mr. Rochester. Unfortunately he has a wife in a deranged woman who lives in the attic, where she is tended by a strange, gin drinking servant. Despite the strange circumstances surrounding the marriage, Jane chooses to end her life at Thornfield Manor and flee through the country side. She claims that the reason she leaves her true love is that their marriage would be one that would go against God. The possibility of him as an acceptable husband is slim. He admits he lied to Jane and attempted to become a "polygamist", but he appeals to her sense of reason asking how an insane animal could be his wife. Still she rejects his proposal and leaves, but does she leave because of God, or another reason. The novel, narrated by Jane, shows a less than flattering side of organized religion. The two representatives of the Cloth are Mr. Brokelhurst and St. John Rivers. Both are unloving and cold. The school Jane attended was under the iron clad rule of Brokelhurst. He demanded the girls of his school be prepared for a life of hardship and misery. St. John wanted not to be loved by another, but to serve God. He rejected the love of another, and his love for her in favor of serving God as a missionary. He asks if Jane will marry him and go to India, but offers a loveless marriage. He says the only thing he wants is a wife and becomes nearly violent when Jane does not accept his offer. The depiction of these two members of the Church in the novel may show that Jane does not respect the stringent ways of organized religion. Many people she hated held God in high regard and thought themselves to be quite pious and religious, most notably Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed, Janes former guardian, constantly warned Jane about the wrath of God and called her a wicked girl with great frequency. She threatened Jane with promises of Hell and suffering for such an unwholesome girl. Jane may have had her own idea about religion and God. Perhaps she found the marriage acceptable, but would not allow herself to part with the teachings she had become so familiarized with and used to identify herself. When contemplating Mr. Rochesters offer she almost accepts it, but fears her acquiescence would ruin everything she believed in and make the entire union a hollow travesty. She may have even chosen to reject Rochester because she wanted to obey the laws of England. Perhaps the idea of breaking the marriage laws of England would cause her to think of herself as a common thief or criminal. The reason Jane gives for choosing to leave Rochester is not one to be accepted without hesitation. One must remember that a human being is telling the tale. A human being with feelings, weaknesses and opinions. The story of Jane Eyre is not told by an omnipotent impartial observer, but by a woman looking ten years back at what her life was or what she hoped or wished it to be.
return for money. At last, she gives up to kill the snow woman, because she sees the snow
In order to understand the current situation of Puerto Ricans one must look at their history and retrace the sequence of events that led to the current formation of the Puerto Rican people. An important component of this history is the time Puerto Rico spent under Spanish rule. Studying this portion of Puerto Rican history forces us to acknowledge the contribution the Spaniards, European immigrants, and African slaves had on Puerto Rican identity as we consider it today. This also addresses contemporary debates on Puerto Rican identity. An example of this is evident in an essay written by Jose Luis Gonzales entitled "Puerto Rico : Th Four Storied Country". In the article Gonzales points out what he feels is a disregard toward the African contribution to the Puerto Rican identity. He argues that the first Puerto Ricans were black , based on his interpretation that Africans were the first group to come to Puerto Rico and reproduce who did not have ties to a "motherland" because they were slaves. This is unlike the Spaniard elites and Criolles that demonstrated their commitment and loyalty to Spain. Since they had no other place to go, Puerto Rico was their motherland. Gonzalez also points out that the culture of a region is always the culture of the elite, not the popular culture.
Rohter, Larry. "After the Visit: Mission Lies Now With Cuban Church." The New York Times. 27 Jan. (1998): A3.
After the Spanish American war of 1898, the United States took control of Puerto Rico. In the initial state of US ownership, the Puerto Rican population faced a major dilemma. The island belonged to but was not a part of the United States, and as a result Puerto Ricans held no citizenship. They simply lingered as citizens of nowhere. It was not until the Jones Act of 1917 that Puerto Ricans were granted statutory citizenship which was not equivalent to constitutional citizenship. Not granted full American citizenship by the United States, Puerto Ricans were, on the other hand, granted the right to be drafted into the armed forces during WWI, and also to be recruited as cheap labor for the defense industry during the time of war.
“The journey of the hero is about the courage to seek the depths; the image of creative rebirth; the eternal cycle of change within us; the uncanny discovery that the seeker is the mystery which the seeker seeks to know. The hero journey is a symbol that binds, in the original sense of the word, two distant ideas, and the spiritual quest of the ancients with the modern search for identity always the one, shape-shifting yet marvelously constant story that we find.” (Phil Cousineau) The Hero's Journey has been engaged in stories for an immemorial amount of time. These stories target typical connections that help us relate to ourselves as well as the “real world”.
Still the efforts continue. It is now up the future generation of young Puerto Ricans to help unite their people, and their community advance. The politics of the Puerto Rican people has evolved from class politics, to ethnic politics, to what is now identity politics. In the beginning they struggled to be heard and represented in their small communities, and now we must continue to fight to have a voice and representation, not just in our community, but in the government as well.
Disappointment is someone being sad or mad about something they have done or failed to do. Disappointment can be caused by other people’s actions. In the book “Of Mice And Men” by John Steinbeck, the characters of Crooks, Candy, and Curly’s wife all suffer from disappointment of life. Crooks suffer from disappointment from how nobody wants to play or talk to him just because he is black. Also Curly’s Wife suffers because women don’t have that much of rights so she gets treated badly. Candy gets also treated badly because he is old and only has one hand to use so he can’t do that much work. All of the people in the book get treated badly because the book “Of Mice and Men” is made during the time period that the great depression was so there wasn’t that much of rights towards women and black people.
...ment and realization that he has lost Jane to another man in the following dialogue between them, “’I know where your heart turns, and to what it clings. The interest you cherish is lawless and unconsecrated. Long since you ought to have crushed it: now you should blush to allude to it. You think of Mr. Rochester?’ It was true. I confessed it by silence. ‘Are you going t seek Mr. Rochester?’ ‘I must find out what is become of him.’ ‘It remains for me, then,’ he said, ‘to remember you in my prayers; and to entreat God for you, in all earnestness, that you may not indeed become a castaway. I had thought I recognized in you one of the chose. But God sees not as man sees: His will be done.’” (Bronte 436) Though Jane Eyre’s stay at Moor House and Morton were crucial for her recovery to stability of her life, she yearned to be at Thornfield and wedded to Mr. Rochester.
"With a rusted sword in one hand and a Confederate battle flag in the other,a grim-faced Stonewall Jackson desperately rallied his faltering troops. What Rebel worthy of the name could abandon ‘Old Jack’ in his hour of need?”- Robert C. Cheeks. Thomas J. Jackson was a modern day hero for the great impact he made on any man or women who met him. He was a leader who had many qualities. His death was a major setback to the Confederacy because not only was he courageous, he was brilliant, and most importantly his strong religious beliefs.
She started out as a guest lecturer speaking out against slavery. Stone was a known as a major abolitionist in the pre-civil war period. At this time, the other Women’s rights leaders wondered if her abolition speaking would take away from their cause.
Jane Eyre’s main character, Jane, is shown maturing from child to adult. Jane’s metamorphosis throws her from the fairytale escape she has created, into real life that she must adapt to in order to survive. There are subtle changes in Jane’s character that hint of maturity. In the novel’s first paragraphs Jane states: “There was no possibility of taking a walk that day . . . I was glad of it; I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes . . .” (1; Ch.1). Further into the novel, nature being the medium of change, Jane adopts a new perspective: “It was a fine, calm day, though very cold; I was tired of sitting still in the library through a whole long morning . . . the distance, two miles, would be a pleasant winter afternoon walk” (102; Ch.12). The juxtaposition of Jane’s varying opinions show the growth of Jane’s character. This growth could be a result of Jane’s change of environment. Jane’s initial dislike of long, chilly walks is perhaps due to her unpleasant surroundings at Gateshead. Jane’s contempt for the walks and the outdoors vanishes during her time in the more hospitable environment of Thornsfield. Though Jane matures through the novel, from the beginning she is unabashadedly honest and harsh, much like nature. Jane, as does nature, reveals only naked and blatant honesty. When Rochester asks Jane if she thinks that he is handsome she, with no initial equivocation, answers, “No, Sir” (122; Ch.13). Jane, a type of nature, is companioned with another character who, similar to Jane, represents nature, Rochester. Rochester rivals Jane with his harsh and natural honesty: “Not quite: you have secured the shadow of your thought; but no more, probably. You had not enough of the artist’s skill and science to give it full being; yet the drawings are, for a schoolgirl, peculiar. As to the thoughts, they are elfish” (117; Ch.13). A development of Rochester’s character can be seen toward the novel’s end. This cha...
The story of Jane Eyre can be seen as the story of a woman’s search for love. As a neglected orphan, Jane spends her childhood longing for someone to love her. When she becomes a young woman, she is at last offered the love she has long dreamed of. However, Jane chooses to reject this love. Jane’s rejection is founded in her deep and sincere morality and spirituality. Jane’s moral conscience has been shaped early in her life, and it is her principles that guide her through the difficult paths of life.
All people live by their own codes of conduct. Everyone, be they male or female, young or old, has their own sets of values, which they adhere to and which are unchanging even in the face of personal or societal pressures and conflicts to give them up. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane is tempted many times to acquiesce to others' wishes and, thereby, give up her own moral standards and beliefs. Yet Jane remains steadfast in adhering to her personal code of conduct, namely to maintain feelings of high self-esteem, not to let herself be used and abused by others, and never to give up her religious convictions. Through many disappointments that she is faced with and with her constant struggle to gain independence and love, Jane never loses her self of self, nor does she give up her moral and spiritual values. Jane Eyre, from the very beginning of the novel, shows courage and self-confidence when she stands up to Mrs. Reed for wrongly accusing her to Mr. Brocklehurst of being a liar. Jane, a quiet, pensive girl, who until now took her aunt and cousins' torment without saying a word, suddenly could no longer hold her tongue. She suddenly felt a need to tell her aunt that as much as she appreciated having her put a roof over her head and providing food for her, her existence in Gateshead was nothing less than abominable. She says that servants are treated better than she is, and that Mrs. Reed was not keeping her promise to her deceased husband to raise Jane as her own child. Mrs. Reed, unable to answer Jane's accusations, leaves the room immediately, thus allowing Jane to bask in the glory of victory for the first time in her life. This episode ...
It is human nature to desire freedom and yearn passion, yet it is also human nature to obtain acceptance and follow reason. It is a never ending battle between passion and reason; without reason there is no acceptance, without passion there is no freedom. In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Jane strongly struggles between passion and reason. Though Jane loves Mr. Rochester, her employer at Thornfield Hall, she has certain values to uphold in order to conform with society. Jane does not let her affections overtake her morality, though her return to Mr. Rochester proves passion to be stronger than reason.
Love is an important theme in the famous novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane's love for Rochester is clearly noticible throughout the novel. But Jane's true love for Rochster becomes appearent in only a few of her actions and emotions. Although it may seem Rochester manipulated her heart's desire, this can be disproven in her actions towards him. Jane followed her heart in the end, by returning to Rochester.