Jane Eyre's Language in Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre's Language in Charlotte Brontë

Brontë portrays Jane Eyre as an untypical heroine. Examine Brontë’s

language use, structure and character portrayals.

The heroism of Jane Eyre is central throughout the novel of the same

name. The classic Victorian novel, written by Charlotte Brontë,

follows the protagonist Jane Eyre through episodic stages of her life

as she strives to find her niche in life. Although she is clearly the

heroine in this tale, she often displays characteristics that are

contrary to those of a stereotypical heroine and a 19th century woman.

The main character’s traits are recognised by the reader early on in

the novel, as she begins her first battle in life against her guardian

the cruel Mrs Reed and her children. In chapter one, the reader learns

to feel sympathy for Jane as she is unjustly accused of attacking Mrs

Reed’s son John and is immediately sent, without question, to a

mysterious place known as the ‘red room’. In the ensuing struggle, as

she is dragged to the room by the servants, Jane is described ‘as a

mad cat’ and even the central character admits ‘I was a trifle beside

myself’. It is important in this incident that Jane has a cause for

this behaviour, which is why John Reed is an essential device in the

early chapters, because, particularly for readers in the Victorian

age, this behaviour would be abhorrent and unforgivable, which could

lead to the reader losing compassion for Jane. This passionate

behaviour, perhaps hinted at with the use of the colour red in the

‘red room’, is certainly unorthodox for a Victorian girl. It is

obvious that this encounter is a crucial point in Jane’s life,

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...t being beautiful.

I think that Jane Eyre is an unconventional woman because she has

attitudes to marriage, status and the role of women in society, which

are alien to her time. This is because her creator Brontë uses Jane as

a vehicle to bring her own beliefs to the attention of her

contemporaries and, hopefully, instigate change. Brontë uses different

characters, storylines and coded language, such as the meaning of the

phrase ‘a woman’s place’, to satirise aspects of Victorian society. To

get these points across, Brontë has to give Jane traits, such as

passion and intelligence, which are considered unusual for a Victorian

woman. These characteristics are never suppressed nor changed

throughout the whole novel. Jane’s individuality is retained, making

her an untypical heroine considering the time that she lived in.