The period of their engagement is thus represented by Brontë as wrought with the perils of sexual temptation as implied by Jane’s idolatry of Rochester and willingness to yield to him. Still, Jane’s religious agency and morality allows her to resist, thus ensuring her a continued connection with God. Nevertheless, Jane retains her spiritual love that includes Christianity and allows her to accommodate her mortal desires. Jane is again tried when she learns of Bertha’s existence and is begged by Rochester to be his mistress, to which she denies by saying she “will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man” (313). In the midst of this catastrophe she says, “One idea only still throbbed life-like within me—a remembrance of God” (293) and with a firm resolution she leaves Thornfield and Rochester, exulting “him who thus loved me I absolutely worshipped: and I must renounce love and idol” (312). Jane’s actions clearly demonstrate that she submits her will to God even when her whole being is at odds with her decision; and this is not simply indicative of a religious duty but also a morality that grounds her existence.
Hitherto, Jane is again put to the test when St. John asks her to marry him and yield to his will, God’s will, while she endeavors to remain spiritually and mortally autonomous. St. John Rivers is another Christian model; he is self-important and though ambitious he believes he is doing God’s work. His desire for Jane to marry and accompany him to India as a missionary is what he believes is God’s will for both of them, and he urges her to sacrifice her emotions for her moral duty to God—an act that would make her unfaithful to herself. Jane cannot imagine herself as his wife and equates their would-be marriage to su...
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...ay world as Helen’s and St. John’s Christianity demands. Jane’s faith is enduring but does not consume her individual personality as she exercises her right to be human. Mrs. Moore’s spiritual development leads to impurity and she subsequently becomes ambivalent towards spirituality and God. Yet, she attains a sort of repose at the end of A Passage to India when the passing imagery and landscapes on her way to England seem to question the legitimacy of the Marabar caves and its echo as a true representation of life. Perhaps, such a thought allows her to see that there is still potential in spirituality and thus in life as a whole. Mrs. Moore’s and Jane’s spiritual development mirrors one’s own struggle to attain balance in our lives as the key to a tranquility of mind, body, and spirit, and it can be ascertained that both characters achieve a certain level of this.
...to expand, to exult, with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt. It seemed as if an invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into unhoped- for liberty.” Never knowing what was going to happen next, like St. John wasn’t first portrayed as a cousin but at the end he was being portrayed as a husband rather than even a cousin all because of Jane. She puts the twist and turn into the story, which causes the reader to being pushed or perceived into liking Jane.
The concern of this paper is the “happy ending,” typical in Women’s Fiction according to Harris (46), present in A New England Tale, in which Jane Elton sacrifices her autonomous self through marrying Mr. Lloyd. I will critique this ending by applying several of the points Harris makes, including the conflict between theme and structure, the “extended quest for autonomy” (50), and the issue of the self-willing and “socially determined self” (54); also, I will discuss the sexual and religious politics Jane faces, as well as the importance of her role as educator. Readers can understand the autonomous self to which I refer in a nineteenth-century context: this do...
Charlotte Bronte utilizes the character of Bertha Rochester to interrupt Jane’s potential happy ending with Mr. Edward Rochester. Bertha is announced by Mr. Briggs as a way to stop the wedding and it also shows how hopeless Jane’s situation is. “That is my wife “said he. ‘Such is the sole conjugal embrace I am ever to know—such are the endearments which are to solace my leisure hours! And this is what I wished to have,’” (312) and “’I wanted her just as a change after that fierce ragout,’” (312) are quotes that express Mr. Rochester’s reasons for trying to remarry while he already has a wife, meanwhile showing his disposition towards said wife. Had Mr. Briggs and Mr. Mason not been present for the ceremony, Jane may have lived happily in ignorance. Due to Bertha’s involvement however, Jane could never truly call herself Mr. Rochester’s wife. She says, “’Sir, your wife is living: that is a fact acknowledged this morning by yourself. If I lived with you as you desire—I should then be your mistress: to say otherwise is sophistical—is false.’” (323) This quote shows that as a result of Bertha’s exposure, Jane refuses to marry Mr. Rochester. The influence that Bertha’s brief debut had on Jane’s life was significant enough to hinder the growth of her relationship with Mr. Rochester.
While she was there, she was presented with a proposition that would fulfill her spiritual journey in life. “Jane come with me to India: come as my helpmeet and fellow-labourer...God and nature intended you for a missionary’s wife.” (Bronte, 404 & 405). St. John offered to marry Jane so that she could go with him to preach the word of God and help convert India’s inhabitants. St. John was very influential on Jane, as a result of his strong religious beliefs and compelling rhetoric. Even his cold attitude was transmitted to her. Consequently, Jane greatly contemplated the decision. Ultimately, she decided that she would be willing to go on the trip with him, but as a sister rather than a wife. She did not feel any adoration between her and St. John, only a sense of servitude. Thus, forming the ultimate bond of love would be treacherous and empty. She would not only be without independence, but also the possibility of finding love. When St. John is confronted with this idea, he harshly rejects it, insisting on the necessity of the marriage. After a week of frigidity
Whether it is because of the obligation, out of love, pity or kindness, Jane believes she visit Mrs. Reed and fulfill her last wishes. “Forgive me for my passionate language; I was a child then; eight, nine years have passed since that day.” (253) Putting the hardships behind her Jane gives her full apologies to Mrs.
In fact, I am glad the book ended with the focus on the character of St. John instead of with Jane or Rochester, as it hints to us that the importance of the book is not about finding the right person, falling in love, and living happily ever after. The theme of this book is about following your conscience. In this regard, Jane and St. John both did the same thing in this story: They both had strong, driving consciences; they both were tempted but pursued their course; and they both found a satisfying life in the end. This book is not about developing a relationship with a romantic partner, but about developing a relationship and learning to follow and live in tune with your own moral conscience.
St. John Rivers plays one of these life determining foils to Jane. Eyre. His confidence, devotion and reason intrigue Jane almost enough. silence her inner passionate spirit, but it is the forces of nature that prove to be stronger than human will. & nbsp; The life path of a Victorian woman was somewhat limited in its direction and expression of individuality. Jane Eyre strongly adheres to the Victorian morality which was dominated by the Anglican party of the Church of England in which passion and emotion were kept concealed. Jane's.
The Quest for Inner Beauty in Jane Erye The beauty of a woman is usually classified into two categories: superficial, or physical, beauty and inner, or intellectual, beauty. In the Charlotte Bronte's Jane Erye, the protagonist rejects her own physical beauty in favor of her intelligence and morality. This choice allows her to win the hand of the man she desires. Jane values her knowledge and thinking before any of her physical appearances because of her desire as a child to read, the lessons she is taught and the reinforcements of the idea appearing in her adulthood.
Analyse the methods Charlotte Brontë uses to make the reader empathise with Jane Eyre in the opening chapters. Reflect on how the novel portrays Victorian ideology and relate your analysis to the novel’s literary content.
Eventually, she returns to her former employer, discovering Thornfield in ashes, Mrs. Rochester dead, and Mr. Rochester blind and free from wedlock. Flooded with motifs, Jane’s continual struggles between her passions and responsibility prevail as the main theme of Bronte’s entrancing narrative. From the introduction of Jane’s orphan life, she battles between her ire at cousin John’s antics and obedience to Aunt Reed’s reluctant guardianship.
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre chronicles the growth of her titular character from girlhood to maturity, focusing on her journey from dependence on negative authority figures to both monetary and psychological independence, from confusion to a clear understanding of self, and from inequality to equality with those to whom she was formerly subject. Originally dependent on her Aunt Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Mr. Rochester, she gains independence through her inheritance and teaching positions. Over the course of the novel, she awakens towards self-understanding, resulting in contentment and eventual happiness. She also achieves equality with the important masculine figures in her life, such as St. John Rivers and Mr. Rochester, gaining self-fulfillment as an independent, fully developed equal.
There are many stages throughout the book in which the reader can feel sympathy for Jane Eyre; these include when she is locked in the Red Room, when Helen Burns dies at Lowood, and when she and Mr. Rochester are married the first time.
In the beginning of Jane Eyre, Jane struggles against Bessie, the nurse at Gateshead Hall, and says, I resisted all the way: a new thing for me…"(Chapter 2). This sentence foreshadows what will be an important theme of the rest of the book, that of female independence or rebelliousness. Jane is here resisting her unfair punishment, but throughout the novel she expresses her opinions on the state of women. Tied to this theme is another of class and the resistance of the terms of one's class. Spiritual and supernatural themes can also be traced throughout the novel.
her off to school. She tells him that he should "keep a strict eye on her,
When Jane is shunned by Mr. Brocklehurst in front of the entire Lowood population, Helen is the one person that does not immediately judge Jane. In fact, she makes her feel more comfortable in a place that is filled with punishment and hypocrisy. Though Lowood does not truly feel like home, Helen is able to provide Jane with not only all the compassion she needs as well as support and respect. This is one of the first loves Jane experiences on her journey and it allows her to become more open to the love she finds in her future endeavors.