The Missing Chapter of Bronte's Jane Eyre
A dusk sky always appeared grey in January; snow would daub the world
below and leave their cold clouds stained across the heavens like
discarded scraps of paper. Any sunlight that did manage to filter
through, earlier in the day, was a cruel cold illusion of the usual
brightness that illuminated the day. The weather, however, was never
of any great interest to me. My days and nights alike were confined to
the nursery and never would I venture into the corridor let alone the
gardens. It was on rare occasion that I had been invited down before,
and after my outbursts to aunt Reed my seldom had become never.
Even my company was limited these days. The children had been
forbidden to grace me with their presence, so Bessie soon became my
lone companion. All food was brought to me, and I was forced to find
some way to occupy my time. I would try to sneak downstairs, where I
could retrieve a book to read, or persuade Bessie to do so for me, but
that was not always possible. I would help her clean the nursery of my
own accord, just to try to fend off the boredom that threatened to
ensnare me.
I was glad for parts of my imprisonment were benefits; the distance
from my cousins was a blessing I felt strongly. The relief at being
away from them, John especially, was resonant; and if ever I was
temped to journey into other parts of the house, the simple thought
that I might contact one of them was enough to make me stay put.
And this way I would have gladly stayed, had not Bessie feared for me
living in such a manner. I did not know the exact cause of her anxiety
but somehow she had got into her...
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...one, intending to leave me to my cold grave, and
so that may have been had not Bessie's short search for me led her to
the melted puddles upon the breakfast room floor.
She flung open the door and pulled me in with a single arm. She
carried me up to the Nursery, changed my clothes and put me straight
to bed. She was fussing the whole time but I heard none of it; I just
remember weeping as the feeling came back to my limbs and brought with
it insurmountable pain, weeping of the shock at what had just
happened. Bessie fetched me a clay hot water bottle from the kitchens
and soon I was sleeping. I spent a great deal of time asleep over the
next few days and all of them confined to my bed. Bessie scolded me
dearly for venturing outside and if she believed me when I told her
John was the cause then she said nothing to me.
She lived in constant paranoia; finding it hard to make amends and rebuild trust with friends and
In Stephen Dunn’s 2003 poem, “Charlotte Bronte in Leeds Point”, the famous author of Jane Eyre is placed into a modern setting of New Jersey. Although Charlotte Bronte lived in the early middle 1800’s, we find her alive and well in the present day in this poem. The poem connects itself to Bronte’s most popular novel, Jane Eyre in characters analysis and setting while speaking of common themes in the novel. Dunn also uses his poem to give Bronte’s writing purpose in modern day.
According to Henri Bergson, “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” Life consists of a multitude of transitions and experiences, which help shape the creation of a person’s identity. This is evident in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, when Jane undergoes a striking moment of self-realization and moral development as she leaves her life at Moor House for Thornfield. This evolution occurs as she cultivates her own religious values, determines what love is, and becomes autonomous.
was not a better place but it helped Jane stand on her own feet. Through
Chapter 23 of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre Jane Eyre begins by telling us about Jane's strict and unhappy upbringing with her upper class Aunt, Mrs. Reed. She is then sent to Lowood School where her only friend Helen falls ill and dies. When Jane is older she becomes a Governess working for Mr. Rochester at Thornfield Hall. Jane and Rochester fall in love but neither of them express their feelings to each other.
Shortly after being struck for reading, she lays in bed and requests: "Gulliver's Travels from the library. This book I had again and again perused with delight" (pg. 53). Her ambition to read and better herself meets opposition from her cousins, yet she continues to struggle to read when she can. The family she lives ... ... middle of paper ... ...
That night I couldn't go to sleep.Every inch of me was wide awake and full of excitement.Holding onto every sign of morning I drifted off.Before I knew I was
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.
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.
All the minor characters who appear in the novel, Jane Eyre are only sketched in, so to speak. They are "flat"; not developed in the way that the central three characters are developed. All of them are conventional; behave and speak conventionally, and do not develop at all. They are set merely as foils for the central characters, and they tend to be extremes or stereotypes, behaving very predictably and not surprising us with any unexpected reaction.
In the Webster's online dictionary, self-confidence is defined as confidence in oneself and in one's powers and abilities. A famous quote by Jim Loehr says, "With confidence, you can reach truly amazing heights; Without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp." Confidence in yourself does not come without effort. One must believe in themselves, and not let someone change their beliefs. In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane shows self-confidence throughout the novel, by possessing a sense of self-worth, dignity, and a trust in God.
her off to school. She tells him that he should "keep a strict eye on her,
This paper discusses the ending of Jane Eyre, discussing whether it is a “good” ending. The paper draws on three criticisms of both the novel and Romantic literature in general to conclude that, yes, it is indeed a good ending because it both fits the prevailing realism of the main character’s worldview, and conforms to the predominant literary trends of the period.