The themes of the gothic and supernatural are two of the main themes in both Jane Eyre and Turn of the Screw. However, there are traits of mental illness or madness found in both protagonists in James’ and Bronte’s novels along with Bertha Mason. Both authors present these themes to the reader in a number of ways. Indeed, keeping with the gothic theme of the novel Edward Rochester is a dark, mysterious, blunt man whose confidence can often be mistaken for arrogance. Rochester’s traits award him Byronic status. Merja Makien confirms this point by saying, “in appearance, Rochester is a typical gothic hero, dark and brooding with ‘granite-hewn features’ and ‘great, dark eyes’’’. Furthermore, “you think me handsome” and “retain my hand” does not only show that Rochester wants Jane’s approval but displays an intimate and flirtatious relationship between them. Likewise, the Master of Bly in the Turn of the Screw is a distant and mysterious man who is attractive to the governess. We begin to understand the governess’ intentions when she describes the situation at Bly as a “magnificent opportunity” to impress the master. Moreover, Rochester appears to Jane, the reader and himself as a pillar of physical power and makes no apologies for the way he is; “I cannot alter my habits”. Not only does this confession have undertones of self loathing but it is almost a cry of help aimed at Jane to cure his metaphorical illness. Like all great Byronic figures in literature Rochester needs to go on a road to redemption. We begin to see this path form when both Jane and the reader’s feeling of pathos for Rochester is heightened when they find out about his past “family troubles” as well as the fact that he “lost his elder brother”. Both Jane and the ... ... middle of paper ... ...o the ghosts’ presences is the governess, makes the readers question their trust in the narrator. As well as this Mrs. Grose doubts the claim that the governess is making and her scepticism suggests to the readers that we may not be able to trust her account of events. However, faith is restored when she describes Quint in such vivid detail when she had previously never known that he existed, “red hair, very red, close curling and a pale face, long in shape, with straight good features and little rather queer whiskers that are as red as his hair”. Jane also gains the readers’ trust when describing the alleged ghost in her room in such detail, “It seemed, sir, a woman, tall and large, with thick dark hair hanging long down her back...she took my veil from its place; she held it up, gazed at it long and then she threw it over her own head and turned to the mirror.”
In conclusion, it is not the ghosts, as the governess suspected, that are corrupting the children, but the governess herself, through her continually worsening hysteria that is corrupting the children. Both Peter Quint and Miss Jessel are not real ghosts that have the peculiar habit of appearing before the governess and the governess alone but they are merely the signs of the fragmenting mental state of the governess.
...er?’: Jane Eyre Among The Shadows Of Freaks.” Studies In The Novel 34.4 (2002): 367-84. Literary Reference Center. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
Peter Quint and Miss Jessel symbolize the indistinguishable nature of both the governess and Miles’s sexuality in Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw. Whether or not these ghosts actually exist in the literal sense, Quint’s presence evokes what could be construed as sexual desires in the governess while also reminding her of her social status. Similarly, Quint forces the reader to question Miles’s sexuality because of the implication that their past relationship was of a sexual nature. Miss Jessel, on the other hand, serves as the governess’s only reminder of the wickedness of her desire for a sexual self and ultimately, prevents her from acting upon those desires. These developments emphasize the mysteriousness of the connection between Miles and the governess and lead to a deeper sense of dismay about the true nature of their bond.
From the beginning of the novel, the main character, Jane encounters the supernatural. Charlotte Bronte uses both supernatural and gothic themes to enhance situations for the reader and to develop the characters. In particular natural imageries have been used to convey a human connection with the natural world and human nature (Franklin, 1995). Eyre portrays the intrinsic struggle between supernatural and the effects of nature. Branflinger and Thesing (2002) argue that Bronte used Gothic and the supernatural to explore and portray the darkest alleys of her own psyche which Bronte was deeply disturbed by (p309).
No one can be trusted. In Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, the ambivalent nature of the novella causes suspicion of the sanity of his narrator, the Governess. The characters of the Governess, the children, and the apparitions, as villains and victims, cannot be told apart. Henry James impeccably makes use of ambiguity to create mystery and suspense through the dubiety roles of his main characters and the liability of the narrator.
Grose actually does believe the governess. This may seem true at first; however, a deeper examination of the two women’s relationship reveals that Mrs. Grose occasionally pretends to believe the governess out of loyalty. Mrs. Grose is simply glad to have company after living in loneliness for so long. The governess attributes any of Mrs. Grose’s actions to “her being so glad to see [the governess]” (James 7). Mrs. Grose is naturally excited about finally having a friend. Thus, she is extremely loyal to the governess and does not want to upset her by completely disagreeing with her ghost theory. In addition, the governess has some degree of control over Mrs. Grose’s emotions. She claims that she “could keep [Mrs. Grose] comparatively calm” (James 59). There is a good chance that the governess influenced Mrs. Grose to believe in the ghosts. Mrs. Grose only claimed to believe due to peer pressure, not because she genuinely believed. Other people claim that the governess is sane because she cares about Miles and Flora. It is true that she loves them; however, this actually makes her more insane. She becomes overly obsessed with her charges, leading to hallucinations. For example, she herself admits that her love for Miles and Flora has placed her under a spell. The governess states that she “gave [herself] up to [this spell]” (James 19). Most people who care about children are sane. However, the governess is too obsessed with her charges’ angelic
Rochester’s personal journey with his identity is very provoking. When we encounter his character in Jane Eyre, we see the hostile and confident man in front of us. It is not until the Duigan film that my personal attention was drawn to his transformation. It is necessary when evaluating the main characters in both stories surrounding Rochester to look at his identity. This discovery questions whether it was necessary for Antoinette to lose herself. It has the potential to be that her craziness was at stake for Rochester to become his vision of himself. The complex character of Rochester should not be in the distance, but rather one in the spotlight, for his identity, masculinity, strength, and presence was at the cost of a woman.
Jane searches for independence, but gender hinders her in every stage of her journey. Troy faces similar complications. Jane’s gender ties her to specific roles in her work as a teacher or governess. She only watches children; she can only aspire to be an educator. Jane is smart enough and works hard enough to be an architect or scientist, but cannot due to her time. Such roles were not suitable for female occupation, and society decreases Jane’s chances to become financially independent. Gender also inhibits her ability to travel to India, since she cannot “be forever together-- sometimes in solitudes, sometimes amid savage tribes” with St. John (Brontë, 474). Jane’s outcry at this statement matches perfectly with her denunciation of dependence-
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.
They spoke almost as loudly as Feeling… “Oh comply!” it said. “Think of his misery; …soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?” Still indomitable was the reply: “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad—as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. Pg322
Explore how Charlotte Bronte presents the character of Jane Eyre in the novel of the same name, noting the effects of social and historical influences on the text. Jane Eyre was a plain and insignificant unloved orphan, she was cared for by her aunt Reed, who did not like her but was obliged to look after her because it was a request of Mr. Reed who was also Jane's uncle. Eventually she was sent away to school after fighting with her bullying cousin John and getting locked in the room her Uncle died in, and she fainted. The school was awful with a horrible owner and bad conditions; there was a typhus epidemic in which her friend Helen Burns died.
In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte gives great evidence to show Jane's journey through her own thoughts and madness in her relationship with Rochester. At 18, Jane accepted a teaching position at Thornfield Hall, where she fell in love with an upper class man, Mr. Rochester. Rochester meets Jane and quickly falls in love with her. Jane feels the same for Mr. Rochester from the beginning, but is hesitant and dissolute when situations arise. Charlotte Bronte uses wonderful imagery and specific symbols to unify and differentiate between the desolation and passion of Rochester and Jane's temperamental relationship, making these lovers so complex.
The Gothic Features of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte A Gothic novel is a type of literature, which became very popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. At this time, the snares are a lot more. society was governed by strict moral codes. The "Gothics" would escape. into a world of dark, supernatural, and wild passions. The word Gothic meant barbarous and wild and many writers liked to involve these elements in their novels.
The realistic novel places greater emphasis on its characters, rather than its plot, and explores the relationships between these characters. The selected passage shows both the servant-master aspect of Jane and Mr. Rochester’s relationship, as well as its romantic nature. At the beginning of the selected passage, Jane affectionately describes Mr. Rochester as a “kind master,” which is indicative that even after his proposal, she is unable to separate herself from her position as a servant. This is further emphasized when Jane states that “he would send for [her] in the morning,” whic...
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.