Jane Eyre Unit - Morgan Park High School
Jane Eyre Unit
Reading/Study Questions
Preface
• Analyze the quote "Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion." (vii) In light of what critics of the time had to say about Jane Eyre, what is the thrust of Brontë's response?
Chapter 1
• What purpose do the descriptive passages from Berwick's History of British Birds serve at this stage of the text?
• What are your impressions of John Reed? What do you make of the abuse that Jane suffers? Is it realistic?
Chapter 2
• On page 10, note Jane's thoughts of suicide.
• Jane Eyre was a watershed novel at the time it was written because it blended two styles of novels: the romantic novel and the gothic novel. According to Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, romanticism emphasized content rather than form; encouraged "freedom of treatment," "introspection," and celebrated "nature, the common man, and freedom of the spirit." The same source defines the gothic novel as a type of fiction "characterized by picturesque settings; an atmosphere of mystery, gloom, and terror; supernatural or fantastic occurrences; and violent and macabre events." Where do you see both elements in the novel so far?
Chapter 3
• Most readers of today are familiar with the signs of child abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. While these terms were arguably unknown to Brontë in the mid 19th century, how does her treatment of Jane reflect what we know about them?
Chapter 4
• What is unexpected in Jane’s answer to how she plans to avoid going to Hell?
• How does the anecdote of the "little psalm angel" heighten our contempt for Brocklehurst?
• Why does Bessie begin to treat Jane with kindness at this point in the text? What lesson does Jane learn on how to deal with people she fears? How is this unusual when compared with the depiction of the other children of this time period, such as the "little psalm angel" and the "girls of the school"?
Chapter 5
• Notice "Jane's" first direct address of the "reader."
• How does Miss Temple fit in with your expectations of her from Brocklehurst's interview with Jane? In fact, how does her character compare to most of the other adult characters encountered in the text so far?
Chapter 6
• In this chapter, Jane receives another lesson in strength, this time from Helen Burns. What do you think of Burns' diction and speech? What do you think of her philosophy?
Chapter 7
• What do you think of Mr. Brocklehurst's philosophy of education in this chapter?
• Discuss Brontë's feelings on the "nature of man". Is she being serious or tongue-in-cheek?
Chapter 8
• Compare Jane Eyre to other mistreated heroines from children's stories (Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White). Knowing that Jane Eyre is the novel that broke many rules about how a mistreated heroine should act, compare and contrast them to Jane.
Chapter 9
• Pay attention to the lush descriptions of Miss Temple in chapter 8 and spring at Lowood in chapter 9. How would descriptions like these affect readers in the mid 19th century? How do they affect readers of today?
• Notice the parallels between life at Lowood in the spring and Jane's new lifestyle. How is this "pathetic fallacy" a form of foreshadowing?
Chapter 10
• Read the first paragraph of chapter 10. If Brontë means that she has only related events that are important, what are those important events and how are they important to Jane's development as a character?
• What do you think of Jane's prayers for a "new servitude"?
• What can you make of Bessie's character in her differing reactions to Jane's looks and her abilities? What is the effect that Brontë is trying to convey to the reader?
• Pay attention to the appearance of a mysterious Mr. Eyre.
Chapter 11
• What do you make of the first two paragraphs in chapter 11? Analyze this passage with regard to literary theory and the nature of the narrator.
• What affect does Mrs. Fairfax's description of Rochester have on the reader? How does Brontë achieve this affect?
Chapter 12
• Read the passages on pages 100-101. What do you make of them? What is the link between the paragraphs? What opinions does Brontë show here, and how does she direct them through these paragraphs?
Chapter 13
• How has Thornfield changed with the arrival of Mr. Rochester? What is the significance of this?
• On page 110, as well as other places in the text, Brontë makes liberal use of French in her dialogue. What does this say about her audience? How do you compare to that audience?
• Rochester studies Jane's paintings on pages 115117. What do you make of the paintings? What does this incident add to the story?
• Comment on the character and appearance of Rochester. How does he measure up to other romantic heroes?
Chapter 14
• This chapter gives more insight on the nature of Rochester through his battle of wits with Jane. What is revealed about Rochester here? What is the outcome of their conversation?
Chapter 15
• Why does Jane become more affectionate and tolerant of Adèle, both literally and figuratively?
• We see that something odd is going on at Thornfield with Rochester's demand that he "like it if he can"(133), the strange laughter, and the attempt on his life.
• Note at the end of the chapter the change in the relationship between Jane and Rochester.
Chapter 16
• The discussion of Miss Blanche Ingram between Jane and Mrs. Fairfax should recall Rochester's opinions of love and jealousy in his romance with Adèle1s mother, Céline Varens.
• What do you make of Jane creating a harsh piece of artwork for herself and a lovely piece of artwork depicting Miss Ingram?
Chapter 17
• Beginning with the serving of coffee, Brontë shifts her narrative into the present tense. Why does she do this, and what is the effect on the reader?
• How does Brontë transmit the characters of the Ingram ladies successfully to the reader?
Chapter 18
• Sometimes Jane's naïveté offers Brontë a chance to satirize the attitudes and actions of aristocracy. In the first full paragraph on page 176, how does Brontë satirize love as seen by the upper class?
• Comment on the sudden appearance of both Mr. Mason and the old gypsy woman.
Chapter 19
• This chapter shows another change in the relationship between Rochester and Jane. Analyze this new stage.
• Re-read the section beginning with "Here is to your health, ministrant spirit!" (192) until the end of the chapter. What do you make of this passage?
Chapter 20
• On page 198, Brontë again changes into the present tense. Why?
• At this point in the novel, it is very clear that Rochester is deeply involved with some mystery surrounding Grace Poole. At the end of the chapter, who does he initially hint may help him find happiness? When Jane can not respond to Rochester1s hinting, his tone and attitude change immediately. What does this say about Rochester as a character?
Chapter 21
• On pages 2234, we are treated to an example of what the Reed sisters have become. How does Jane respond to their personalities. How does Jane compare and contrast to them?
• Describe the resolution of the relationship between Jane and Mrs. Reed. Is it different from what you expected? Would it have been different from what Brontë's audience would have expected?
Chapter 22
• Chapter 22 is short and ostensibly deals with Jane's return to Thornwood. What function might this chapter serve in terms of the entire text?
• Note again the switch in tense on page 231.
Chapter 23
• Pay attention to Brontë's description of Thornfield in summer at the beginning of the chapter. Notice how it contrasts the events of the rest of the chapter. Notice also the change of weather and the destruction of the chestnut tree. As a reader, what effect should these incidents of "pathetic fallacy" have on you?
• In Jane's impassioned speech beginning with "I tell you I must go!" (240) you should be able to find pieces of both Bessie and Helen Burns. How do the philosophies of these two influential characters color Jane's words?
Chapter 24
• This chapter is pure Jane Eyre. How is Jane different than most brides of romance stories? What would Brontë's audience have thought of her behavior?
Chapter 25
• When Jane regards her wedding gown on page 261, what mood does Brontë establish?
• Why does Brontë narrate with such a heavy hand when she writes "Stay till he comes, reader; and when I disclose my secret to him, you shall share the confidence." (262)?
Chapter 26
• What is the irony in Jane wearing "the plain square of blond" veil for her wedding (272)?
• What do you think of the fact that Jane's uncle and Mr. Mason were business associates?
• Re-read Jane's recollections of the events leading up to the introduction of Bertha Mason (281). How are these events different from similar events in traditional romantic novels? Why does Brontë "play" the scene this way?
Chapter 27
• "Reader, I forgave him at the moment on the spot" (284). What is your reaction to this?
• When Rochester explains the circumstances of marriage to Bertha Mason, how do you respond as a reader? Does Brontë succeed or fail to produce sympathy for this character? How?
• Compare the symbolism of "(a) wind fresh from Europe" (293) and the "fiery West Indian night" (292). What do these symbols represent? Are they ironic in any sense?
• On page 302, Jane explains her rationale for not complying with Rochester. Is this in character with the Jane we have come to know? How?
Chapter 28
• The suffering that Jane endures is compounded by her belief that she has "no claim to ask" for help (312). How is this philosophy in keeping with her character?
• As the author of the text, Brontë is the artist who chooses what events happen in the plot (much the same way a painter can choose the composition of a painting, or a sculptor can choose where and how to carve the elements of a sculpture). Why did she choose to create a section where her main character goes through so much pain? Is it appropriate?
Chapter 29
• Do a little research. Where do the names Mary, Diana, St. John, and Hannah come from, and what is the significance attached to those names? Compare the meanings of the names to their respective characters in the previous chapter and this one?
Chapter 30
• Compare the Rivers family to the Reed family. In what way are they similar? In what way are they foils? Do the names signify anything?
Chapter 31
• Jane's feelings toward her backwoods students and the "germs of native excellence, refinement, intelligence (and) kind-feeling" that "are as likely to exist in their hearts as in those of the best-born" (342) are likely to have caused a stir among non-romantics of the period. Why?
• Why does Jane begin this chapter in the present tense?
• Jane Eyre is running from an unattainable love. Who else is running as well, and what are the details?
Chapter 32
• A good minister is an example to his congregation; followers will learn "truth" by simply observing the daily actions of their pastor. Does St. James Rivers impart any "truths" to Jane?
Chapter 33
• In this chapter, the final pieces of the puzzle slip into place. Is this resolution too coincidental or is it satisfactory?
Chapter 34
• Characterize the similarities and differences between St. John's offer of marriage and Rochester's. Why does Jane refuse St. John when she is willing to accept a life with him in India? Couldn1t she grow to love him? How does her response fit in with what we know about Jane as a character?
• Hot climates seem to have a special symbolic meaning in the text (note Rochester's discussion of the West Indies). What do you make of it?
Chapter 35
• Jane's conversation with Diana (3968), although
• Jane's conversation with Diana (3968), although acceptable and unexceptional to us, would have bordered on the scandalous in Brontë's day. What is it about Jane's viewpoint that would have drawn so much anger?
• Does Jane's near surrender to St. John Rivers, stopped only by "the voiceŠof Edward Fairfax Rochester" speaks to her "in pain and woe" (401) diminish her strength of character? Why would Brontë have slipped again into the realm of the supernatural if Jane had enough strength in her own convictions?
Chapter 36
• In this chapter we learn the fate of Rochester, Bertha Mason, and Thornfield Hall. How do these revelations sit with you, the reader? Did Brontë do a good job of tying up loose ends?
Chapter 37
• Notice that Brontë makes a direct jump from the inn at Millcote to Rochester's house at Ferndean. Why does she do this? What effect might she wish to achieve?
• On page 419, Jane has her own ideas of how to shake Rochester from his gloom. What are they?
• "To make a love story workŠyou gotta have heart. More important: The audience must believe it's real." This quote by Pat H. Broeske in his article "Save Yourself From Trouble" from the January 1995 issue of Writer's Digest was his thesis for why some Hollywood love stories work and some don't. Does Jane Eyre work as a love story? Do Jane and Rochester have "heart"? Are we glad to see them back together? What makes their relationship ring true for the reader?
Chapter 38
• Brontë ends the novel on a religious note. In fact, she has been building the religious closure since Rochester's admission of prayer in chapter 37. What effect does this have on you as a reader? What effect would it have had on Brontë's audience?
• If St. John Rivers was such a frigid (and in some ways unpleasant character), why would Brontë chose to end the novel with a reference to him?
• Note the parallel structure: The novel begins with the antics of John Reed and closes with the antics of St. John Rivers.
Themes, Essays, Histories, and Leading Reading questions
SAMPLE COMMENTARY PRACTICE??—themes mentioned
• Law, Insanity and Self-Respect in Jane Eyre
• The supernatural element in Jane Eyre
• Confinement and Liberation
• Issues of Social Marginalization and Physical Isolation and their Moral Significances in Jane Eyre
• Imprisonment and Confinement
• Helen Burns and Death
• Helen Burns consoles Jane
• Theme and Perspective in Jane Eyre
• Richard Mason
• Helen Burn's Christianity and Jane's Development
• Mining for Martyrs in Jane Eyre
• Empty Stomachs = Salvation?
• Jane Eyre: The Body Controlled, the Body Freed
• Madness in Jane Eyre
• Questions by Philip V. Allingham, Lakehead University, Canada
Questions
1. How does Brontë value "mere human" laws? Religious laws? Is there a sense of "natural" morality in Jane's mental rebuttal of Mr. Rochester's argument? How has Jane's attitude toward rules changed since the beginning of the novel/her childhood?
2. Contrast Jane's definition of herself as "insane" at this moment with the portrayal of Bertha Mason. Jane is still capable of reason, is Bertha shown to have any capacity for thought? What constitutes insanity? What does the novel say about causes of insanity? Is insanity temporary or permanent, genetic or emotional? Can Jane truly recognize herself as insane? How does this relate to Jane's "passionate" nature? Is intense emotion the same as insanity?
3. How is the idea of isolation dealt with in the novel? Here Jane values it: "the more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself." Is that respect for solitude held up throughout the novel?
A singular notion dawned upon me. I doubted not — never doubted — that if Mr. Reed had been alive he would have treated me kindly; and now, as I sat looking at the white bed and overshadowed walls — occasionally also turning a fascinated eye towards the dimly gleaming mirror — I began to recall what I had heard of dead men, troubled in their graves by the violation of their last wishes, revisiting the earth to punish the perjured and avenge the oppressed; and I thought Mr. Reed's spirit, harassed by the wrongs of his sister's child, might quit its abode — whether in the church vault or in the unknown world of the departed — and rise before me in this chamber. I wiped my tears and hushed my sobs, fearful lest any sign of violent grief might waken a preternatural voice to comfort me, or elicit from the gloom some haloed face, bending over me with strange pity. This idea, consolatory in theory, I felt would be terrible if realized: with all my might I endeavoured to stifle it — I endeavoured to be firm. Shaking my hair from my eyes, I lifted my head and tried to look boldly round the dark room: at this moment a light gleamed on the wall. Was it, I asked myself, a ray from the moon penetrating some aperture in the blind? No; moonlight was still, and this stirred; while I gazed, it glided up to the ceiling and quivered over my head. I can now conjecture readily that this streak of light was, in all likelihood, a gleam from a lantern, carried by some one across the lawn: but then, prepared as my mind was for horror, shaken as my nerves were by agitation, I thought the swift-darting beam was a herald of some coming vision from another world. My heart beat thick, my head grew hot; a sound filled my ears, which I deemed the rushing of wings; something seemed near me; I was oppressed, suffocated; endurance broke down; I rushed to the door and shook the lock in desperate effort. Steps came running along the outer passage; the key turned, Bessie and Abbot entered. [Jane Eyre, Signet (1997), 16]
Questions
- Within the above passage, the narrator alludes to the fact that this story is actually being told in hindsight by an older and perhaps less superstitious Jane Eyre. What is the effect of this upon the passage and upon the novel as a whole?
- By attributing the gleam of light to a more realistic source, how does this add to or take away from Jane's childish fancy and the effect of the passage?
- Is Jane's analysis of her situation within the above text typical of a ten-year-old child? Does she react to the situation as any ten year old child might if put in her place? Why and why not?
- How do the other characters' reactions to Jane's actions within this passage shape the reader's view of them? Are any of the other characters, besides Jane, intended to be sympathized with?
- How does Brontë play with color and shadows within this passage? Is the light and dark imagery continued in other areas of the novel, and if so how can it be related back to the red-room incident?
In the following passage, Jane laments not only her own personal feelings of imprisonment but also explicitly questions the confinement of women. Her restlessness causes Jane to mention such dissatisfaction: she is hardly willing to accept any situations that are imperfect according to her ideals and opposed to her standards. Here she introduces to her audience her beliefs regarding the place of women in Victorian society, constantly emphasizing that she feels trapped and abandoned by her decision to act against societal standards. Only in the safe solitude of the third-floor balcony can Jane let her imagination run wild with a "tale that was never ended." Only apart from the other characters in the novel can Jane express how much more out of life she deserves and demands:
Who blames me? Many, no doubt; and I shall be called discontented. I could not help it: the restlessness was in my nature; it agitated me to pain sometimes. Then my sole relief was to walk along the corridor of the third story, backwards and forwards, safe in the silence and solitude of the spot and allow my mind's eye to dwell on whatever bright visions rose before it — and, certainly, they were many and glowing; to let my heart be heaved by the exultant movement, which, while it swelled it in trouble, expanded it with life; and, best of all, to open my inward ear to a tale that was never ended — a tale of my imagination created, and narrated continuously quickened with all of incident, life, fire, feeling, that I desired and had not in my actually existence.
It is in vain to say human beings out to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine. And millions are in silent revolt against their lot. Nobody knows how many rebellions besides political rebellions ferment in the masses of life which people earth. Woman are supposed to be very calm generally: and a filed for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer, and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knotting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex. [p. 93]
Questions
What is the significance that Jane can only express such thoughts outside?
What is the importance of nature in the novel, especially concerning Jane's own development and education?
Jane mentions allowing her mind to dwell on certain types of aspirations only after she is in a safe and secure location. What is the importance that Jane naturally arrives at such feelings and aspirations? Are these emotions only possible to detect when her mind is fully relaxed?
Jane uses words that refer to the act of writing, such as "tale" and "narrated." How does this speech refer to Charlotte Brontë's work as a female author during this time period?
Jane writes that people will naturally find action if their lives are too tranquil and still. How does such a sentiment work when considering the role of a natural and humanistic approach to life and relationships that is so dominant and apparent in Jane's character?
One of the significant characters at the Lowood school is Helen Burns, a girl several years older than Jane Eyre. Her intellect, dedication to reading, and steady manner all impress Jane; however, her ability to remain graceful and calm even in the face of (what Jane believes to be) unwarranted punishment makes the greatest impression on the younger girl. During a period in which many of Lowood's students are ill or dying, Helen contracts consumption, which eventually takes her life. On the night of her death, Jane sneaks into Miss Temple's room where Helen sleeps, and the two girls discuss God and the idea of an afterlife during Helen's last waking moments. Their conversation contrasts greatly with what many adults in Jane's life have informed her, and contrasts with Jane's previous fears regarding ghosts, death, and the supernatural.
"Where is God? What is God?"
"My Maker and yours, who will never destroy what he created. I rely implicitly on his power, and confide wholly in his goodness: I count the hours till that eventful one arrives which shall restore me to him, reveal him to me."
"You are sure, then, Helen, that there is such a place as heaven; and that our souls can get to it when we die?"
"I am sure there is a future state; I believe God is good; I can resign my immortal part to him without any misgivings. God is my father; God is my friend: I love him; I believe he loves me."
"And shall I see you again, Helen, when I die?"
"You will come to the same region of happiness; be received by the same mighty, universal Parent, no doubt, dear Jane."
Again I questioned; but this time only in thought. "Where is that region? Does it exist?" And I clasped my arms closer around Helen; she seemed closer to me than ever; I felt as if I could not let her go; I lay with my face hidden on her neck. Presently she said in the sweetest tone,‹
"How comfortable I am! That last fit of coughing has tired me a little; I feel as if I could sleep: but don't leave me, Jane; I like to have you near me." "I'll stay with you, dear Helen: no one shall take me away."
"Are you warm, darling?"
"Yes."
"Good-night, Jane."
"Good-night, Helen."
She kissed me, and I her, and we both soon slumbered. [Page 58-59; end of chapter 9]
Questions
1. Why is Jane suddenly comfortable being literally next to death, a concept which she feared when she lived with the Reeds? Was her fear a fear of the unknown, which Helen has made more familiar? Was her fear of death and ghosts based more on her unhappiness in her living situation?
2. How is Helen's acceptance of her illness and her probable death similar to the way she conducted herself in life? How is that different from Jane? Does her certainty comfort not only herself, but also Jane?
3. Helen refers to God as many things: Maker, father, friend, universal Parent. What is the significance of God having many roles? How might these roles appeal to Jane, who lacks some of those individuals in her life?
4. Helen's interpretation of God is often based on duality. She speaks of the hour which will "restore me to him, reveal him to me" and states "I love him; I believe he loves me". How do these ideas of reciprocity and balance in a relationship apply or contrast to her life, her friendship with Jane (in this passage or in general), or Jane's life at the Reeds' house or at Lowood?
5. The girls discuss sleep in their dialogue, and Jane's narration refers to both falling asleep. Is this a euphemism for death? How are the two related in this text?
“Angel in the House” Ideal
Just as Emily Dickinson's life gave rise to the Myth of the Recluse, so the Bronte homelife gave rise to the Myth of the Lonely Geniuses and to stories which sentimentalized the three Bronte sisters and demonized their homelife. For instance, there is the story that their father, a minister, fired his gun in the house. Another story runs that while his wife, who had born six children in seven years, lay dying, he destroyed her only silk dress. Stories like these are now regarded as false.
Nonetheless, it is true that their homelife was difficult. Their mother died when Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell were children; the two oldest sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died young. Branwell was a drug addict and an alcoholic whom Charlotte, Emily, and Anne nursed through his collapses, his psychosis, and his final days. The devoted sisters found support and companionship in one another; at night, they read their novels and their poems to one another. Their society did not encourage women to fulfill their talents. The twenty-year old Charlotte wrote to Robert Southey, the poet laureate, for his opinion about writing. His response shows the barriers facing women writers: "Literature cannot be the business of a woman's life, and it ought not to be. The more she is engaged in her proper duties, the less leisure will she have for it, even as an accomplishment and a recreation." Conventional wisdom held that men and women had separate "spheres" and duties, with woman's sphere being the house, family, and self-sacrifice. The popular image for the ideal woman was "the Angel in the House," who was expected to be devoted and submissive to her husband. The Angel was passive and powerless, meek, charming, graceful, sympathetic, self-sacrificing, pious, and above all--pure. The phrase "Angel in the House" comes from the title of an immensely popular poem by Coventry Patmore (1854), in which he holds his angel-wife up as a model for all women.
Granting this view of women, it is not surprising that the sisters adopted pseudonyms to hide their sex when they published their poems and novels. They chose names which were not obviously masculine: Acton Bell (Anne Bronte), Currer Bell (Charlotte Bronte), and Ellis Bell (Emily Bronte).
Coventry Patmore believed his wife Emily was the perfect Victorian wife and wrote "The Angel in the House" about her (originally published in 1854, revised through 1862). Though it did not receive much attention when it was first published in 1854, it became increasingly popular through the rest of the nineteenth century and continued to be influential into the twentieth century. For Virginia Woolf, the repressive ideal of women represented by the Angel in the House was still so potent that she wrote, in 1931,
"Killing the Angel in the House was part of the occupation of a woman writer." The following excerpt will give you a sense of the ideal woman and the male-female relationship presented by Patmore's poem:
Man must be pleased; but him to please
Is woman's pleasure; down the gulf
Of his condoled necessities
She casts her best, she flings herself.
How often flings for nought, and yokes
Her heart to an icicle or whim,
Whose each impatient word provokes
Another, not from her, but him;
While she, too gentle even to force
His penitence by kind replies,
Waits by, expecting his remorse,
With pardon in her pitying eyes;
And if he once, by shame oppress'd,
A comfortable word confers,
She leans and weeps against his breast,
And seems to think the sin was hers;
Or any eye to see her charms,
At any time, she's still his wife,
Dearly devoted to his arms;
She loves with love that cannot tire;
And when, ah woe, she loves alone,
Through passionate duty love springs higher,
As grass grows taller round a stone.
Initially this ideal primarily expressed the values of the middle classes. However, with Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert and her devoting herself to a domestic life, the ideal spread throughout nineteenth century society.
Conflicts and Struggles
This novel presents a number of conflicts and struggles within Jane and between Jane and other characters, conflicts which must be resolved for her to achieve self-fulfillment and happiness:
• Reason and common sense range against feeling and imagination. Jane must learn to subordinate her passions to her reason. She must also learn to control imagination, which may take the form of superstition, as when she is locked in the Red Room. When she is a child, her passions erupt unchecked, with both positive and negative results.
• Jane's need for love is so great that, according to Charles Burkhart, "Love is a religion in Jane Eyre." A closer scrutiny of Jane's romantic relationships raises the question of whether they are really power struggles for control and, perhaps, show some sado- masochistic tendencies.
• She must also learn to adapt her desire for experience and independence to her dependent position.
• An orphan, she suffers the humiliations of being dependent on the charity of wealthy relatives. Though as an adult she supports herself as a teacher and a governess, she insists on her status as a lady and struggles with feelings of inferiority. She alternates between submission and rebellion, between passivity and self-assertion, between restraint and freedom.
• Jane's quest for self-fulfillment is tied to her spiritual growth. When divine love and human love prove incompatible, Jane is forced to choose between them.
Other Characteristics
Jane as child and adult is the outsider who searches for family and place. She can also be seen as the Other.
It has been suggested that at least part of the appeal of Jane Eyre comes from its fulfilling common fantasies and wishes. According to this theory, we feel that we are orphans, that the family we are living with is not our real family; we want to punish the parents (and other authority figures) who thwarted childhood desires by saying "no" to us; we desire wealth and the perfect mate. Jane Eyre fulfills these desires and dreams, and it justifies the punishment of cruel authority figures like Aunt Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst, who deserve what they get. Think about this theory as you read the novel and decide whether you agree with it.
The image clusters running through this novel are fire, the moon, the weather, windows, and mirrors. Jane's paintings serve to characterize her and her situation.
Innovations
It is hard for the modern reader to see the innovative aspects of this novel because they have become familiar to us. Unlike her sisters, Charlotte rejected the convention of the beautiful heroine. While writing Jane Eyre, she told them, "I will show you a heroine as plain and as small as myself." She succeeded in her goal and established a trend of ordinary-looking or unattractive heroines. Also Jane Eyre is one of the first novels to present a child's experiences as the child saw and felt them and to trace that child's development into adulthood.
THEME OPENERS
1. Role-Playing.
Have students discuss or role-play one of these situations:
• You are falsely accused of stealing someone's wallet at school. Your accuser is a credible witness, believed by your peers. Do you insist on your innocence and try to prove it? Do you confront your accuser? How do you live with the disapproval of your peers? Is the knowledge of your innocence enough to sustain you?
• Imagine that you begin dating someone and gradually fall in love with that person. After about a year, you discover through a mutual acquaintance that your boyfriend or girlfriend has been "two-timing" you the whole time, with someone he or she has known and dated since junior high school. How do you feel? What do you say? What do you do? What would you consider to be a reasonable explanation for the behavior?
2. Linking to Today: Divorce.
Ask students what they think about the traditional marriage vow, "for better or worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Help students explore their views on marriage and divorce, and what they think are legitimate grounds for breaking up a marriage. Discuss how views of marriage and divorce have changed since the 19th century.
RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS
1. Children in the 19th Century.
Have students research the status of children in two or more sectors of society in 19th century England. They might research how children were viewed, what legal or property rights they had, how they were educated, and what they did for recreation. Then instruct them to write a comparison of the groups of children they researched.
2. Psychology Then and Now.
In this project, students will study the novel from a psychological perspective and stage a conference on the psychology of Jane Eyre. After researching psychological topics in groups, students will create psychological profiles of four characters in the novel.
Suggested Procedure:
• Divide students into groups and have them first tackle the research. Suggested topics that each group can look into include mental asylums in the 19th century; theories of mental illness in the 19th century; treatment of the mentally ill in the 19th century; Freud and the early psychologists; mental health reform; current psychological trends and theories; current treatment of mental illness; and so forth. You may want to suggest more general sources for information gathering; for example, encyclopedias and popular magazines such as Time, Newsweek, and Psychology Today.
• Each group member should have a specific role in the process, which includes research, summarizing, and presenting to the class. As a whole, the group should decide on the best way to present their material.
• When all the reports have been presented, divide the class into four groups. Have each group create a psychological case study on one of the following characters: Jane, Rochester, Bertha, St. John. This can be done through one or more group discussions, in and out of class. One person in each group can record major points discussed.
Introduction
For students of literature, Jane Eyre is important for its themes (especially its exploration of Jane's search for autonomy, and its narrative method). Of the many characters in the novel, the most important, by far, in his relationship with Jane, is Mr. Rochester, whom she marries. Among Jane's other important relationships are those with Mrs. Reed, Helen Burns and St. John Rivers. The comments below are organized under headings taken from a list of criteria for the study of prose texts, as used by an examination board in England.
Jane's relationship with Mrs Reed
Mrs. Reed is Jane's aunt. She despises her and allows her own children to bully Jane. Later we see how all three Reed children grow up to be miserable and unpopular. When Jane's wealthy uncle, John Eyre, writes (from Madeira) with the aim of adopting Jane, Mrs. Reed writes back to inform him that Jane is dead. Dying, Mrs. Reed asks for, and receives, Jane's forgiveness.
Subject/implications/moral and philosophical context
• Describe the nature of this relationship. Why does Mrs. Reed so dislike Jane? (Mrs. Reed explains this in Chapter 21). Comment on Jane's forgiveness of Mrs. Reed, as she dies.
• Mrs. Reed tries to harm Jane by depriving her of her inheritance. Explain how she succeeds at first, but ultimately fails in this attempt.
• How does Mrs. Reed, without intending it, help Jane to become strong and independent?
Style/structure/narrative craft
• Mrs. Reed disappears from the novel when Jane goes to Lowood School, but reappears briefly, when she is dying. Why is her reappearance important to the structure of the story?
Effects of language/emotive, ironic, figurative effect/patterns and details
• Comment on Brontë's use of dialogue to show this relationship.
• What is the effect of the final sentence of Chapter 21?
Jane's relationship with Helen Burns
Helen is a girl some three years older than Jane, and becomes her first, and best, friend at Lowood School. Helen is patient under suffering, and teaches Jane to be less excitable. She sees the best in others, even teachers who dislike her. She is almost too good for this world. As she dies of typhus she is sure that she is going to be with God. Jane leaves the reader, also, in no doubt of this.
Subject/implications/moral and philosophical context
• Explain how Jane finds her first real friend in Helen, who is very different from her.
• What does Jane learn from her friendship with Helen?
• How does Helen feel about dying? Why does she face death with such confidence?
Style/structure/narrative craft
• How does Charlotte Brontë arouse the reader's admiration for Helen?
Effects of language/emotive, ironic, figurative effect/patterns and details
• How are Helen's character and beliefs shown in her speech?
• What is the meaning of the last paragraph of Chapter 9? Why should Helen's grave receive a proper memorial only fifteen years after her death?
Jane's relationship with St. John Rivers
St. John (pronounced Sínjun) Rivers is a clergyman who gives Jane shelter when she flees from Thornfield. Later Jane finds that he is her cousin. He is a good and sincere man who plans to go abroad as a missionary. He proposes to Jane, but she declines his offer. In 1847 the idea of marrying a handsome and courageous man and supporting him in his vocation would have been attractive to many readers. St. John and his sisters (Diana and Mary) become Jane's best friends, and he helps her recover her fortune. Jane takes only a quarter of the inheritance and gives the rest to St. John, Diana and Mary. The Rivers family can be contrasted with the Reeds, and St. John, hard on himself but kind to others, with the hypocritical Mr. Brocklehurst.
Subject/implications/moral and philosophical context
• Explain the nature of Jane's relationship with St. John. Why would he be attractive to many women? Why does Jane decide to reject his offer of marriage?
• In what ways does Jane's relationship with St. John resemble that with Helen Burns?
Style/structure/narrative craft
• How does Jane present St. John to the reader? Why does she end the novel with an account of his achievements? In what ways does he deserve this honour?
Effects of language/emotive, ironic, figurative effect/patterns and details
• In the final part of the novel, Jane refers to other books to describe St. John. These include The Pilgrim's Progress and St. Paul's letters from the New Testament of the Bible. What is the effect of these references?
Jane's relationship with Mr. Rochester
This relationship dominates the novel, as it becomes the most important thing in Jane's life. At first Jane finds Rochester rather rude and insensitive, but it is her ability to stand up to him that earns his love. He hopes to secure her in a bigamous marriage. Although the modern reader is sympathetic to Rochester who was tricked, as a young man, into marrying a lunatic, the 19th century reader would have no doubt that Jane does the right thing in leaving him - to be his mistress is not an option. The fire that widows him also disables him. He has to learn to depend on Jane. And as an heiress, she does not even depend on his fortune any more.
Subject/implications/moral and philosophical context
• Try to trace the different stages of Jane's relationship with Rochester. This is a big subject, so be selective. Why does he prefer her to the conventional beauty of Blanche Ingram?
Style/structure/narrative craft
• How does Jane influence the reader's response to Mr. Rochester?
• Comment on the mystery surrounding Rochester's wife. How is this presented in the story?
• Comment on Jane's remarks to the reader about her relationship with Rochester.
Effects of language/emotive, ironic, figurative effect/patterns and details
• Explore the way in which Brontë presents the themes of sight and blindness, sanity and madness.
• How does Brontë use dialogue to show the various stages of Jane's relationship with Rochester?
• Comment on the ideas of the natural and the supernatural in the presentation of this relationship.
Further Discussion Questions from Penguin
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Why does Brontë juxtapose Jane's musings about women's social restraints with the mysterious laugh that Jane attributes to Grace Poole (p. 125-26)?
Rochester tells Jane, "if you are cast in a different mould to the majority, it is no merit of yours; Nature did it" (p. 153-54). Are we intended to agree or disagree with this statement?
After Mason's visit to Thornfield, Jane asks herself, "What crime was this, that lived incarnate in this sequestered mansion, and could neither be expelled nor subdued by the owner?" (p. 237). What crime does Bertha represent? Why does Rochester keep her at Thornfield?
Does Rochester ever actually intend to marry Blanche Ingram? If so, when does he change his mind? If not, why does he go to such lengths to make Jane believe he does?
Rochester's disastrous marriage to Bertha was based on passion, while St. John refuses to marry Rosamund because of his passion for her. What is Brontë saying about the role passion should play in marriage?
What does St. John feel for Jane? Why does Jane end her story with his prayer?
Jane asserts her equality to Rochester (p. 284), and St. John (p. 452). What does Jane mean by equality, and why is it so important to her?
When Jane first appears at Moor House, Hannah assumes she is a prostitute, but St. John and his sisters do not. What distinguishes the characters who misjudge Jane from those who recognize her true nature?
When Jane hears Rochester's voice calling while he is miles away, she says the phenomenon "is the work of nature" (p. 467). What does she mean by this? What are we intended to conclude about the meaning of this experience?
Brontë populates the novel with many female characters roughly the same age as Jane—Georgiana and Eliza Reed, Helen Burns, Blanche Ingram, Mary and Diana Rivers, and Rosamund Oliver. How do comparisons with these characters shape the reader's understanding of Jane's character?
What is the balance of power between Jane and Rochester when they marry? Does this balance change from the beginning of the marriage to the time ten years later that Jane describes at the end of the novel (p. 500-501)?
Though biographical approaches are not fashionable these days, a good way to begin discussion of Jane Eyre is to provide students with some facts about the author, to show that the sources of the narrator's experiences and strong personality lie in Charlotte Brontë's personal history. Points worth emphasizing in relation to Jane Eyre include the early death of Charlotte's mother, leaving the family in the care of a somewhat remote father and a crotchety aunt (all Charlotte's novels have parentless heroines); her experiences at the Clergy Daughters' school at Cowan Bridge [Yorkshire], thinly veiled in the novel as Lowood Institution; her attempts to make a living as a governess in wealthy families; and her suppressed (and possibly unconscious) passion for Constantine Heger, her tempestuous and irascible teacher in Brussels. Students would also be interested to learn about the imaginary worlds created by the Brontës as children; Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne collaborated for many years on the production of chronicles of romance and adventure for their own amusement. Charlotte's favourite character in the stories was Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Zamorna, a romantic hero compounded of her reading in Gothic novels and the poetry of Byron. Zamorna is a clear forerunner of Edward Fairfax Rochester.
For teaching purposes, Jane Eyre conveniently breaks down into five sections: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor House, and Ferndean, each section representing a new phase in Jane's experience and development. It's worth spending some time on the first two sections: a) they establish the protagonist's character very clearly (intense, imaginative, passionate, rebellious, independentñyet yearning for warmth and affection, seeking acceptance and an out let for her feelings); b) these early chapters prepare us for the struggles that Jane will undergo later, the conflicts between spirit and flesh, duty and desire, denial and fulfilment; c) they also establish the theme of the outsider, the free spirit struggling for recognition and self- respect in the face of rejection by a class-ridden and money-oriented society. The Gateshead chapters can be used to introduce the concept of narrative point-of-view. Of special interest is the author's ability to re-create the child's vision of the world; ask students to pick out passages they think successfully convey the child's perception, and have them explain their choices.
The Lowood section can be dealt with in part as a realistic, if somewhat heightened, account of life in many charitable or religious schools in the first part of the 19th century (cf. Dickens' description of Dotheboys Hall in Nicholas Nickleby). Students would probably enjoy Mrs. Gaskell's scathing account of Lowood's real-life original, the Clergy Daughters' school run by a fiercely evangelical clergyman similar in some respects to Mr. Brocklehurst. This section is important also for its introduction of the theme of Christian love and forgiveness; the contrast between Mr. Brocklehurst's hypocritical zeal and Helen Burns' spiritual strength and humility is an important lesson for Jane, bearing fruit in her subsequent forgiveness of Mrs. Reed.
The Thornfield episode, with its elements of suspense, sexual conflict, and occasional violence, has obvious appeal for most adolescent readers. It is dominated by Rochester; students might be asked to define those features of his character and conduct that make him the Romantic Hero par excellence. Milton's Satan and Byron's Lara are probably his most illustrious antecedents, and offer useful parallels. The section is important also in developing the theme of spiritual equality regardless of social rank; not a new theme (cf. Chaucer's treatment of "gentilesse" in "The Wife of Bath's Tale"), but asserted with unusual force here, leading some readers to see Jane (and her creator) in feminist terms. Jane's aggressively independent nature certainly seemed unwomanly (and unChristian) to some of her contemporaries, if one goes by early reviews. This part of the novel also brings to a climax the theme of moral conflict: Jane's struggle between passion and principle, the flesh and the spirit. Some attention should be paid to poor Bertha, who embodies the irrational abandonment of self to appetite, and whose fiery passions eventually find literal expression. (For a more sympathetic view of Bertha, see Jean Rhys' novel Wide Sargasso Sea, which relates the story of her meeting with Rochester in the West Indies.) The Thornfield chapters are useful, too, for discussions of setting as dramatic accompaniment to, reflection of, or comment upon the action; e.g., Thornfield Hall as an expression of its master's personality; or the violent storm that erupts at the time of Rochester's proposal to Jane, seemingly as a reflection of divine disapproval.
The sexual temptations offered by Rochester are contrasted in the Moor House section by the cold spirituality of St. John Rivers (a helpful assignment here is a comparison-contrast essay). In the interests of serving God, he represses his own human feelings (note the Rosamund Oliver business), and wants Jane to do the same. He represents the extremes of denial, self-sacrifice, dedication to the spirit; in rejecting him, Jane chooses the path of lifeña life in which passion and principle are reconciled, through her happy marriage with Rochester. The final scenes at Ferndean show the achievement of this reconciliation; Rochester, now maimed (divine retribution? See Matthew 5:29, 30), repents his former life, and Jane can find fulfilment in loving service to a master who now depends on her.
Despite its episodic nature, Jane Eyre does have thematic and structural unity, created in various ways: through the continuous development of Jane's character and the revelation of her inner struggles; through recurring themes, some of which have been outlined above; through repeated motifs, symbols, and images (the workings of the supernatural, portentous dreams, patterns of light and dark, oppositions of warmth and cold, etc.); through parallels and contrasts in character (e. g., the Reeds at Gateshead/the Rivers family at Moor House; Rochester/St. John Rivers; Helen Burns/St. John Rivers; Blanche Ingram/Jane herself); and through patterns in plot structure (e. g., the workings of Providence at several crucial stages in Jane's life; the parallel temptations facing Jane at Thornfield and Moor House; Jane's search for happiness as a kind of spiritual journey in which she must overcome a series of trials and obstacles like Christian in The Pilgrim's Progress). Students might also be encouraged to look at fairy-tale analogues of the novel's plot: e. g., the stories of Cinderella, Bluebeard, or the Ugly Duckling.
Themes, Motifs & Symbols
Themes
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
Love versus Autonomy
Jane Eyre is very much the story of a quest to be loved. Jane searches, not just for romantic love, but also for a sense of being valued, of belonging. Thus Jane says to Helen Burns: “to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest” (Chapter 8). Yet, over the course of the book, Jane must learn how to gain love without sacrificing and harming herself in the process.
Her fear of losing her autonomy motivates her refusal of Rochester’s marriage proposal. Jane believes that “marrying” Rochester while he remains legally tied to Bertha would mean rendering herself a mistress and sacrificing her own integrity for the sake of emotional gratification. On the other hand, her life at Moor House tests her in the opposite manner. There, she enjoys economic independence and engages in worthwhile and useful work, teaching the poor; yet she lacks emotional sustenance. Although St. John proposes marriage, offering her a partnership built around a common purpose, Jane knows their marriage would remain loveless.
Nonetheless, the events of Jane’s stay at Moor House are necessary tests of Jane’s autonomy. Only after proving her self-sufficiency to herself can she marry Rochester and not be asymmetrically dependent upon him as her “master.” The marriage can be one between equals. As Jane says: “I am my husband’s life as fully as he is mine. . . . To be together is for us to be at once as free as in solitude, as gay as in company. . . . We are precisely suited in character—perfect concord is the result” (Chapter 38).
Religion
Throughout the novel, Jane struggles to find the right balance between moral duty and earthly pleasure, between obligation to her spirit and attention to her body. She encounters three main religious figures: Mr. Brocklehurst, Helen Burns, and St. John Rivers. Each represents a model of religion that Jane ultimately rejects as she forms her own ideas about faith and principle, and their practical consequences.
Mr. Brocklehurst illustrates the dangers and hypocrisies that Charlotte Brontë perceived in the nineteenth-century Evangelical movement. Mr. Brocklehurst adopts the rhetoric of Evangelicalism when he claims to be purging his students of pride, but his method of subjecting them to various privations and humiliations, like when he orders that the naturally curly hair of one of Jane’s classmates be cut so as to lie straight, is entirely un-Christian. Of course, Brocklehurst’s proscriptions are difficult to follow, and his hypocritical support of his own luxuriously wealthy family at the expense of the Lowood students shows Brontë’s wariness of the Evangelical movement. Helen Burns’s meek and forbearing mode of Christianity, on the other hand, is too passive for Jane to adopt as her own, although she loves and admires Helen for it.
Many chapters later, St. John Rivers provides another model of Christian behavior. His is a Christianity of ambition, glory, and extreme self-importance. St. John urges Jane to sacrifice her emotional deeds for the fulfillment of her moral duty, offering her a way of life that would require her to be disloyal to her own self.
Although Jane ends up rejecting all three models of religion, she does not abandon morality, spiritualism, or a belief in a Christian God. When her wedding is interrupted, she prays to God for solace (Chapter 26). As she wanders the heath, poor and starving, she puts her survival in the hands of God (Chapter 28). She strongly objects to Rochester’s lustful immorality, and she refuses to consider living with him while church and state still deem him married to another woman. Even so, Jane can barely bring herself to leave the only love she has ever known. She credits God with helping her to escape what she knows would have been an immoral life (Chapter 27).
Jane ultimately finds a comfortable middle ground. Her spiritual understanding is not hateful and oppressive like Brocklehurst’s, nor does it require retreat from the everyday world as Helen’s and St. John’s religions do. For Jane, religion helps curb immoderate passions, and it spurs one on to worldly efforts and achievements. These achievements include full self-knowledge and complete faith in God.
Social Class
Jane Eyre is critical of Victorian England’s strict social hierarchy. Brontë’s exploration of the complicated social position of governesses is perhaps the novel’s most important treatment of this theme. Like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, Jane is a figure of ambiguous class standing and, consequently, a source of extreme tension for the characters around her. Jane’s manners, sophistication, and education are those of an aristocrat, because Victorian governesses, who tutored children in etiquette as well as academics, were expected to possess the “culture” of the aristocracy. Yet, as paid employees, they were more or less treated as servants; thus, Jane remains penniless and powerless while at Thornfield. Jane’s understanding of the double standard crystallizes when she becomes aware of her feelings for Rochester; she is his intellectual, but not his social, equal. Even before the crisis surrounding Bertha Mason, Jane is hesitant to marry Rochester because she senses that she would feel indebted to him for “condescending” to marry her. Jane’s distress, which appears most strongly in Chapter 17, seems to be Brontë’s critique of Victorian class attitudes.
Jane herself speaks out against class prejudice at certain moments in the book. For example, in Chapter 23 she chastises Rochester: “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you—and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you.” However, it is also important to note that nowhere in Jane Eyre are society’s boundaries bent. Ultimately, Jane is only able to marry Rochester as his equal because she has almost magically come into her own inheritance from her uncle.
Gender Relations
Jane struggles continually to achieve equality and to overcome oppression. In addition to class hierarchy, she must fight against patriarchal domination—against those who believe women to be inferior to men and try to treat them as such. Three central male figures threaten her desire for equality and dignity: Mr. Brocklehurst, Edward Rochester, and St. John Rivers. All three are misogynistic on some level. Each tries to keep Jane in a submissive position, where she is unable to express her own thoughts and feelings. In her quest for independence and self-knowledge, Jane must escape Brocklehurst, reject St. John, and come to Rochester only after ensuring that they may marry as equals. This last condition is met once Jane proves herself able to function, through the time she spends at Moor House, in a community and in a family. She will not depend solely on Rochester for love and she can be financially independent. Furthermore, Rochester is blind at the novel’s end and thus dependent upon Jane to be his “prop and guide.” In Chapter 12, Jane articulates what was for her time a radically feminist philosophy:
Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.
Motifs
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Fire and Ice
Fire and ice appear throughout Jane Eyre. The former represents Jane’s passions, anger, and spirit, while the latter symbolizes the oppressive forces trying to extinguish Jane’s vitality. Fire is also a metaphor for Jane, as the narrative repeatedly associates her with images of fire, brightness, and warmth. In Chapter 4, she likens her mind to “a ridge of lighted heath, alive, glancing, devouring.” We can recognize Jane’s kindred spirits by their similar links to fire; thus we read of Rochester’s “flaming and flashing” eyes (Chapter 25). After he has been blinded, his face is compared to “a lamp quenched, waiting to be relit” (Chapter 37).
Images of ice and cold, often appearing in association with barren landscapes or seascapes, symbolize emotional desolation, loneliness, or even death. The “death-white realms” of the arctic that Bewick describes in his History of British Birds parallel Jane’s physical and spiritual isolation at Gateshead (Chapter 1). Lowood’s freezing temperatures—for example, the frozen pitchers of water that greet the girls each morning—mirror Jane’s sense of psychological exile. After the interrupted wedding to Rochester, Jane describes her state of mind: “A Christmas frost had come at mid-summer: a white December storm had whirled over June; ice glazed the ripe apples, drifts crushed the blowing roses; on hay-field and corn-field lay a frozen shroud . . . and the woods, which twelve hours since waved leafy and fragrant as groves between the tropics, now spread, waste, wild, and white as pine-forests in wintry Norway. My hopes were all dead. . . .” (Chapter 26). Finally, at Moor House, St. John’s frigidity and stiffness are established through comparisons with ice and cold rock. Jane writes: “By degrees, he acquired a certain influence over me that took away my liberty of mind. . . . I fell under a freezing spell”(Chapter 34). When St. John proposes marriage to Jane, she concludes that “[a]s his curate, his comrade, all would be right. . . . But as his wife—at his side always, and always restrained, and always checked—forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital—this would be unendurable” (Chapter 34).
Substitute Mothers
Poet and critic Adrienne Rich has noted that Jane encounters a series of nurturing and strong women on whom she can model herself, or to whom she can look for comfort and guidance: these women serve as mother-figures to the orphaned Jane.
The first such figure that Jane encounters is the servant Bessie, who soothes Jane after her trauma in the red-room and teaches her to find comfort in stories and songs. At Lowood, Jane meets Miss Temple, who has no power in the world at large, but possesses great spiritual strength and charm. Not only does she shelter Jane from pain, she also encourages her intellectual development. Of Miss Temple, Jane writes: “she had stood by me in the stead of mother, governess, and latterly, companion” (Chapter 10). Jane also finds a comforting model in Helen Burns, whose lessons in stamina teach Jane about self-worth and the power of faith.
After Jane and Rochester’s wedding is cancelled, Jane finds comfort in the moon, which appears to her in a dream as a symbol of the matriarchal spirit. Jane sees the moon as “a white human form” shining in the sky, “inclining a glorious brow earthward.” She tells us: “It spoke to my spirit: immeasurably distant was the tone, yet so near, it whispered in my heart—“My daughter, flee temptation.” Jane answers, “Mother, I will” (Chapter 27). Waking from the dream, Jane leaves Thornfield.
Jane finds two additional mother-figures in the characters of Diana and Mary Rivers. Rich points out that the sisters bear the names of the pagan and Christian versions of “the Great Goddess”: Diana, the Virgin huntress, and Mary, the Virgin Mother. Unmarried and independent, the Rivers sisters love learning and reciting poetry and live as intellectual equals with their brother St. John.
Symbols
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Bertha Mason
Bertha Mason is a complex presence in Jane Eyre. She impedes Jane’s happiness, but she also catalyses the growth of Jane’s self-understanding. The mystery surrounding Bertha establishes suspense and terror to the plot and the atmosphere. Further, Bertha serves as a remnant and reminder of Rochester’s youthful libertinism.
Yet Bertha can also be interpreted as a symbol. Some critics have read her as a statement about the way Britain feared and psychologically “locked away” the other cultures it encountered at the height of its imperialism. Others have seen her as a symbolic representation of the “trapped” Victorian wife, who is expected never to travel or work outside the house and becomes ever more frenzied as she finds no outlet for her frustration and anxiety. Within the story, then, Bertha’s insanity could serve as a warning to Jane of what complete surrender to Rochester could bring about.
One could also see Bertha as a manifestation of Jane’s subconscious feelings—specifically, of her rage against oppressive social and gender norms. Jane declares her love for Rochester, but she also secretly fears marriage to him and feels the need to rage against the imprisonment it could become for her. Jane never manifests this fear or anger, but Bertha does. Thus Bertha tears up the bridal veil, and it is Bertha’s existence that indeed stops the wedding from going forth. And, when Thornfield comes to represent a state of servitude and submission for Jane, Bertha burns it to the ground. Throughout the novel, Jane describes her inner spirit as fiery, her inner landscape as a “ridge of lighted heath” (Chapter 4). Bertha seems to be the outward manifestation of Jane’s interior fire. Bertha expresses the feelings that Jane must keep in check.
The Red-Room
The red-room can be viewed as a symbol of what Jane must overcome in her struggles to find freedom, happiness, and a sense of belonging. In the red-room, Jane’s position of exile and imprisonment first becomes clear. Although Jane is eventually freed from the room, she continues to be socially ostracized, financially trapped, and excluded from love; her sense of independence and her freedom of self-expression are constantly threatened.
The red-room’s importance as a symbol continues throughout the novel. It reappears as a memory whenever Jane makes a connection between her current situation and that first feeling of being ridiculed. Thus she recalls the room when she is humiliated at Lowood. She also thinks of the room on the night that she decides to leave Thornfield after Rochester has tried to convince her to become an undignified mistress. Her destitute condition upon her departure from Thornfield also threatens emotional and intellectual imprisonment, as does St. John’s marriage proposal. Only after Jane has asserted herself, gained financial independence, and found a spiritual family—which turns out to be her real family—can she wed Rochester and find freedom in and through marriage.
1. What is the color of the room Jane is locked in at Gateshead?
a. Fuchsia
b. Blue
c. Green
d. Red
2. Who is the servant at Gateshead?
a. Georgiana
b. Bessie
c. Mrs. Fairfax
d. Mrs. Reed
3. How does John Reed die?
a. Suicide
b. Tuberculosis
c. Old age
d. Murder
4. Who suggests Jane attend school?
a. Mr. Lloyd
b. Jane
c. Bessie
d. Mrs. Reed
5. Whose ghost does Jane believe she sees?
a. Her mother's
b. Her sister's
c. Her uncle's
d. Her father's
6. What religious movement is Mr. Brocklehurst a part of?
a. Evangelicalism
b. Buddhism
c. Stoicism
d. Victorianism
7. What teacher takes Jane under her wing at Lowood?
a. Mr. Brocklehurst
b. Miss Scatcherd
c. Helen Burns
d. Miss Temple
8. What student befriends Jane at Lowood?
a. Mary Rivers
b. Diana Rivers
c. Helen Burns
d. Miss Temple
9. An outbreak of what disease spreads throughout Lowood?
a. Leprosy
b. Pneumonia
c. Typhus
d. Chicken pox
10. What was Mr. Brocklehurst using the money for the school for?
a. To publish books
b. To create a second school
c. To fund his political causes
d. To indulge his own family
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