Jane Eyre is the first book we have read this semester with first person narration. Jane is telling us her own story. How does Jane describe herself? What are the main influences on young life? What experiences do you think we most formative to her character? Frame your response in terms of the effectiveness of Bronte's narrative choices: As a reader, what do you think of Jane thus far? What moment(s) in the text have shaped this response? As always, be sure to respond to relevant prior posts and use textual evidence to make your case.
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Early on she comes of as a sort of shy/timid little girl who does what she is told whenever she is told. She's treated as if she is beneath the servants and as if she means nothing to the people she is living with And these people are her family. She's abused by her cousin (John Reed) and when she reacts, she is the one who gets punished. Mrs. Reed treats Jane as if she is some kind of dog in my eyes. Then when she is about to send Jane off to school she tries to be buddy-buddy with Jane and tell her that she is her friend, yet at the same time she still acts cruelly to her. Jane finally stands up for herself after the meeting about her going to Lowood. I feel like she finally stood for herself and finally began to come into her own. I have a lot more stuff but I'd rather save it for class. It's just too much.
ReplyDeleteJane first describes herself in Chapter 2 when she says, "I was a discord in Gateshead Hall; I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with Mrs Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage. If they did not love me, in fact, as little did I love them...a useless thing." Very early on she is very self-aware in realizing that she is nothing like the family she is living with. She also always talks very negatively about herself; in this instance, she calls herself a useless thing. She often calls herself ignorant and unworthy and things like that. It seems like the main influences on young life back then were authority because rebelling against authority wasn't even really thought of back then. Jane seems to be more influenced by people who are kind to her, though, like Helen and Miss Temple. I think one of the most formative experiences she had was being friends with and losing Helen. Before Helen she really never seemed to mention God or religion much, but Helen was as devout as they come. Later on in the book, Jane turns to God completely and seems like she is trying to be more like Helen. Miss Temple leaving Lowood also was a big event because it's what contributed to making her want to leave as well, and she ends up finding a whole new life. Had Miss Temple not left, she may not have either. I see Jane as being very curious and wanting to learn, especially because she says on page 93, "...she knew more of the owrld, and could tell me many things I liked to hear...she had a turn for narrative, I for analysis; she liked to inform, I to question." Jane has always been trapped, first in Gateshead, then in Lowood, which I think has made her long to hear about things going on outside of her surroundings. She is also very resilient. She has sustained so much emotional and even physical abuse like Pierre wrote about throughout her childhood and yet she is still a very kind, well-behaved child after all that.
ReplyDeleteI think the first word that comes to mind for me in describing Jane is definitely self-involved. Naturally, from a first person narrative, you're only going to be exposed to one persons view point, making the material slightly biased as well as self-involved. Also, because it's first person narrative, there is a question as to how reliable Jane is as a narrator. So far, due to her circumstances, I think Jane is reliable because everyone's actions are in line with her living situation. For example, Jane is treated poorly by her aunt, in which Jane voices her distaste for her relatives. Now, if she was unreliable, it wouldn't be so apparent that how Jane feels is similar to how people treat her. Overall, I'd say that Jane is a reliable narrator who has a lot of personal growth to achieve. She is also a very resilient character within her hardships, as well as very brave with her actions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pierre, first off she seems shy but she does have a back bone. On page 13 John throws that book at her and she does stand up for herself she doesn’t just stand there and take it. She says, “Wicked and Cruel Boy… you are like a murderer…” Then after that event she does not just let them drag her up stairs she fights them the whole way. I think she is a strong girl. I also get the feeling she has intelligences because she is referring to books she has read and another example on page 111 she says,” A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play.” Just by the way she speaks she seems educated.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pierre and Cassey, Jane at first is very shy but with further reading we come to know that she does stand up for what is right. Jane is treated very badly by her aunt due to which the reader sympathizes with Jane. Even though Jane was minding her own business by reading her book, her cousin John throws the book at her. Jane was punished with hers being no fault at all.
ReplyDeleteJane being an orphan is treated very harshly, she is also sent to a charity school for which her aunt did not have to pay anything. Jane has fallen a prey to social prejudices such as class and gender issues over which she has no control.
Though we also come to know that she is a fighter and does not give up. When her aunt told Mr. Brocklehurst that she has a propensity of lying, Jane stood up against her aunt to defend herself from this accusation.
I agree with what everyone has said so far about Jane being very shy. In the beginning of chapter 1 on page 12 it says : "He bullied and punished me; not two or three times in the week, nor once or twice in a day, but continually: every nerve I had feared him, and every morsel of flesh on my bones shrank when he came near." Jane has done nothing wrong to be treated the way that she has. She is trapped in this world with people who are being awful to her like her aunt and cousin.
ReplyDeleteJane's main influences are the ways that people treat her. When she is devalued by her aunt and cousins, she devalues herself. When people are cruel to her she is cruel in return, and when people are kind to her she is kind in return. No one ever talks down to her, so her way of speaking is well-developed for a ten year old girl. Because her family shuns her and distances themselves from her emotionally, she developed a solitary and independant personality.
ReplyDeleteI really am starting to like Jane. I disagree that she does not have a backbone or is a shy girl. She does what she is told because she does not want to get abused or locked in a scary room where a man has died. I would do what I was told as well. I think she has a spitfire attitude that will take her far in life. I agree with Casey in the fact that she is very intelligent. She is extremely bright and mature for a ten year old. On page 13, she references the Roman Emperors because she had read the 'History of Rome.' I was also very impressed with the way she speaks and thinks. She has a way with words that is so impressive for a girl her age. When she stands up to her aunt on page 44, she uses very elegant vocabulary. This could have something to do with the time period though. I think she has guts with a hint of sarcasm. On page 40,she is being interrogated by Mr. Brocklehurst and he made a comment about her heart being changed from stone to flesh. She was about to ask when this procedure could take place when she stopped herself. Her witty thoughts are quite entertaining.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting characteristic of Jane is the fact she is fully aware she's just a child. She often acknowledges her undeveloped understanding and imperfect feelings. She compares herself to a "rebel slave," full of spirit and fear. It is very depressing that she thinks of herself as dependent and friendless. She feels like an alien whom is permanently intruding on her own family group. she cannot be a part of any type of joy. She feels deserving of love and acknowlegement, just like any other child would. Plus, she sometimes forgets she is a good person because she is surrounded by people telling her how horrible she is.
i think Jane is a pretty straight forward character. She is obedient and does what is asked of her even when the people around her aren't treating her with the respect that she deserves. I think that the fact that she realizes that she is just a child makes her more interesting. It is kinda depressing when she thinks about how she isnt even welcome in her own family and that she is friendless. This is very sad, especially when the thought is coming from a child. I think she is also confused about who she is because everyone around her treats her bad and tells her how bad she is.
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ReplyDeleteI really like what Kaitlin said in the previous post. Although it would be easy to say that Jane is very shy and timid, if you look more closely at some of the things that happen to her you would see that she is just cooperative. She knows the consequences that will come from acting out of line. This is why I think she is so mature for her age. As a reader I get the impression that she is an adult. She was treated very unfairly and for no good reason. She has been through so much already in the Reed household and I think that is why she is such a strong character. If I had to choose a word to describe Jane I would say resilient.
ReplyDeleteSo far I have enjoyed the way Charlotte Bronte has chosen to write this book. First person was a great idea for this type of story. As a reader you really start to feel close to the characters when you've seen everything they have been through. I'm sure that is the main reason she chose to write the book this way. This is a common style that I've seen used on numerous occasions in other books.
I think that the relatives she had lived impacted her character negatively. There were constantly reminding her of what she did wrong instead of what she does right. Jane sees herself as a good child who is treated awful. I thought the beginning seemed like Cinderella to me. She believes that she is this awful girl because of the treatment she receives from her relatives. I think the moment that drove Jane to become successful and respectable is when she meets Mr. Brocklehurst and her aunt states that she is an awful child to him. Another part is when Mr. Brocklehurst calls Jane out in front of the entire institution. I think these are pivotal moments in her striving to obtain a better life and be highly educated. I think that Jane is aware of her brilliance but she thinks that she lacks beauty. She never really gives herself much credit. Helen was a person that definitely made Jane reflects on who she is as a person. This is evident on page 69 when Helen says that she does like the teacher who always scolds her and Jane cannot understand why. I feel like I know the very depths of Jane's soul since this is her story. I think that although she is under confident I do see her as a brave character because she often stands up for herself. The best part was when she told the aunt off I loved it. So I would have to agree with Kaitlin on this. The narration of this novel is absolutely beautiful and eloquent. I love reading this book so far! When I read a novel as well written as this it makes me want to strive to be that in depth. So far Jane’s journey has been a sad one and I hope to see more glimpses of happier moments. The part with Helen broke me to pieces.
ReplyDeleteImagination is the first thing that impressed me in Jane Eyre. Maybe because she started when Jane was young and in the red room, she had fancied a lot. And I agree with Kara that the formative experiences were how people treated her and what they know about her, especially when she overheard Bessie and Miss Abbott talking about her antecedents, this experience kind of woke the inner self of little Jane. Another important experience was the punishments in the red room. Quoting: “You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity. I shall remember how you thrust me back . . . into the red-room. . . . And that punishment you made me suffer…” Jane was shy at the beginning but she changed. In chapter four, she expressed her need for affiliation and freedom. Before she went to Lowood School, she finally expressed herself and let out the inner self.
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre used imagination combined with poetic qualities in this novel that made it naturally appealing and mysterious. I feel like there are some hidden metaphors in these opening passages. For example, the cruel aunt and the cousins are like the pressure from the society and Jane finally rebelled.
I agree with alot of what Christie had to say in her post. I have read Jane Eyre in a previous class and I always come away with the feeling that she just does what she is told. Sometimes I feel like it is to avoid conflict or trouble and sometimes it seems like she just doesn't know any other options or way. I think alot of this has to do with how she was raised by her aunt and treated by that family. Her cousins often were cruel and abusive to her and she never stood up to them. They acted as though she wasn't important and I think she really started to believe that maybe she isn't all that important. However, I think she starts to get more of a backbone as she gets older and realizes that she has to stand up for herself because she is the only one who will.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that she is timid, but there are definitely times she sticks up for herself. one is after her cousin throws the book at her. Another is in chapter four, when her aunt says that Jane isn't deserving to be around her cousins, Jane replies that her cousins aren't deserving to be around her.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that there is any doubt that Jane is an extremely intelligent girl, either. At age 10, she's read books that I'd have difficulty maintaining interest in, such as History of Rome and Gulliver's Travels, and she speaks like an adult. This is, I believe, also because of how her adoptive family treats her. She was never allowed to be a child, so she grew up early.
While reading Jane Erye I have found that Jane comes across as this lost person who has no one to guide her. With her family dying so young and her aunt being cruel, there is no one in her life who truly cares. Even when she gets to leave Gateshead her teachers do not respect her or her peers and humiliate her infront of everyone.
ReplyDeleteI wish Jane had someone to look up to and I feel that Mrs. Temple is someone that will help Jane learn that she is strong and to stand up for herself.
Childhood play a big role in a person's life. If you have a rough childhood your life will be effected forever, either in a positive way or negative way. In Jane's case it's been negative and I hope we learn after reading more that she will realize that she deserves a happy ending.
I also agree with Pierre and that Jane was very shy at first and did what she was told. She was treated very lowly, almost as if she wasn't even a person. They never listened to her, ignored her, abused her and really just didn't want her around, even if she wasn't bothering them, the fact that she was still there irritated them. Sending her to school was by far the best thing that Mrs. Reed every did for her. She may have sent her to a less than great school, but at least Jane was away and free of her awful "family."
ReplyDeleteOnce at school, Jane meets some people that are very influential in her becoming a better person. Like Christie said, Helen had a big impact on her life, especially when she is talking to Helen the night of her death. Jane is very concerned for Helen dying and where she will go. This is Helen's last talk with Jane about religion. Jane is constantly questioning God and how Helen is so able to just accept him. In Helen's last speech to Jane, she tells her that "I believe; I have faith: I am going to God" (pg 97). She says that He is her maker and relys on his power and that she is gong to see him and that Jane will see her there some day. I feel like this talk, in a way, with Jane being somewhat young and naive, or uneducated, about life and religion, that hearing this from her first true friend probably gave her comfort and helped her deal with Helen leaving.
Also there is Miss Temple, who is said by Helen to be "very good and very clever; she is above the rest because she knows more than they do" (pg 61). Jane is content at the school until Miss Temple leaves. This is when she begins to feel unsatisfied with where she is which causes her to make the first decision she has ever really made for herself: to go somewhere else for work for a change in scenery. She decides to take the next step in her life, really get out there and live, instead of just staying at the school where she has been for most of her life that she can remember.
I agree with Kaitlin, Jane does have a backbone she just feels that she has to follow the rules, doing what she is told. It is evident that she has a backbone from chapter IV when she gets Mrs. Reed to verbally battle her as an equal adult. “‘What more have you to say?’ she asked, rather in a tone in which a person might address an opponent of adult age than such as is ordinarily to a child” (44). This shows that Jane was credible enough to be an adult or at least that much of a threat to Mrs. Reed.
ReplyDeleteThe advantage of this story being told in first person gives the story more personality and helps the reader become more emotionally involved in the story.
Jane telling the reader her story is very effective. I got the idea from reading it that she is often the victim, it made me often feel sorry for her. I think a lot of this comes from her telling the reader exactly how she feels in certain situations. I found the story very sad. A girl's parents die young and then her only known blood relation, her uncle, dies and basically forces Jane on his wife to take care of. The resentment Mrs. Reed shows for Jane and the way she (and her children) treat her as less human just makes the reader pity her more because of the injustice of it all. Even after Mrs. Reed tries to doom her success at her new school by bad-talking Jane to Mr. Brocklehurst, she still holds her own and gives her a piece of her mind. She may be very shy, but she is very mature for her age and a smart girl. When she loves, she loves with all her heart. But those who she loves always end up getting separated from her (her parents, Helen, Miss Temple). As Melissa said, telling her own story brings the reader closer to her emotions and her life.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm still doing my reading for tomorrow as we speak but what I've gotten from this book so far stands true to what a lot of the other posts have mentioned. What I first caught from the book was Jane's personality. She's hard to read. She's really quiet and simple but has gone through so much and is a good person who is very wise and respects others. I also think its a fine line to figure out when Jane is letting people "walk all over her" and "obeying the rules". I think it is good to see that as she grows up more you start to see her standing up for herself
ReplyDeleteJane tries her best to keep her to herslef. She seems shy, but most of her silence is due to not wanting to have to deal with her cousins and her aunt.
ReplyDeleteJane seems to feel left out considering her parents have died and she is only living with her aunt because of the blood relation.
Although there is much sadness in Jane's life, she has a good sense of self worth. She is not afraid to say what she is thinkikng, but knows when to limit herslef in order to keep from being mistreated by her family.
Jane seems to progress as a character the deeper we read into the novel.
Jane is the scapegoat of the Reed household. John beats her, and she is the one punished for it. Jane decided that if her uncle was still alive he would treat her kindly. She is constantly reminded that her parents have died leaving her without anything or anyone at the mercy of others. By Jane telling her story from her point of view, she gets the sympathy of the readers who can see she is being treated unfairly, to say the least, by the family. This kind of abuse throughout childhood could scar a person for life and have a major impact on their view of the world. I feel bad for Jane, but I also feel like what she is going through is what makes her the strong character we see later in the novel.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what is said about Jane being shy. But then later she gains her voice more and stands up for herself. I think she sees herself as a prisoner. Early in the book she looks at pictures of far away places and many are gloomy. She has a lot of sad desricptions. They seem to mimic her life, "a rock alone in a sea, a broken boat stranded, a ghastly moon glancing through bars of clouds at a wreck just sinking" These are all very sad images, and she says that they "filled her with terror". I think these pcitures scare her becasue they resemble her present circumstances. She has a tough childhood, but it makes her into a stronger person. She is smart and opinionated and stands up for herself more and more as the book goes on.
ReplyDeleteJane’s level of intelligence is what jumped out at me first. As Dustin and Kaitlin mentioned, the books that she states she is reading are books that I did not read until high school, such as Gulliver’s Travels. Her speech is also eloquent, and in the beginning of the book, it did not sound like a ten-year-old girl was telling the story.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the people who believe that Jane is timid with no backbone in the beginning of the story. There is evidence in chapter one that she is able to stand up for herself. She tells us that John “bullied and punished me; not two or three times in the week, nor once or twice a day, but continually” (12). She also says that “I never had an idea of replying to it: my care was how to endure the blow which would certainly follow the insult” (13). However, on this particular instance, her “terror had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded” and she calls him a “murderer” and a “slave driver” (13). In addition, when Mrs. Reed orders Abbot and Bessie to take her to the red room, Jane states that she “resisted all the way: a new thing for me” (15). Another time that she stands up for herself is when Mrs. Reed tells Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane is deceitful. Jane lashes out at her and tells her exactly what is on her mind. “Deceit is not my fault! Send me to school soon, Mrs. Reed, for I hate to live here” (45).
I believe as the story progresses, Jane becomes more emotional, or she at least discusses her emotions more openly later in the book. Jane received constant emotional abuse from the people at Gateshead, yet it either does not seem to affect her too much or she does not comment on her feelings. Miss Abbot tells her that she is "less than a servant"(15) and Jane does not react or comment on this statement. She also does not react or comment when Abbot tells Bessie that Jane would be pitied "if she were a nice, pretty child" but "one really cannot care for such a little toad" (31). If I had heard these statements, I would surely fall apart, but Jane does not react nor states her thoughts or feelings about these statements that are being said about her. However, later in the book she does talk about her feelings more and seems more emotionally vulnerable. After her peers are told that she is deceitful, she claims "now, here I lay again crushed and trodden on; and could I ever rise more? 'Never,' I thought; and ardently I wished to die" (81). I believe that as the story continues to progress, we will continue to see Jane express herself even more.
Having a story told by Jane's point of view is a really good way to get inside a character's head and have one focus point for the story. You can see by her defiance in disobeying her abusive relatives that she is not a quiet and dismissive girl. She will stand up to defend herself. Also by the treatment of her you can tell that during this time period women were not highly respected, especially if they have no money to take care of themselves. Jane is seen as more of burden and a trouble maker. Yet she tries to find value in herself. Jane is violating Victorian stereotypes and fighting for her own identity in a male dominated society.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning I would have to say she seemed very shy and she believed she was inferior to her peers. She seemed to be smart but too afraid to stand up for herself. I agree with Pierre she asks herself through out whether she is a slave or is she good enough she describes herself as a rebel slave. In my eyes I hate the way she acts she just sits their as if she is nothing maybe its because she knows she's going to go off to school so she only has a little while left under that roof, but I just feel like if i was in her situation i would have to have done something. I compare her to cinderella and her evil aunt!
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