Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Questions and Answers 5
1. “God and nature intended you for a missionary’s wife. It is not personal, but mental endowments they have given you: you are formed for labour, not for love. A missionary’s wife you must – shall be. You shall be mine: I claim you – not for my pleasure, but for my Sovereign’s service.” – Who said this and why?[Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Questions and Answers 5]
St. John makes this statement when he is attempting to convince Jane to and become a missionary in India. St. John’s declaration that Jane is formed for “abour , not for love” emphasizes his belief that love and passion have no place in a moral life. St. John’s argument of ownership also highlights his view of Jane as a subservient companion, not a woman with independent thoughts. Although Jane approves of St. John’s morality, she is unwilling to sacrifice love to become the kind of woman that St. wants her to be. .
2. “There was no possibility of taking a walk John that day.”Explain.
This is one of the more famous quotations from the novel because it provides an immediate sense of Jane’s personality, as well as her position of lonely inferiority among her cousins at Gateshead. In the first line, it seems as if Jane desires to take a walk and is upset that she cannot. However, with the addition of the later lines, it becomes clear that Jane actually dislikes long walks – even from the very beginning of the novel, Bronte informs the readers that Jane is an atypical character who will make some surprising decisions. This opening quotation also describes the extent of Jane’s loneliness and unhappiness with the Reed family; it is because of her empty childhood that Jane thirsts family and love that she will find with Mr. Rochester at Thornfield Manor.
3 . Why does Jane marry Rochester?
Jane marries Rochester because she views him as her emotional home. of the novel, Jane struggles to find people she can connect with emotionally. Although she nominally has a home at Gateshead, she describes herself as being a “discord” there, temperamentally alienated from the Reeds. From the moment she meets Rochester, feels a connection. On the night Jane and Rochester meet, Jane wonders if he might be a Gytrash, a spirit of English folklore, and Rochester calls Jane a fairy. These Romantic imaginings highlight that their minds take similar fanciful turns. Rochester furthermore admires the dark, passionate spirit that so alienated Jane throughout her childhood, appreciating her watercolors of supernatural subjects and admiring her outspokenness . In Chapter 22, Jane observes that she views Rochester as her home, emphasizing this kinship she feels with him. With Rochester no longer married, Jane is free to come home.
Another possible reason for their marriage is that Jane’s newfound independence and maturity allow her to follow her heart on her own terms. Jane initially leaves Thornfield not because she is angry with Rochester , but because she fears becoming a slave to her passion by staying with him and becoming his mistress. By leaving Rochester, she proves to herself that she can live without him and find ownership of herself. Her rejection of St John also demonstrates her valuing of herself in that she understands herself to be a naturally passionate person who could not live in a loveless marriage. Jane’s return to Rochester under her own terms of it being legal for them to marry – therefore marks Jane’s ownership of her desires. In addition, while living with the Reeds, Jane receives her inheritance, purchases property, and embraces Diana and Mary as her cousins. This windfall grants Jane the financial and familial security she didn’t possess when she first came to Thornfield Hall, leading her to depend on Rochester. Symbolically, Rochester’s blindness means that he must depend on Jane now, shifting the power balance in their relationship.
Finally, the reader can interpret Jane and Rochester’s marriage as a sign of Rochester’s redemption. In Chapter 14, when Rochester alludes to his marriage with Bertha and his remorse for his mistake, Jane encourages him toward repentance as the cure. When she later leaves Rochester after discovering the truth about Bertha, Jane emphasizes that she is not leaving him to wretchedness, but rather that she hopes he trusts in God and lives blamelessly. Through this lens of religion, we can read the burning of Thornfield Hall as comeuppance for Rochester’s sins, and his attempt to rescue Bertha as finally admitting to and taking responsibility for his mistakes. The fire evokes hell and punishment, but Rochester’s survival suggests rebirth and reformation. Furthermore, his new handicaps and loss of Thornfield serve as physical manifestations of his penance. The partial return of Rochester’s sight upon the birth of his and Jane’s son supports this reading, suggesting that Jane’s love has been healing for him. Rochester had been callous and selfish, blind to the effects of his actions, but with Jane’s love he begins to see a better way of life. Rochester has made himself worthy of Jane.
4.- “I knew you would do me good in some way, at some time; – I saw it in your eyes when I first beheld you: their expression and smile did not – did not strike delight to my very inmost heart so for nothing.” – Who said this and why?
This quotation occurs immediately after Bertha Mason has set Mr. Rochester’s bed on fire and Jane has rescued him. Mr. Rochester discards his sarcasm for one of the first times in the novel and acknowledges that he feels a significant emotional connection to Jane. This intimate moment is only possible because of Mr. Rochester’s vulnerable position, and both the reader and Jane begin to see some of the person who lives beneath his brooding and tormented exterior. Bronte will continue to explore the idea that Jane and Mr. Rochester are kindred spirits as the novel continues, but even these few lines lay the seeds for the fiery passion that will pervade Jane’s relationship with Mr. Rochester.
5. “I am very happy, Jane; and when you hear that I am dead you must be sure and not grieve: there is nothing to grieve about. We all must die one day, and the illness which is removing me is not painful; it is gentle and mind is at rest.”. Bring out the significance. .
This speech comes when Helen Burns is dying in Jane’s arms at Although she only appears for a few chapters, Helen and her view of Christianity become very significant to Jane as she grows into adulthood. Helen argued for turning the other cheek: accepting the injustice and unhappiness of the earthly world because of the joys that await in heaven. Although Jane does not wholly agree with Helen’s passivity, particularly in the face of the torments at Lowood, she admires Helen’s strength of faith. Still, Jane fears for her friend’s death and the inevitable loneliness that will come when she is gone. Helen strives to convince Jane not to be unhappy because she is finally her destiny and finding peace with God.
6. How does Charlotte Brontë incorporate elements of the Gothic tradition into the novel?
In the Gothic literary tradition, the narrative structure of a text is a sense of horror or suspense, often through the use of the supernatural, hidden secrets, mysterious characters, and dark passion. Brontë incorporates each of these elements into the novel and especially highlights the importance of the mysterious Byronic hero in the form of Mr. Rochester. Brontë also emphasizes the Gothic nature of Thornfield Hall and incorporates the figure of the Madwoman in the Attic as the primary conflict of the novel. Brontë uses these Gothic elements as a way to heighten the tension and emotion over the course of the narrative, as well as to reveal an almost connection between Jane and Mr. Rochester.
7. Is Jane Eyre a likable supernatural protagonist? Why or why not?
Jane is an atypical heroine for the Victorian period, and even for contemporary literature, because she is not beautiful in a traditional sense. Unlike Georgiana and Blanche Ingram, who are each lauded as exceptional beauties in the text, Jane is small and slight, with ordinary features and a slightly elvish appearance. With that in mind, Jane is particularly likable protagonist because she is not an idealized figure; her personal and physical faults make her seem more realistic and allow readers to relate to her more closely. At the same time, however, Jane’s firm morality and harsh rejection of Mr. Rochester may seem rather cold and unlikable to the more passionate readers. Still, Jane’s independent spirit and courage against all obstacles ensure that she is a protagonist and encouraged.
8. In what ways is Jane Eyre influenced by the tradition of the Gothic novel? What do the Gothic elements contribute to the novel?
The Gothic tradition utilizes elements such as supernatural encounters, remote locations, complicated family histories, ancient manor houses, dark secrets, and mysteries to create an atmosphere of suspense and terror, and the plot of Jane Eyre includes most of these elements. Lowood, Moor House, and Thornfield are all remote locations, and Thornfield, like Gateshead, is also an ancient manor house. Both Rochester and Jane possess complicated family histories-Rochester’s hidden wife, Bertha, is the dark secret at the . The exposure of Bertha is one of the most important moments in the novel, and the mystery surrounding her is the main source of the novel’s suspense. Other Gothic occurrences include: Jane’s encounter with the ghost of her late Uncle Reed in the red-room; the moment of supernatural communication between Jane and Rochester when she hears his voice calling her across the misty heath from miles and miles away; and Jane’s mistaking Rochester’s dog, Pilot, for a “Gytrash,” a spirit of North England that manifests itself as a horse or dog. Although Brontë’s use of Gothic elements heightens her reader’s interest and adds to the emotional and philosophical tensions of the book, most of the seemingly supernatural occurrences are actually explained as the story progresses. It seems that many of the Gothic elements serve to anticipate and elevate the importance of the plot’s turning points.
9. Comment on the ending of the novel.
– The novel has a typically — for a Victorian story – happy ending. All of the characters who were good to Jane are rewarded. Diana and Mary Rivers have made loving marriages; Adèle, not at fault for her mother’s sins, has become Jane’s pleasing companion. Notice Jane’s final ethnocentric comment in relation to little Adèle: “a sound English education corrected in a great measure her French defects.” Only through a good English lifestyle has Adèle avoided her mother’s tragic flaws — materialism and sensuality characteristics the novel specifically associates with foreign women. Rochester and Jane have been reunited in a marriage that appears to be perfect: “[n]o woman was ever nearer to her mate than I am: ever more absolutely bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.” While she feared losing herself in a relationship with St. John, she seems perfectly content to become one with Rochester. What are the differences in the relationships; how does Jane maintain her integrity with Rochester? Primarily through his injuries. As his “vision” and “right hand,” Jane maintains a sense of dependence over her husband. Thus the chapter blends an odd mix of language designating their “perfect concord” with language showing Rochester’s dependence: He sees nature and books through her, for example. Could this relationship have flourished without Rochester’s infirmities? For two years of good behavior, Jane grants Rochester partial regeneration of his sight, though he still cannot read or write much. St. John Rivers has also received his just reward. He toils in India, laboring for “his race.” A great warrior, St. John sternly clears the “painful way to improvement” for the natives, slaying their prejudices of “creed and caste,” though obviously not his own. In his zealous Christianity, he obviously sees the Indians as an inferior race, and hopes to implant British virtues and values in their supposedly deficient minds. Perhaps to the joy of those he disciplines in India, St. John is nearing death Despite Jane’s difficulties with Christianity throughout the novel, St. John’s words of longing for heaven end the novel. Telling his “Master” that he comes “quickly,” St. John’s words to Rochester’s disembodied cry: “I am coming; wait for me.” Love is still Jane’s religion; in relationship, Jane has found her heaven.
10. What do the names mean in Jane Eyre? Some names to consider include: Jane Eyre, Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Reed, Rivers, Miss Temple, and Ferndean.
Of course, there are many possible ways to address this question. The following answer includes only a few of the ways the names in Jane Eyre can be interpreted. The name “Jane Eyre” elicits many associations. The contrast between Jane’s first name with its traditional association with “plainness”—and the names of the novel’s women (Blanche, Eliza, Georgiana, Diana, Rosamond) highlights Jane’s lack It also emphasizes her lack of pretense. Jane’s last name has many possible interpretations, none of which mutually excludes the other. “Eyre” is an archaic speling for “air,” and throughout the book, Jane is linked to the spiritual or ethereal as she drifts, windlike, from one location to the next. In French, “aire” refers to a bird’s nesting place, among other things. Jane is compared to a bird repeatedly throughout the novel, and she often uses her imagination as a “nesting-place” of sorts, a private realm where she can feel secure. In medieval times, “eyre” also signified circuit-traveling judges. Perhaps Jane’s name is meant to bring attention to her role as a careful evaluator of all that she sees, and to the importance that she attaches to justice. “Eyre” also sounds like “heir;” and its other homophone-“err”—could certainly be interpreted to be meaningful, especially to feminist and religious critics who take issue with Jane’s actions! From of status, but Gateshead.”
Place names also seem to be symbolic. Jane’s story begins at ” there, she moves to the bosky darkness and spiritual abyss of “Lowood.” At Thornfield, she must fight her way through the stings of many emotional and psychological thorns (or, as many critics argue, wear “a crown of thorns” like Jesus Christ). Jane first tastes true freedom of movement in the open spaces surrounding Moor House, while Ferndean is the home where her love can grow fertile. Thus in Chapter 37 Rochester says to Jane, “I am no better than the old lightning-struck chestnut-tree in Thornfield orchard. And what right would that ruin have to bid a budding woodbine cover its decay with freshness?” Jane replies, “You are no ruin, sir-no lightning-struck tree: you are green and vigorous. Plants will grow about your roots, whether you ask them or not, because they take delight in your bountiful shadow; and as they grow they will lean towards you, and wind round you, because your strength offers them so safe a prop.” ?
11. How does Jane Eyre compare to Bertha Mason ?
As the stereotypical Madwoman in the Attic, Bertha is presented as a clear antagonist to Jane in the novel. Not only does she personifies the chaos and dark animal sensuality that contrasts so sharply to Jane’s calm morality, Bertha is ultimately the sole obstacle between Jane and Mr. Rochester and their eventual happiness. However, while Jane and Bertha seem to be wholly distinct from each other, Bronte does suggest that the two characters have significant similarities. Although Jane is calm and controlled as an adult, she exhibits much of the same passion and bestiality as a child that Bertha displays in her madness. Moreover, though Jane leaves Thornfield rather than become Mr. Rochester’s mistress, she still possesses the same qualities of sensuality as Bertha but is simply more successful at suppressing them.
12. How does the novel comment on the position of women in Victorian society?
As a woman, Jane is forced to adhere to the strict expectations of the time Thought to be inferior to men physically and mentally, women could only hope to achieve some sort of power through marriage. As a governess, Jane suffers under an even more rigid set of expectations that highlight her lower-class status. With this social construct in mind, Jane has a submissive position to a male character until the very end of the novel. At Lowood, she is subservient to Mr. Brocklehurst; at Moor House, she is under the direct control of St. John Rivers; and even at Thornfield, she is in a perpetually submissive position to Mr. Rochester. Over the course of the narrative, Jane must escape
from each of these inferior positions in an effort to gain her own independence from male domination. After her uncle leaves her his fortune, Jane is able to achieve this Independence and can marry Mr. Rochester on her own terms, as an equal . Yet, Bronte emphasizes that Jane’s sudden inheritance and resulting happy ending are not typical for women during the time period. Under most circumstances, Jane would be forced to maintain a subservient position to men for her entire life, either by continuing her work as a governess or by marrying an oppressive husband,
13. How is the character of St. John Rivers?
While Rochester is a prototype of the fiery, passionate man, St. John Rivers is his opposite: cold, hard-hearted, and repressed. His handsome appearance indicates moral and intellectual superiority he has “a straight, classic nose; quite an Athenian mouth and chin” and contrasts with Rochester’s more rugged features. Although St. John initially appears perfect, Jane soon detects a restlessness or hardness under his seemingly placid features; he is “no longer flesh, but marble” and his heart seems made of “stone or metal.” His reserve and brooding suggest a troubled nature, and his zealous Christianity offers him neither serenity nor solace. St. John’s feelings about Christianity are revealed in his sermons, which have a “strictly restrained zeal” that shows his bitterness and hardness. While Rochester vents his passions, St. John represses his. The iciness of St. John’s character is most pronounced in his relationship with Rosamond Oliver. Although he “flushes” and “kindles” at the sight of her, St. John would rather turn himself into “an automaton” than succumb to Rosamond’s beauty or fortune. His ambition cuts St. John off from all deep human emotions. For Jane, this coldness is more terrible than Rochester’s raging; she asks if readers know the “terror those cold people can put into the ice of their questions”?
Not content with his humble local ministry, St. John would like to have been a politician, a poet, or anything that could have offered him glory, fame, and power. His solution is to become a missionary, a position that will require all of these skills. The weakness of his supposed Christianity is his lack of compassion for or interest in the people he is supposedly helping. For him, missionary work isn’t about joy, but a form of “warfare” against the prejudices of the natives, just as he “wars” against Jane’s rejection of his marriage proposal. Instead of asking her to help him in a mission of love in India, St. John “enlists” Jane to join his band of Christian mercenaries. He wants a wife he can “influence efficiently” and “retain absolutely,” rather than someone he loves. Marriage to St. John would traumatically erase Jane’s identity and douse her passions for life. St. John achieves his goal and conducts a “warrior-march trample” through India, ultimately dying young following ten hard years of missionary work.
14. Considering his treatment of Bertha Mason, is Mr. Rochester a sympathetic or unsympathetic character?
Although Mr. Rochester’s treatment of Bertha may seem to be cruel, is difficult not to feel some sympathy for his situation. Mr. Rochester married Bertha under false pretenses; he was unaware of her hereditary madness and was swept away by her exotic beauty and charm. After discovering his wife’s madness, Mr. Rochester does not cast her out but rather attempts to make her life as comfortable as possible. Although Bertha’s chamber in Thornfield seems inhumane, it is important to note that the conditions in madhouses of the time period would have been far worse. Mr. Rochester also is more sympathetic when we consider his extreme unhappiness and loneliness: he was fooled by the appearance of love and has been paying for his mistake ever since.
15. How does Mr. Rochester compare to St. John Rivers?
Throughout the novel, Bronte associates Mr. Rochester with fire and passion and St. John Rivers with ice and cold detachment. Bronte also presents Jane’s potential union with each man as profoundly different. With Mr. Rochester, Jane would be forced to sacrifice her morality and sense of duty for the sake of passion. With St. John Rivers , however, Jane would have to sacrifice all sense of passion for the sake of religious duty. Significantly , Bronte also suggests that St. John may not be too different from Mr. Rochester. He is passionately in love with Rosamond Oliver, and his feelings for Rosamond seem to mirror Mr. Rochester’s fiery emotions for Jane. However, St. John forces himself to suppress his feelings in favor of a cold evangelical exterior and, as a result, lives his life in solitude.
16. Why is Jane unable to stay with Mr. Rochester after his marriage to Mason is revealed?
Bertha Although Jane is very much in love with Mr. Rochester, she is unable to give in to the passion that she feels. Her eight years at Lowood School and her conversations with Helen Burns taught her the importance of suppressing passion and lust with morality and a sense of duty. If Jane were to stay with Mr. Rochester , it could only be as his mistress, and Jane is unwilling to sacrifice her sense of right and wrong in order to placate her personal desires. However, because Jane’s love for Mr. Rochester is so strong, she realizes that she will be unable to resist him and her own desires if she remains at Thornfield Manor. Thus, when Jane leaves Thornfield, she sacrifices her personal happiness in order to save them both from committing a sin that would destroy the purity of their love.
17. What is the significance of Charlotte Brontë ending the novel with a statement from St. John Rivers? :
In the last chapter of the novel, Brontë describes Jane’s happiness with Mr. Rochester they have married, had children, and Mr. Rochester has regained sight in one of his eyes. Yet, instead of ending the book on this happy note, Brontë concludes the novel with a letter from St. John in India in which he mentions a premonition of his death. St. John has done his duty to God by working as a missionary in India, but his existence still seems small and lonely in comparison to the joyous life that Jane has made with Mr. Rochester. Brontë suggests that even the most pious life is meaningless if it is devoid of love. St. John has a chance for love with Rosamond Oliver, but he sacrificed his happiness with her because he did not believe that love could coexist with religion. Jane’s ending with Mr. Rochester demonstrates the falsity of St. John’s beliefs and reminds the readers of what could have happened to Jane if she had given up her love for Mr. Rochester.
18. Discuss the significance of Dreams in the story.
Jane mentions her dreams often, and these dreams may reveal her subconscious wants and fears, the passions that she is working so hard to control. When Rochester disguises himself as a gypsy to tell Jane’s fortune, she feels her mind clouded, as though in a dream. When she realizes he is the gypsy, she wonders if she had been dreaming. Jane recognizes that dreams have significance. She says that she never laughs at “presentiments” (premonitions) “because I have had strange ones of my own” and then proceeds to recount the disturbing dreams she had after the attack on Mr. Mason. Sefore doing so, though, she confirms the potent meaning of dreams. Bessie Lee, she said, believed that dreaming of a child was an ill omen, a belief that was strengthened when Bessie dreamed of a child the night before learning of her sister’s death. Jane’s dreams were also of children, of her with a baby that sometimes laughs and sometimes cnes. The next day Bessie Lee arrives and tells Jane that Mrs. Reed is dying.
Later, after Jane and Rochester are engaged, she has more disturbing dreams of children. In the first she is holding a child as she and Rochester walk, but he is ahead of her and gets farther and farther distant; she can never catch up. In the second she is clutching a baby while walking in the ruins of Thornfield, Rochester barely visible as he again moved away from her. The child might represent the still-young hope of happiness, her not-yet-real new identity as Mrs. Rochester , or her desire for motherhood, a chance to be the parent she lost. Clearly, though, the image of losing Rochester, so central to both dreams, is the disturbing presentiment that weighs most heavily on these dreams. The newly engaged Jane isn’t dreaming of happily ever after here but of being abandoned and alone with the added responsibility of motherhood-once again in her life.
After the wedding fiasco and Jane’s departure, she dreams of Rochester from time to time, but these dreams are more hopeful. Seeing herself in his arms, “the hope of passing a lifetime at his side, would be renewed, with all its first force and fire.”
19. What is the role of family in the novel?
The novel traces Jane’s development as an independent individual, but it can also be read as a description of her personal journey to find her family. In each of the five stages of the novel, Jane searches for the family that she has never known. At Gateshead, the Reed family is related to her by blood and, while Bessie serves as a sort of surrogate maternal figure, Jane is unable to receive the true love and affection that she desires. At Lowood, Jane finds another maternal figure in the form of Miss Temple, but again, the school does not become a true home to her. When Jane reaches Thornfield and meets Mr. Rochester, she finally finds the love and family for which she has thirsted: Thornfield becomes her home because of her love for Mr. Rochester. However, because of Mr. Rochester’s existing marriage to Bertha Mason (a union which nullifies any of Jane’s familial connections to the Manor), Jane must move on and attempt to replace the family that she has now lost. Ironically, when Jane stays at Moor House, she actually discovers her true family: the Rivers siblings are her cousins. Yet, Jane’s true sense of family remains with the love she feels for Mr. Rochester and, by returning to him at Ferndean and finally accepting his marriage proposal, she is able to fulfill her desire for a true family at last.
20. How does the novel relate to Charlotte Brontë’s personal life?
Many aspects of the novel are autobiographical. Lowood School is based on the Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge, where Jane and her sisters studied after their mother’s death. Brontë’s school has similarly poor conditions, and Brontë modeled Mr. Brocklehurst after the Reverend William Carus Wilson, an evangelical minister who managed the school. Brontë also informed the death of Helen Burns by recalling the deaths of her two sisters during a fever outbreak at their school. John Reed’s descent into gambling and alcoholism relates to the struggles of Brontë’s brother, Patrick Branwell, during the later years of his life. Most importantly, Jane’s modeled directly on Brontë’s own experiences as a governess in wealthy familles.
21. “Reader, I married him. A quiet wedding we had: he and I, the parson and clerk, were alone present.” – Why and when these words were said? By whom?
This quotation comes after Jane has gone to Ferndean and discovered blinded Mr. Rochester . Up until this point in the text, Jane has always maintained a subservient position to Mr. Rochester. However , with the inheritance from her uncle, Jane is now an independent woman and can take charge of her own destiny. Moreover, with the loss of Mr. Rochester’s eyesight, he becomes vulnerable and dependent on Jane; he can no longer maintain his former position as the superior male. Thus, instead the subservient “He married me,” in which Mr. Rochester is the dominating partner, Jane takes the superior in the relationship: “I married him.” However, this inequality is resolved when Mr. Rochester regains the use of one of his eyes; Jane and Mr. Rochester are finally able to support a relationship of mutual respect and quality.
22. How Bronte has presented a sense of liberty in her novel Jane Eyre?
“There is no possibility of taking a walk that day” (JE 6). We realize in this sentence of the first chapter that Jane Eyre wanders in her mind and desires to seek liberty in her real life. Jane’s isolation from family Reed’s ties gives her freedom to shape her own destiny: her relationship with them is hostile and because of her childhood dependence on the Reeds for food and shelter, consequently, Jane disowns them and resolves to start a life relying on her abilities (Adetunji 4). In the early passages, we see the little Jane dreaming to travel to faraway lands, she dreams of, of the bleak shores of Lapland, Siberia, Spitsbergen, nova Zembla, Iceland, Greenland, with the vast sweep of the Arctic Zone, and those forlorn regions of dreary space that reservoir of frost and snow where firm fields of ice, the accumulation of centuries of winters, glazed alpine heights above heights, surround the pole, and concentre the multiplied rigours of extreme cold (JE 7). Her imagination is inspired after reading her favorite book Gulliver’s Travel. Moreover, Jane wishes a liberty that takes her away from the Reeds and finds a fine house in the little fields and trees of Lilliput (20). Q. D. Leavis states that Gulliver’s Travel shows her that there are other kinds of places in the world, and really Jane wants to escape, change see other places far from her cruel relatives (Shirai 110).
Her sense of liberty increases after Miss Temple’s departure from Lowood institution, she looks at the window in the long white road then she says “I desired liberty, for liberty I gasped for liberty, I uttered a prayer for change, stimulus” (JE 84). Jane utters the word liberty three times; that affirms her need for liberty, and to change in her life better than now. Moreover, Jane believes in actions and movement everywhere to show her ability as strong, independent, and free woman 6 . When she states that she has restless in her nature that may cause her pain, her relief is to walk along forward and backward. Then she continues to assume that a good attitude of human being is change and a journey through liberty (Shirai 111). In Thornfield Hall, Mr. Rochester succeeds to make Jane jealous, after pretends that he will marry the beautiful Blanche Ingram. Jane decides to leave him and she is free and can go anywhere she wants ” I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with independent will, which I now leave you” (JE 249). Jane asserts her liberty with no specific place and address, exert to she is an independent woman and he cannot imprison her as little bird in the net (Lamonka 84).
23. “You never felt jealousy, did you, Miss Eyre? Of course not: I need not ask you; because you never felt love. You have both sentiments yet to experience: your soul sleeps; the shock is yet to be given which shall waken it.” • Who said this and why?
This speech occurs when Mr. Rochester tells Jane about Adele’s origins and his affair with Celine Varens. Mr. Rochester’s assertion that Jane has never felt love is not necessarily false. At this point in her sheltered life, Jane has barely experienced familial love, not to mention romantic love. Mr. Rochester’s conclusion about Jane’s emotional experience also emphasizes her inferior position in their relationship. Because he has experienced many kinds of love, Mr. Rochester is ultimately wiser and thus, superior to his naive governess. However, Bronte suggests that Jane actually possesses far more wisdom and clarity about love that Mr. Rochester: she is the only one of the two who is able to resist the call of animal passion and resist the temptation to become his mistress.
24. “Why, I suppose you have a governess for her: I saw a person with her just now is she gone? Oh, no! there she is still behind the window-curtain. You pay her, of course: I should think it quite as expensive, – more so; for you have them both to keep in addition…” – Bring out the significance.
Jane overhears this speech by Blanche Ingram during one of the social gatherings at Thornfield. Blanche expresses the upper-class prejudice against governesses and other members of the lower-class. Instead of respecting governesses for the work that they must do, Blanches mocks them openly and without any consideration for Jane’s presence in the room. In her mind, a governess is nothing more than a servant and worthy of even less respect. This attitude is one that Jane constantly faces as a governess; Mr. Rochester is the only member of high society who treats her with respect.
25. How is the tension between reason and passion presented in Jane Eyre?
In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë uses various characters to embody aspects of reason and passion, thereby establishing a tension between the two. In fact, it could be argued that these various characters are really aspects of her central character, Jane, and in turn, that Jane is a fictionalised version of Brontë herself. From this it could be argued that the tension between these two aspects really takes place only within her own head. Brontë is able to enact this tension through her characters and thus show dramatically the journey of a woman striving for balance within her nature. A novel creates its own internal world through the language that it uses, and this fictional world may be quite independent from the real physical world in which we live. Writing in the style of an autobiography, Brontë distinguishes Jane Eyre, who quite clearly from the purely fictional worlds of Angria and Glasstown, locates her work within the world of Victorian England. But although Brontë’s world is undoubtedly based on nineteenth century society, it should be remembered that the world conjured in Jane Eyre is not reality: it is but a world constructed by Brontë in which to tell a story. A novel based only on the mores and customs of Victorian society would surely hold limited appeal today, except as a historical document, yet Jane Eyre retains power and force even in a post-modern world, as shown by its continued popularity and the many TV and film versions it has inspired. Perhaps Jane Eyre retains such power and relevance because Charlotte fabricated the book from the cloth of her own psyche, her own passionate nature, and so, although our culture has changed dramatically since the book was written, the insights into human nature which Brontë gave us remain. Taking this view makes the characters in Jane Eyre seem denizens of Charlotte’s own psyche. Some of them, such as the passionate Bertha and the cold St John, personify aspects of her character , her emotional and logical natures. Others, such as Brocklehurst and John Reed, which seem more two dimensional , could be viewed more as scenery, foils against which the main characters define themselves. Jane herself is Charlotte’s most highly resolved character. Over the course of the book readers come to know every aspect of her intimately as she moves through Brontë’s world. Readers also come to know her through her reflections, as she embodies aspects of the other characters. Charlotte seems to know Jane intimately, so intimately that it seems likely that Jane is Charlotte’s avatar within her fictional world.
If Brontë is Jane, it follows that the other characters which also be aspects of Jane. Through these aspects we see a development of tension within Jane between emotional and logical nature, and this tension played out in the events of the book. Taking this argument further, if the book is seen as a reflection of Brontë’s own psyche, the source of the various supernatural events described within the book must be Brontë herself. Thus she not only plays the main character in her story but also the supporting cast and the spiritual force which intervenes on Jane’s behalf at crucial moments throughout. In this light Jane’s meeting with her cousins, which many critics have seen as intolerably far-fetched suddenly makes sense. There are no coincidences in this book. Jane is kept from harm by the ever-present pen of her creator, just as Charlotte herself presumably felt protected and guided by her own protestant faith. Jane meets her cousins because Charlotte felt it was time for her to do so. No other explanation is required. Passion and reason, their opposition and eventual reconciliation, serve as constant themes throughout the book. From Jane’s first explosion of emotion when she rebels against John Reed, Jane is powerfully passionate. Just as Bertha’s passion destroys Thornfield, Jane’s passion, which destroys her ties to Gateshead, leaves the way clear for her progression to the next chapter of her life at Lowood.
26. “She bit me. She worried me like a tigress, when knife from her…She sucked the blood: she said she’d drain my heart.” – Explain. –
This speech takes place after Richard Mason has been attacked by Bertha. Although Mr. Rochester forbids Jane and Richard Mason to speak about what has occurred, Jane could not help overhearing this clue to the mystery of Thornfield. Through Mason’s description, Bronte is able to present Bertha’s nature as bestial (as a tigress) and even vampiric, a term in itself that alludes to the Gothic literary tradition. Not only is Bertha akin to the animal world in all its chaos, she is even carnivorous and attempts to suck the life out of her brother in the same way that her presence threatens to suck the life out of Mr. Rochester’s happiness with Jane. Bertha’s uncontrollable animal nature comes in stark contrast to Jane’s placidity and rationality; although Jane possesses some of the same fiery passion that Bertha has, Jane is able to control her inclinations with her humanity.
27. “If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust , the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse.” . Who said this and why?
This speech occurs during one of Jane’s conversations with Helen Burns at Lowood. Although Helen prescribes to the idea of “turning the other cheek” when mistreated, jane believes that people should defend themselves to ensure that they are never mistreated again. Jane is unable to mirror Helen’s passivity at Lowood and her passion and strength of character will help her to overcome many obstacles in her life. Eventually Jane learns to hide her passion and anger at injustice, but Mr. Rochester will still recognize a kindred spirit beneath her calm exterior.
28. Why does Jane Eyre choose to marry Rochester over St. John Rivers?
To answer this question, take a look at Chapter 35. In this chapter, Jane is seriously reconsidering a potential marriage to St. John (whom she earlier refused). As the house falls into silence, however, Jane suddenly hears Mr. Rochester calling her name. This sound has a profound physical and emotional impact on Jane:
The feeling was not like an electric shock, but it was quite as sharp, as strange, as startling: it acted on my senses as if their utmost activity hitherto had been but torpor, from which they were now summoned and forced to wake. As Jane leaves the house to search for Rochester, she tells St. John that this is the work of nature:
“This is not thy deception, nor thy witchcraft: it is the work of nature.” For Jane, then, marrying Rochester is the natural thing to do. She and Rochester are made for each other, and their union is ordained by the natural order. In contrast, Jane has no amorous feelings at all towards St. John. She would only marry him for the sake of propriety, since she could not accompany him on his mission as a friend. She would need his protection.
So, in the battle between her head and her heart, Jane’s heart wins, and she marries Rochester.
29. Briefly describe Jane’s first meeting with Helen Burns in “Jane Eyre”.
Jane meets Helen Burns on her first day at Lowood Institution, although she does not learn her name until the next day in class. Jane notices Helen when the girls are sent outside for a period of outdoor exercise after lessons on her first day. As the weather is inclement, many of the girls huddle for warmth on the veranda, and it is here that Jane sees “a girl sitting on a stone bench…bent over a book”. Jane ventures over to the girl and asks if her book is interesting, to which question Helen responds in the affirmative, and offers to let Jane look at it. Jane then engages her in conversation, asking questions about the school. In answer to her queries, Helen tells Jane that Lowood Institution is a charity-school which is managed by Mr. Brocklehurst, who is a dergyman and “is said to do a great deal of good”. The day to day running of the school is done by Miss Temple, whom Jane has decided is kind, even though she must answer to Mr. Brocklehurst for everything she does. Helen tells Jane about the different teachers at the school and explains that the girls at Lowood are orphans, or have lost at least one parent. Helen says that she herself has been at the school for two years, but when pressed for further information, responds that Jane asks “rather too many and expresses her desire to end the conversation so that she can return to her reading questions.
30. How are Jane Eyre’s paintings “typical”?
Jane’s artwork is typical” in the sense that her talent as an artist is an ” polished young ladies are expected to have. When Bessie comes to visit her at Lowood, she exclaims over one of Jane’s paintings: “Well, that is beautiful , Miss Jane! It is as fine a picture as any Miss Reed’s drawing master could paint, let alone the young ladies themselves…” Bessie sees the artwork as a kind of proof of Jane’s equality with the Miss Reeds (and proof that she was right to think well of Jane).
You could also argue that the work is “typical” in that, like many young people, Jane uses her art as a way of expressing her inner emotional state. You can see very clearly, in Chapter 13, that Rochester’s scrutiny of Jane’s artwork is much more than simply an employer trying to become better acquainted with an employee. It is as if, in looking at Jane’s pictures, Rochester is looking into her soul. His appreciation for her art is both critical and empathic: “These eyes in the Evening Star you must have seen in a dream How could you make them look so clear, and yet not at all brilliant? for the planet above quells their rays. And what meaning is that in their solemn depth? And who taught you to paint wind? There is a high gale in that sky, and on this hill-top. Where did you see Latmos? For that is Latmos.”
Jane’s paintings are the physical manifestations of her own sense of self and imagination. It’s worth noting, as well, that the information we have about these works comes from Jane’s own description of them; the pictures themselves exist only as words on the page. In this way, we can understand Jane’s writing (the novel is written from her point of view) as another kind of “word picture” of her soul. “Typical” as her art may be, Rochester’s penetrating “reading” of her art, and of her, is anything but typical!
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