Examples Of Rejection In Jane Eyre
Throughout history many people have had to endure rejection of many types for many reasons. Some had to do with where they came from. Others had to do with when they lived in history. Both the author, Charlotte Brontë, and her character, Jane Eyre, represent the “outsider,” the free spirit struggling for recognition and self-respect in the face of rejection by a class-ridden and gender-oriented society.
In the novel, the character Jane Eyre is described as a toad, being small, plain and elfish. In a conversation in chapter three between Mrs. Abbot and Bessie, Mrs. Abbot agrees with Bessie that Jane is to be pitied, and then goes on to say, “if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care
for such a little toad as that.” (Brontë, 25) The reader can safely infer that if Jane were more attractive like her beautiful cousin, Georgiana, she would have been more likely to have been included in the family and cared for affectionately. But because she was not a pretty child, she was mistreated and made to feel as an outsider. In the same way, Charlotte Brontë has been described as small, and plain. The biographer, Elizabeth Gaskell, called her “undeveloped.” (Charlotte Brontë) In addition George Smith made these observations: "I must confess that my first impression of Charlotte Brontë's personal appearance was that it was interesting rather than attractive. She was very small and had a quaint old-fashioned look. Her head seemed too large for her body. She had fine eyes, but her face was marred by the shape of the mouth and by the complexion. There was but little feminine charm about her." (Charlotte Brontë) Basically she did not fit in with the way women were expected to look. Therefore, both Charlotte Bronte and her character, Jane Eyre, had physical traits that were outside the norm and resulted in rejection.
In the novel, the character Jane Eyre is described as a toad, being small, plain and elfish. In a conversation in chapter three between Mrs. Abbot and Bessie, Mrs. Abbot agrees with Bessie that Jane is to be pitied, and then goes on to say, “if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care
for such a little toad as that.” (Brontë, 25) The reader can safely infer that if Jane were more attractive like her beautiful cousin, Georgiana, she would have been more likely to have been included in the family and cared for affectionately. But because she was not a pretty child, she was mistreated and made to feel as an outsider. In the same way, Charlotte Brontë has been described as small, and plain. The biographer, Elizabeth Gaskell, called her “undeveloped.” (Charlotte Brontë) In addition George Smith made these observations: "I must confess that my first impression of Charlotte Brontë's personal appearance was that it was interesting rather than attractive. She was very small and had a quaint old-fashioned look. Her head seemed too large for her body. She had fine eyes, but her face was marred by the shape of the mouth and by the complexion. There was but little feminine charm about her." (Charlotte Brontë) Basically she did not fit in with the way women were expected to look. Therefore, both Charlotte Bronte and her character, Jane Eyre, had physical traits that were outside the norm and resulted in rejection.