How Does Christianity Affect Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte portrays the life of a young girl named Jane Eyre and the cruelties she experiences and witnesses in her life. Jane lives at Gateshead the house of her late uncle, with Mrs. Reed, her aunt and three cousins: John, Georgiana, and Eliza. Her family at Gateshead treats her poorly, they abuse her and wonder why she stays with them at Gateshead. Soon they send her off to a school for girls where Jane is introduced to unfamiliar people and a diverse way of life. Three of the countless individuals that Jane encounters all have their own views of Christianity that affect Jane. The three, Helen, Brocklehurst and St. John, each provide Jane with a different understanding of religion and morality. One of the three
representations on Christianity that Jane witnessed was that of her best friend at Lowood, Helen. Helen believes that every suffering that comes her way is a punishment for her sins. She also treats all people, even her enemies, with kindness as God commands us. Jane was very fond of her saintly friend Helen though at times she thought that what she believed and preached about was peculiar, providing that she knew Helen’s life was not abundant of exceptional things but she always had something positive to say. When Helen dies at a young age from consumption, she tells Jane, “God is my father; God is my friend: I love him; I believe he loves me”(Bronte 97). Even after this Jane is still perplexed why Helen loves God so dearly. Even so, Helen had a great impact on Jane. As Jane gets older she also begins to treat all her enemies with kindness for them. She does not exhibit as much kindness as Helen but Jane does her best to set a good example just as her friend Helen did. She realizes that Helen lived a short but happy life and Jane begins to think part of the reason why it was so good was because of her love for God. The second portrayal of religion is Brocklehurst’s. Brocklehurst worries more about the sins and wrong doings of Jane and everyone else at the school that he forgets to recollect his own. Thus, making him a hypocrite. He gives Jane and the girls terrible food, torments them and tells them they are all going to go to hell for their sins. By threatening the girls he thinks they will want to turn to God, thus allowing them not to go to hell. He believes he is pleasing God by doing this. Jane is told by Brocklehurst that she is a liar and he will prove it to everyone if she does not admit to it. He tells the teachers at Lowood “You must be on your guard; you must shun her…”(Bronte 78-79). He said this because he believes Jane is a liar when she is not. Brocklehursts represents the worst kind of Christianity in the novel, he believes the harsh treatment he gives the children is helping them understand that if you sin you will go to hell, when really he is the only one sinning by tormenting these innocent children. All his terrible actions are his way of doing some of God’s work for Him by punishing the sinners on earth.
representations on Christianity that Jane witnessed was that of her best friend at Lowood, Helen. Helen believes that every suffering that comes her way is a punishment for her sins. She also treats all people, even her enemies, with kindness as God commands us. Jane was very fond of her saintly friend Helen though at times she thought that what she believed and preached about was peculiar, providing that she knew Helen’s life was not abundant of exceptional things but she always had something positive to say. When Helen dies at a young age from consumption, she tells Jane, “God is my father; God is my friend: I love him; I believe he loves me”(Bronte 97). Even after this Jane is still perplexed why Helen loves God so dearly. Even so, Helen had a great impact on Jane. As Jane gets older she also begins to treat all her enemies with kindness for them. She does not exhibit as much kindness as Helen but Jane does her best to set a good example just as her friend Helen did. She realizes that Helen lived a short but happy life and Jane begins to think part of the reason why it was so good was because of her love for God. The second portrayal of religion is Brocklehurst’s. Brocklehurst worries more about the sins and wrong doings of Jane and everyone else at the school that he forgets to recollect his own. Thus, making him a hypocrite. He gives Jane and the girls terrible food, torments them and tells them they are all going to go to hell for their sins. By threatening the girls he thinks they will want to turn to God, thus allowing them not to go to hell. He believes he is pleasing God by doing this. Jane is told by Brocklehurst that she is a liar and he will prove it to everyone if she does not admit to it. He tells the teachers at Lowood “You must be on your guard; you must shun her…”(Bronte 78-79). He said this because he believes Jane is a liar when she is not. Brocklehursts represents the worst kind of Christianity in the novel, he believes the harsh treatment he gives the children is helping them understand that if you sin you will go to hell, when really he is the only one sinning by tormenting these innocent children. All his terrible actions are his way of doing some of God’s work for Him by punishing the sinners on earth.