reasons why Helen burns has to die - Jane Eyre
‘Helen burns has to die: Bronte could not let her live’
In the light of this comment, discuss Bronte’s presentation of Helen Burns in the novel
It can be argued that Bronte presented Helen Burns as a vision of what Victorian children where expected to have acted like. She was represented as pure, plain and had a strong Christian faith. Elaine Showalter had the belief that Helen was a projection of ‘the angel of spirituality’ and her mind was completely pure. Helen believed that once she passed away there would be an afterlife waiting for her, as she has been faithful to God. Just before she passes away she has a conversation with Jane discussing this topic. Helen trusts that there is a place better than where she is on earth, saying ‘I count the hours till that eventful one arrives which shall restore me to him’. If Bronte did intent to present Helen in this way it gives a dramatic contrast to Jane’s beliefs. Jane is constantly asking herself ‘Does it exist?’ (In relation to heaven) and is God real. Helen is a teacher to Jane whilst she is alive and even when she passes. Helen teaches Jane valuable lessons so that she will stay out of trouble during her stay at Lowood. If Bronte had not presented Helen as a girl who believed completely in the words of God, Jane would have had a very different experience at Lowood. Jane is such a fiery character at this moment in her life that she may not have been able to stay at Lowood for long if she hadn’t been told by Helen to ‘bless them that curse you’. Because of these reasons Helen had to die. This is because if Bronte had let her continue on in the novel she may have influenced Jane too much and Jane would lose all her feminine intellect.
An alternative argument to this would be that Helen is in fact not naturally the vision of a perfect holy child but actually a girl who is trying hard to hide her inner rage. Gilbert and Gubar viewed Helen Burns in this way. They believed she couldn’t find ‘an outcast for her inner
In the light of this comment, discuss Bronte’s presentation of Helen Burns in the novel
It can be argued that Bronte presented Helen Burns as a vision of what Victorian children where expected to have acted like. She was represented as pure, plain and had a strong Christian faith. Elaine Showalter had the belief that Helen was a projection of ‘the angel of spirituality’ and her mind was completely pure. Helen believed that once she passed away there would be an afterlife waiting for her, as she has been faithful to God. Just before she passes away she has a conversation with Jane discussing this topic. Helen trusts that there is a place better than where she is on earth, saying ‘I count the hours till that eventful one arrives which shall restore me to him’. If Bronte did intent to present Helen in this way it gives a dramatic contrast to Jane’s beliefs. Jane is constantly asking herself ‘Does it exist?’ (In relation to heaven) and is God real. Helen is a teacher to Jane whilst she is alive and even when she passes. Helen teaches Jane valuable lessons so that she will stay out of trouble during her stay at Lowood. If Bronte had not presented Helen as a girl who believed completely in the words of God, Jane would have had a very different experience at Lowood. Jane is such a fiery character at this moment in her life that she may not have been able to stay at Lowood for long if she hadn’t been told by Helen to ‘bless them that curse you’. Because of these reasons Helen had to die. This is because if Bronte had let her continue on in the novel she may have influenced Jane too much and Jane would lose all her feminine intellect.
An alternative argument to this would be that Helen is in fact not naturally the vision of a perfect holy child but actually a girl who is trying hard to hide her inner rage. Gilbert and Gubar viewed Helen Burns in this way. They believed she couldn’t find ‘an outcast for her inner