Charlotte Brontë uses the four elements as symbolism for Brontë uses fire to represent uncontrollable passion. This passion first manifests itself in Jane’s upbringing with the Reeds. Mrs. Reed looks on Jane “as a compound of virulent passions‚ mean spirit‚ and dangerous duplicity.” (22) Passion is reintroduced in the dreary setting of Lowood with Jane’s highly religious friend‚ Helen Burns. In the scene of her death‚ although Helen is described as “cold and thin‚” she is burning with passionate
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Jane Eyre 1.)“Do you think I am an automaton? — a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips‚ and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think‚ because I am poor‚ obscure‚ plain‚ and little‚ I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth‚ I should have made it as hard for you to leave me‚ as it is now for me to leave you. I am not
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In Jane Eyre‚ the title character stands up against oppression and inequality towards herself‚ which demonstrates the author Charlotte Brontë’s feminist beliefs. From her early childhood‚ she believed in equal rights for herself in relation to her cousins. Mrs. Reed treats her as inferior to the “perfect” Eliza‚ Georgiana‚ and John. Jane says‚ “ ‘Unjust! Unjust!’ said my reason‚ […] instigated some strange expedient to achieve escape from insufferable oppression” (Brontë 21). Jane believes the reason
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The overriding theme of class and social status in the Victorian era is forgrounded in the opening chapter of Jane Eyre and explored in the entirety of the novel through Gothic genre literary technique of a double‚ between Jane’s wealthy cousins the Reeds contrasting with her lower class relatives‚ the Rivers. In the 19th century‚ class divisions were far more fixed and pronounced than they are today‚ and the predetermined class you were born into based on wealth‚ dictated the sort of life you would
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the same level as the family. Read the passages about the house party and the way Blanche Ingram and her mother talk of governesses‚ knowing full well that Jane is sitting right there. For a gentleman to marry a governess‚ let alone his household’s governess‚ was unheard of. Marriage was her only way to better herself. So the stance that Jane takes when she demands that Rochester allow her to continue to work after their marriage was to say the least unusual. Often Bronte puts in Jane’s mind and
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presents Jane as being a lower class and status than her cousin John‚ which would have been very common at the time‚ where females were seen as being less important than men. “Miss Eyre‚ to strike a young gentleman‚ your benefactress’s son! Your master. Master! How is he my master? Am I a servant? No; you are less than a servant‚ you do nothing for your keep” We see here that Jane is seen as being less than a servant‚ whereas John is known as The Master. We also see in this quote that Jane speaks
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Throughout Jane’s conversation with Rochester in Chapter 14 of Jane Eyre‚ the power relations between them intriguingly act to make the them more equal.. Both Rochester and Jane use power they have over the other in order to thwart the other’s points of conversation. For instance‚ Rochester uses his age‚ gender‚ class‚ and economic status as a means of claiming authority over Jane. Although prevalent throughout the conversation‚ this is most clearly expressed when he argues that he has the right
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Jane’s Christianity Jane Eyre‚ a nineteenth century novel written by Charlotte Brontë‚ follows the life of its title character as she attempts to navigate her world as a young woman without family or prospects. Jane Eyre is classified as a bildungsroman‚ or a “coming-of-age” story. Throughout the novel‚ issues of feminism and religion arise as prominent themes that Jane must come to terms with as she works to find her place in Victorian society. Conflict exists among scholars regarding this relationship
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2012 In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë‚ Bertha Mason serves as both a warning and a savior to Jane. Though Jane has little empathy for her‚ she has much in common with the “madwoman in the attic.” Though seemingly completely mad‚ Bertha Mason is still cognizant enough to know of Jane and Rochester’s marriage. Rather than being jealous‚ Bertha hopes to save Jane from impending doom of a marriage to Rochester. By tearing the veil‚ Bertha Mason is trying to warn Jane and keep her from
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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
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