Jane Eyre

In this essay I will be exploring how Charlotte Bronte conveys hardships in her portrayal of life. Furthermore the issue of life in Victorian England and what Victorian readers may think of the treatment of children will also be looked upon. Many of the hardships that children face are shown through the several descriptions and the actions of characters that are close to Jane. Throughout the text we learn that the novel explores the lack of rights and mistreatment of an orphan by her rich relatives. The issues of child abuse are often considered between the Reed family. In the novel the portrayal of the reed children seems to interfere with Jane's life. The author emphasises them to be unfriendly and unkind to Jane as she is an adopted sister. They are shown as being immoral and haughty. They like to abuse Jane because they feel she is inferior. Their feelings of superiority towards Jane are what cause them to intimidate and torment Jane. The depiction of John Reed shows him to be a bully and unaffectionate: â€Å"John had not much affection for his mother or sisters† which indicates ungratefulness from John towards the rest of his family. Bronte tries to characterize him as a murderer. The quotation â€Å"I really saw in him a tyrant: a murderer† shows Jane's feelings towards John; that he is ruthless and bloodthirsty. This is so that the audience can realise how and what Jane feels about her unintelligent cousin. The portrayal of Georgina differs greatly from that of John. A â€Å"spoiled tempered† brat at the mere stage of childhood is the interpretation of Georgina. She is shown as being spiteful through the quote â€Å"acrid spite† and is additionally perceived to be arrogant which is publicized by the extract â€Å"insolent carriage†. These extracts indicate to us that despite the lack of violence that Georgina contributes towards Jane, Jane still dislikes Georgina. Other attributes of Georgina are her â€Å"pink cheeks† and â€Å"golden curls†. These underline features of Georgina that Jane likes, and could possibly be implying that she herself may want to develop the attributes of beauty seen within Georgina, as Jane may not be self confident of her own image. Eliza is pictorised as being â€Å"Eliza who was headstrong and selfish was respected† indicating the personality of Eliza. Eliza is also depicted as being quick-witted. There is no evident quote however by reading between the lines we can obtain this from the passage â€Å"Eliza just put her head in at the door, and said at once: â€Å"She is in the window-seat to be sure Jack. † Bronte dictates Jane's feelings so the audience are conscious of how and what Jane feels. Mrs Reed is another character of the novel. The way she treats Jane differs greatly from her own children's treatment. As the responsible adult of the household she is a role model for all the children, however her behaviour is not only damaging Jane, it is also harming her own children. Jane's harsh treatment from all the family is what causes her to be isolated and unsociable. She treats her children with respect, care and love. We can accumulate this information from the text â€Å"Eliza, John and Georgina were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room: she lay reclined on the sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her (for the time neither quarrelling nor crying) looking perfectly happy. † On the other hand her treatment towards Jane is cruel, unjust and inconsiderate. The quotation â€Å"she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contended, happy little children. † Shows us how immensely the treatment of Jane fluctuates from her cousins. Mrs Reed also treats Jane with unsympathetic punishment. For example when John Reed and Jane had a brawl, Jane was the one who was punished regardless of the fact that John began it. This is when Jane is sent to the red room; â€Å"Take her away into the red-room, and lock her in there† this indicates unfairness from Mrs Reed towards Jane as instead of John being reprimanded she is chastising Jane. All in all Mrs Reeds actions affect Jane in the worst ways possible. This is because as being the adult and landlord of the house she must control the actions of herself and others, however she does not do this for Jane's benefit therefore Jane is affected drastically. Not only do the actions of one adult articulate the way someone is treated but it is the way a certain group treats someone. In this case there are just three other adults in Jane's life that either treat her moderately or dishonestly. Abbot is loyal towards her mistress, Mrs Reed, and treats Jane the way Mrs Reed would treat her. The quotation â€Å"No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep. † indicates that despite Jane is a member of the Reed family she is not treated to be as one by both the children and Abbot. Mr Lloyd is an â€Å"apothecary† who is treating Jane the day after her encounter with, what she recalled as being, a spirit. We learn that Jane is happy in Mr Lloyd's presence as he is a stranger to the occupants of Gateshead and due to this she is protected in his attendance. We can attain this from the quotation â€Å"I felt an inexpressible relief, a soothing conviction of protection and security, when I knew that there was a stranger in the room, an individual not belonging to Gateshead, and not related to Mrs. Reed. † this indicates that Jane is elated as in the presence of a stranger as she will not be physically abused. This in effect proclaims that Jane has a predominant fear of the Reed's especially Mrs Reed and John Reed. Bessie is manifested as someone who has a love for Jane to some extent as her opinion on Jane changes after the occurrence in the Red Room. However, when Jane misbehaves she handles her appropriately. Her treatment towards Jane is proclaimed through the text â€Å"Missis was rather too hard† which denotes that even Bessie finds Mrs Reed's treatment towards Jane extremely inconsiderate and inappropriate. On the other hand she treats Jane appropriately when Jane misbehaves or is blamed such as the incident after the fight; â€Å"If you don't sit still, you must be tied down,† which corroborates that Bessie is a fair person and is un-opinionated person towards Jane. Bronte also creates various moods to help the spectators appreciate Jane's situation. The weather is related to the mood that Jane will elaborate on in the following and upcoming paragraphs. We can notify this from the quote â€Å"the cold winter had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. † This depicts the darkness, and darkness is usually related with evil and the presence of something terrible about to happen. The weather is like this on the day of Jane's fight with John Reed and the mood at the beginning of the chapter spawns suspense to some degree. Furthermore, the situation of the Reed accommodation is upon the heath. This shows isolation as there is nothing surrounding the house but grass and other greenery. It, in some ways, relates to Jane as she is isolated in the Reed household. Everyone is opposing her and no one is there to offer her help with the circumstances she is facing such as reciprocated abuse. Charlotte Bronte makes Jane's fears pragmatic through the dialogue and the description of the Red room. The quotation â€Å"the carpet was red; the table at the foot of the bed was covered with a crimson cloth;† depicts the colour of the room; red, hence the name â€Å"The Red Room†. Jane describes the Red room as being â€Å"one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion. † She also describes some furniture such as â€Å"a bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask,† Bronte does this so that reader gets an insight of the Red rooms features. The author starts to build up suspense by introducing that â€Å"Mr. Reed had been dead nine years: it was in this chamber he breathed his last:† which at once has a dramatic impact on the reader. It brings about the idea of the room being red. Red habitually relates to blood and the demise of Mr Reed enhances the flavour. Jane's fears are then brought to life through the text â€Å"and the strange little figure stood there gazing at me, with a white face and arms speckling the gloom,† this makes us sense a palpable atmosphere of mystery and the supernatural activities. This is somewhat retrospective of the death of Mr Reed and the connection of Red with blood, as now there is a traditional scheme of a ghost dwelling in the room of someone's bereavement. As Jane wakes up we notice that within the next few lines Jane's mood changes rapidly. At first she calm and collective, while she reflects on herself for example; â€Å"All said I was wicked, and perhaps I might be so:† but then after conceiving another paranormal vision her mood turns to anxious and petrified. The segments â€Å"My heart beat thick, my head grew hot† and â€Å"I rushed to the door and shook the door in desperate effort† expose Jane's fears as she is attempting to escape the room as her vision panics her. Bronte also exemplifies school life in her novel. In this she illustrates the daily hardships that young orphan children face. In this chapter we recognise that Jane isn't the only child being neglected. She uses Helen Burns as an example of the destitutions facing children. For example the fragment â€Å"the teacher instantly and sharply inflicted on her neck a dozen strokes with the bunch of twigs. † Which acquaints us that Jane isn't the lone child suffering. She also depicts the teacher to be inconsiderate and inequitable. For instance â€Å"Burns: her memory seemed to have retained the substance of the whole lesson, and she was ready with answers on every point. I kept expecting Miss Scatcherd would praise her attention† this demonstrates inequality and impoliteness from the teacher towards the pupil. There is also a poor quality of life for the residents of Lowood such as â€Å"the water was frozen† and â€Å"Breakfast time came at last, and this morning the porridge was not burnt; the quality was eatable, the quantity small; how small my portion seemed! I wish it had been doubled† this implies that the children are being malnourished. The schools are also cold which we can obtain from the text â€Å"I felt ready to perish with cold. and overcrowded; â€Å"in the course of the day I was enrolled a member of the fourth class,† this all indicates that school life for children was unimaginably pitiless and spiteful and living conditions were criticisable. All in all, throughout the first three chapters, we ascertain that life in Victorian England was appalling especially for orphan children. The poor had to work to earn a living, however, for the rich it was a walk in the park. Regardless of the fact that people had not to accept someone, they did although only for the sake of their reputation. This is what the Reed family did and accommodated Jane. However by doing so they may not comprehend the anguish they are presenting the adopted child. We also learn that school life for children in Victorian England was a disregard towards them as they were disrespected and ignored. The living conditions for children in the schools were abysmal as there were a number of students in one class and they were all emaciated. This may make Victorian readers think that the treatment of children was, to an intensity, immensely astringent, horrendous and unreasonable. It may also make them think about how they treated their children and whether they had mentally and physically destroyed their child's emotions by means of neglection. Bronte may have done this so that she could express her life to the public. She used her experiences in the Evangelical school and as governess to publish â€Å"Jane Eyre†. Also her experience at the Clergy Daughter's School, which she left due to harsh conditions, could be another reason. Overall her lifetime experiences are the reasons for her to publish this novel. Jane Eyre In this essay I will be exploring how Charlotte Bronte conveys hardships in her portrayal of life. Furthermore the issue of life in Victorian England and what Victorian readers may think of the treatment of children will also be looked upon. Many of the hardships that children face are shown through the several descriptions and the actions of characters that are close to Jane. Throughout the text we learn that the novel explores the lack of rights and mistreatment of an orphan by her rich relatives. The issues of child abuse are often considered between the Reed family. In the novel the portrayal of the reed children seems to interfere with Jane's life. The author emphasises them to be unfriendly and unkind to Jane as she is an adopted sister. They are shown as being immoral and haughty. They like to abuse Jane because they feel she is inferior. Their feelings of superiority towards Jane are what cause them to intimidate and torment Jane. The depiction of John Reed shows him to be a bully and unaffectionate: â€Å"John had not much affection for his mother or sisters† which indicates ungratefulness from John towards the rest of his family. Bronte tries to characterize him as a murderer. The quotation â€Å"I really saw in him a tyrant: a murderer† shows Jane's feelings towards John; that he is ruthless and bloodthirsty. This is so that the audience can realise how and what Jane feels about her unintelligent cousin. The portrayal of Georgina differs greatly from that of John. A â€Å"spoiled tempered† brat at the mere stage of childhood is the interpretation of Georgina. She is shown as being spiteful through the quote â€Å"acrid spite† and is additionally perceived to be arrogant which is publicized by the extract â€Å"insolent carriage†. These extracts indicate to us that despite the lack of violence that Georgina contributes towards Jane, Jane still dislikes Georgina. Other attributes of Georgina are her â€Å"pink cheeks† and â€Å"golden curls†. These underline features of Georgina that Jane likes, and could possibly be implying that she herself may want to develop the attributes of beauty seen within Georgina, as Jane may not be self confident of her own image. Eliza is pictorised as being â€Å"Eliza who was headstrong and selfish was respected† indicating the personality of Eliza. Eliza is also depicted as being quick-witted. There is no evident quote however by reading between the lines we can obtain this from the passage â€Å"Eliza just put her head in at the door, and said at once: â€Å"She is in the window-seat to be sure Jack. † Bronte dictates Jane's feelings so the audience are conscious of how and what Jane feels. Mrs Reed is another character of the novel. The way she treats Jane differs greatly from her own children's treatment. As the responsible adult of the household she is a role model for all the children, however her behaviour is not only damaging Jane, it is also harming her own children. Jane's harsh treatment from all the family is what causes her to be isolated and unsociable. She treats her children with respect, care and love. We can accumulate this information from the text â€Å"Eliza, John and Georgina were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room: she lay reclined on the sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her (for the time neither quarrelling nor crying) looking perfectly happy. † On the other hand her treatment towards Jane is cruel, unjust and inconsiderate. The quotation â€Å"she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contended, happy little children. † Shows us how immensely the treatment of Jane fluctuates from her cousins. Mrs Reed also treats Jane with unsympathetic punishment. For example when John Reed and Jane had a brawl, Jane was the one who was punished regardless of the fact that John began it. This is when Jane is sent to the red room; â€Å"Take her away into the red-room, and lock her in there† this indicates unfairness from Mrs Reed towards Jane as instead of John being reprimanded she is chastising Jane. All in all Mrs Reeds actions affect Jane in the worst ways possible. This is because as being the adult and landlord of the house she must control the actions of herself and others, however she does not do this for Jane's benefit therefore Jane is affected drastically. Not only do the actions of one adult articulate the way someone is treated but it is the way a certain group treats someone. In this case there are just three other adults in Jane's life that either treat her moderately or dishonestly. Abbot is loyal towards her mistress, Mrs Reed, and treats Jane the way Mrs Reed would treat her. The quotation â€Å"No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep. † indicates that despite Jane is a member of the Reed family she is not treated to be as one by both the children and Abbot. Mr Lloyd is an â€Å"apothecary† who is treating Jane the day after her encounter with, what she recalled as being, a spirit. We learn that Jane is happy in Mr Lloyd's presence as he is a stranger to the occupants of Gateshead and due to this she is protected in his attendance. We can attain this from the quotation â€Å"I felt an inexpressible relief, a soothing conviction of protection and security, when I knew that there was a stranger in the room, an individual not belonging to Gateshead, and not related to Mrs. Reed. † this indicates that Jane is elated as in the presence of a stranger as she will not be physically abused. This in effect proclaims that Jane has a predominant fear of the Reed's especially Mrs Reed and John Reed. Bessie is manifested as someone who has a love for Jane to some extent as her opinion on Jane changes after the occurrence in the Red Room. However, when Jane misbehaves she handles her appropriately. Her treatment towards Jane is proclaimed through the text â€Å"Missis was rather too hard† which denotes that even Bessie finds Mrs Reed's treatment towards Jane extremely inconsiderate and inappropriate. On the other hand she treats Jane appropriately when Jane misbehaves or is blamed such as the incident after the fight; â€Å"If you don't sit still, you must be tied down,† which corroborates that Bessie is a fair person and is un-opinionated person towards Jane. Bronte also creates various moods to help the spectators appreciate Jane's situation. The weather is related to the mood that Jane will elaborate on in the following and upcoming paragraphs. We can notify this from the quote â€Å"the cold winter had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. † This depicts the darkness, and darkness is usually related with evil and the presence of something terrible about to happen. The weather is like this on the day of Jane's fight with John Reed and the mood at the beginning of the chapter spawns suspense to some degree. Furthermore, the situation of the Reed accommodation is upon the heath. This shows isolation as there is nothing surrounding the house but grass and other greenery. It, in some ways, relates to Jane as she is isolated in the Reed household. Everyone is opposing her and no one is there to offer her help with the circumstances she is facing such as reciprocated abuse. Charlotte Bronte makes Jane's fears pragmatic through the dialogue and the description of the Red room. The quotation â€Å"the carpet was red; the table at the foot of the bed was covered with a crimson cloth;† depicts the colour of the room; red, hence the name â€Å"The Red Room†. Jane describes the Red room as being â€Å"one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion. † She also describes some furniture such as â€Å"a bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask,† Bronte does this so that reader gets an insight of the Red rooms features. The author starts to build up suspense by introducing that â€Å"Mr. Reed had been dead nine years: it was in this chamber he breathed his last:† which at once has a dramatic impact on the reader. It brings about the idea of the room being red. Red habitually relates to blood and the demise of Mr Reed enhances the flavour. Jane's fears are then brought to life through the text â€Å"and the strange little figure stood there gazing at me, with a white face and arms speckling the gloom,† this makes us sense a palpable atmosphere of mystery and the supernatural activities. This is somewhat retrospective of the death of Mr Reed and the connection of Red with blood, as now there is a traditional scheme of a ghost dwelling in the room of someone's bereavement. As Jane wakes up we notice that within the next few lines Jane's mood changes rapidly. At first she calm and collective, while she reflects on herself for example; â€Å"All said I was wicked, and perhaps I might be so:† but then after conceiving another paranormal vision her mood turns to anxious and petrified. The segments â€Å"My heart beat thick, my head grew hot† and â€Å"I rushed to the door and shook the door in desperate effort† expose Jane's fears as she is attempting to escape the room as her vision panics her. Bronte also exemplifies school life in her novel. In this she illustrates the daily hardships that young orphan children face. In this chapter we recognise that Jane isn't the only child being neglected. She uses Helen Burns as an example of the destitutions facing children. For example the fragment â€Å"the teacher instantly and sharply inflicted on her neck a dozen strokes with the bunch of twigs. † Which acquaints us that Jane isn't the lone child suffering. She also depicts the teacher to be inconsiderate and inequitable. For instance â€Å"Burns: her memory seemed to have retained the substance of the whole lesson, and she was ready with answers on every point. I kept expecting Miss Scatcherd would praise her attention† this demonstrates inequality and impoliteness from the teacher towards the pupil. There is also a poor quality of life for the residents of Lowood such as â€Å"the water was frozen† and â€Å"Breakfast time came at last, and this morning the porridge was not burnt; the quality was eatable, the quantity small; how small my portion seemed! I wish it had been doubled† this implies that the children are being malnourished. The schools are also cold which we can obtain from the text â€Å"I felt ready to perish with cold. and overcrowded; â€Å"in the course of the day I was enrolled a member of the fourth class,† this all indicates that school life for children was unimaginably pitiless and spiteful and living conditions were criticisable. All in all, throughout the first three chapters, we ascertain that life in Victorian England was appalling especially for orphan children. The poor had to work to earn a living, however, for the rich it was a walk in the park. Regardless of the fact that people had not to accept someone, they did although only for the sake of their reputation. This is what the Reed family did and accommodated Jane. However by doing so they may not comprehend the anguish they are presenting the adopted child. We also learn that school life for children in Victorian England was a disregard towards them as they were disrespected and ignored. The living conditions for children in the schools were abysmal as there were a number of students in one class and they were all emaciated. This may make Victorian readers think that the treatment of children was, to an intensity, immensely astringent, horrendous and unreasonable. It may also make them think about how they treated their children and whether they had mentally and physically destroyed their child's emotions by means of neglection. Bronte may have done this so that she could express her life to the public. She used her experiences in the Evangelical school and as governess to publish â€Å"Jane Eyre†. Also her experience at the Clergy Daughter's School, which she left due to harsh conditions, could be another reason. Overall her lifetime experiences are the reasons for her to publish this novel.