|
CalPal
, March 29, 2012
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, focuses on the life of a young woman named Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte illustrates a story where, Jane Eyre, an orphan despised by her only remaining family, must find her way in the world and learn to fall in love without loosing her identity and self-respect. This novel includes many hard pressing themes that are still being debated today. Some of these themes are: gender equality, the complications of social hierarchy, the struggle between moral duties and pleasure, as well as loosing one’s independence to love. With startling discoveries and hidden mysteries, this novel is a necessity for anyone looking for a good read about a young woman discovering herself and her identity. Overall, I cannot give this novel high enough praise. The plot, although slow moving at times, is extremely well written and the characters are phenomenally scripted. Reading Jane Eyre is like running a race, one may find themselves flipping from page to page at breakneck speed to reach the ending to taste the hard earned victory and resolution of Jane Eyre’s life.
The novel, Jane Eyre, is set in a timeframe circa 1810-1820 during the Victorian Era. Jane begins the story orphaned, alone, and under the constant oppression of her horrid aunt, Mrs. Reed. From her aunt’s house, Gateshead, Jane makes numerous scenery changes, battles disease, and creates a name for herself. The most enlightening place Jane makes her home, however, is Thornfield Manor as a governess. Here, at Thornfield Manor, is where Jane meets the love of her life, the infamous Mr. Rochester. The character of Mr. Rochester is very dark and gloomy with “his broad and jetty eyebrows; his square forehead, made squarer by the horizontal sweep of his black hair”(170). Mr. Rochester ‘“was not a man given to wine, or cards, or racing, as some are, and he was not so very handsome; but he had a courage and a will of his own, if ever a man had”’(621-622). As stated, Mr. Rochester is not particularly attractive nor does he have a humbling personality, but what he lacks in looks and personality, he makes up for in money. He is a man with abundant wealth and, as it seems, growing passion for Jane. Jane, a young woman not older than eighteen at the time, falls head-over-heels in love. Unfortunately, Jane’s love for Mr. Rochester is rich with conflict and secrets to the point where it cannot be pursued. Jane leaves her love reluctantly and starts her life anew. Mr. Rochester, crushed by Jane’s flight, changes. “[He] looked desperate and brooding--that reminded me of some wronged and fettered wild beast or bird, dangerous to approach in his sullen woe. The cadged eagle, whose gold-ringed eyes cruelty has extinguished, might look as looked that sightless Samson”(627). Without Jane, Mr. Rochester’s countenance changes to something unrecognizable. He is no longer the strong, wealthy, and passionate man Jane once knew, but a poor, cadged animal without hope. Without Jane, Mr. Rochester’s life dissolves into nothingness, but will she ever return or will Mr. Rochester live his life alone forever?
Jane’s decision whether or not to go back to Mr. Rochester, the only passionate love she has ever known, is tough. Jane has never had much of a defiant character, she has always been ‘“such a queer, frightened, shy little thing”’(48). Nevertheless, through the countless years without love, food, or money, Jane turns out a respectable young woman. Although confused at many times throughout the novel, Jane’s character comes off very intelligent, plain, and honest. One can only see why Mr. Rochester would fall in love with her in the first place. Throughout the story, Jane Eyre acts as the sole narrator, telling the reader of her triumphs, woes, and setbacks. The first setback and tale of woe comes from Jane’s early childhood, in a room she dreads, the red-room.
The red-room turns out to be a symbol that sticks with Jane through life. “The red-room was a square chamber, very seldom slept in...the carpet was red; the table at the foot of the bed was covered with a crimson cloth...this room was chill, because it seldom has a fire; it was silent...”(10-11). The red-room is Jane’s very own personal hell and as a young child. In here, Jane feels exiled from the world and imprisoned. During this time, locked up alone in the room, Jane knows that she must escape but she doesn’t know quite how to do it. This is also the case in very many other situations in Jane’s young-adult and adult life. Jane associates bad situations in her life with the time that she spent in the red-room. This room becomes the symbol for her growing need to escape harmful and frightening environments and people. Jane’s life, in theory, is her constantly trying to escape the horror she calls the red-room.
Overall, I believe that this book, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, reaches its ultimate goal. It correctly conveys the themes of gender equality, the complications of social hierarchy, the struggle between moral duties and pleasure, as well as loosing one’s independence to love, giving the reader room to decide their own opinions about the subjects. Charlotte Bronte makes a point to express that love can be found without loosing oneself in the process no matter what social standing one might come from. Many novels in literature relay the same message, however the storyline in this novel is what makes this same message stand out above the rest. Charlotte Bronte has created a timeless novel with her characters and storyline, thus making every point in the novel very believable. Jane Eyre is a novel for the ages and I would recommend it to anyone with a soft spot for romance and probing questions.
|