Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Miscellaneous Jane Eyre4 Jane Eyre4 This book was first published under the name Currer Bell. A lot of critics at that time, (19th century), thought that this Currer Bell character was a man, and they gave the book a lot of praise. When they eventually learned that the writer was Charlotte Bronte, a woman, they took back all the nice stuff they said. They claimed that it was unladylike to write about a female character in such a way. They were talking about the character Jane, and the way that she is so independent and strong-willed. The character of Charlotte Bronte's second novel, JANE EYRE, was advertised from the outset by its subtitle, "An Autobiography," and was received as such by its first critics. Blackwood's reviewer (October 1848) said that it was "a pathetic tale, so like the truth that it is difficult to avoid believing that many of the characters and incidents are take from life." G.H. Lewes found the same thing: "Reality--deep significant reality, is the characteristic of this book . . .. " Jane Eyre: Obviously the main character since the book is named after her. She is an orphan who struggles to find her place in the world, and a family that she can be a part of. The book follows her life. Edward Rochester: Master at Thornfield Hall. He is sort of mysterious and odd. Jane and he have this bizarre kind of attraction to one another, written in role of old sex villain sympathetic Miss. Temple: She is the superintendent and teacher at Lowood. She has compassion for Jane and tries to help her out. She teaches Jane how to control her temper and become more patient. Jane Eyre is this little girl about six years old when the book starts. She is living with the Reed’s at Gateshead Hall and she hates it there. The Reed’s are really mean to her and she thinks they are horrible. The feeling is mutual and so Mrs. Reed sends Jane to this low budget orphan school called Lowood Institution. Mr. Brocklehurst runs Lowood and he does not waste one penny on anything for the girls that live there. They are basically starving because they aren’t allowed to eat much food, and it is freezing all the time because he won’t spend the money for heat. Jane learns to adjust there and makes friends with Helen and Miss. Temple. Then, Helen dies and Miss. Temple leaves to get married. Jane realizes she doesn’t like it there alone so she tries to get a job somewhere as a governess. Edward Rochester hires her to teach his bastard daughter Adele. Jane goes to Thornfield and pretty much her whole life changes. A lot of this novel’s action takes place in Jane’s head and with her emotions. For her to go out on her own to an unknown place had a tremendous impact. At Thornfield Jane is treated like a real person by Rochester. They have a weird relationship, but they are always really honest with each other. Rochester tells her about his life and compliments Jane on things she cares about, like her paintings. He kind of is setting her up because he knows that he wants to marry her, but Jane doesn’t know and we don’t know that yet either. He messes with her a little by bringing this chick Blanche out to the house and saying he is going to marry her. This throws Jane for awhile. Jane doesn’t like to mess around and play games. So, Rochester and Jane admit they love each other and they plan to get married. They’re at the little church ready to get married, and Rochester’s "friend" Mason busts in and breaks up the wedding. Rochester can’t marry Jane because he already has a wife! He keeps his wife locked up in his attic. Jane is pissed off and upset so she runs away. She has no where to go, and not very much money. She travels as far as she can and gets pretty worn out from not eating or resting. She ends up at this little house, and she stops there to see if they would put her up for the night. It is the Rivers’ house and Diana and Mary are really nice to her. St. John is kind of shady but he gets her a job teaching at the local schoolhouse. Her Uncle John Eyre dies and leaves all his estate to her. Through this she finds out that the Rivers’ are her cousins. (Jane’s father’s brother was John Eyre, the uncle. John Eyre was also the brother to the Rivers’ mother.) He didn’t leave any money to them because of an argument he had with their father years ago. Jane shares the money with the Rivers’. St. John wants to marry her and take her with him to India to be missionaries. She really doesn’t want to because she still loves Rochester and does not want to be a missionary. She tells St. John ‘no’. One night Jane has this inspiration that she hears Rochester calling her. She is so moved that she takes off to find him. She goes to Thornfield Hall and it is in ruins. She finds out that there was a fire and that Bertha Mason is dead. Rochester was wounded and blinded trying to save her but he could not. He lives all alone in this other house near by. Jane goes to see him and their love is sparked and they live happily ever after. The fire and ice imagery. The fire represents a loss of control and anger towards patriarchal society. The ice is the acceptance of that. The red room that Jane is sent to at the Reeds represents some kind of patriarchal terrors. The room is haunted by Mr. Reed, and is all red. The gender roles in society are examined throughout the novel. Rochester has had to deal with establishing himself through wealth and status, because that‘s what males do. Both, Jane and Rochester move beyond those establishments to one where they are content and can understand love. They are spiritual equals. Jane Eyre ends with a spiritual revelation. The change in Rochester echoes the change in Tennyson. "You think me, I daresay, an irreligious dog" he confesses to Jane, "but my heart swells with gratitude to the beneficent God of this earth just now" (p. 393). God appears at last to Rochester in the form of the fire an instrument of "divine justice" which destroys Thornfield (p. 393). Rochester's newly found faith and his ensuing change of character make possible his marriage with Jane. The discovery of God then, ties together all the loose ends of the novel, fulfills true love, and closes the book with an overall affirming message that two impassioned souls can unite in marriage after all, if the Lord wills it. A couple of contrasts with Tennyson, though seem obvious. For one, Charlotte Brontė reveals God to her readers through symbolism, whereas Tennyson finally uncovers a divine plan in the various meanings of the word "type." Secondly, Brontė has God play an interactive role in the external, material reality, whereas Tennyson must search internally for God's revelation. For him, God exists as a "far-off divine event." If Tennyson had lived in the world of Jane Eyre, he probably would have not spent so long struggling with Hallam's death. So in conclusion this is a book about a girl’s journey, lifelong struggle for love and acceptance, and spirituality Bibliography: Word Count: 1256
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