-
Essay / Jane Eyre - 2408
How can a girl who started with nothing become a well-educated, generous and happy woman? Well, in Jane Eyre, the main character overcomes all the obstacles thrown at him and makes a good life for himself. From a miserable, orphaned young girl to a happy, educated woman, Jane Eyre transforms enormously throughout the novel. Through her many experiences in key locations, she grew significantly in Gateshead, Lowood School, Thornfield, Marsh End and Ferndean. The novel begins in Gateshead where Jane is a young child of ten, orphaned, miserable and unwanted by her aunt. and cousins. At first, Jane allows her family to taunt and tease her without ever fighting back. When John Reed, one of Jane's cousins, harasses her like he does all the time, she does nothing to stop him. He throws a book at Jane, but Jane gets blamed for it. Jane says: “Used to obeying John, I approached his chair” (Charlotte Brontë 8) and “Accustomed to John Reed's abuse, I never had the idea of responding to him…” (Charlotte Brontë 8). This shows how intimidated and afraid Jane is of the consequences of fighting back. When she is blamed for John's mistake and sent to the red room, she experiences a new feeling: that of opposition. She says: “I resisted to the end: a new thing for me…” (Charlotte Brontë 11). Jane also considers herself a rebellious slave. This shows that Jane is starting to stand up for herself and take control of her life. There is another instance where Jane learns to express herself towards the end of her time in Gateshead. Mrs Reed, her aunt, told Brocklehurst, the headmaster of Lowood School, untruths about Jane. At this point in the novel Jane is tired of the way she has been treated middle of paper......because I am my husband's life as fully as he is mine. No woman was ever closer to her companion than I: more absolutely bone of her bones, and flesh of her flesh” (Charlotte Brontë 679). This shows Jane and Rochester's love for each other. Even though they had to wait, their relationship eventually became almost perfect and continues to grow every day. Even when life throws its worst disasters at Jane, she is somehow able to overcome these difficulties and build a delightful life for herself. Places such as Gateshead, Lowood School, Thornfield, Marsh End and Ferndean are pivotal moments in her life that help her in her metamorphosis from shy and timid to bold and loving. If a girl starts with nothing and ends up with everything she wants, isn't it possible for people to make something of their lives too ??