I often find theme in novels a difficult topic to discuss: generally speaking, it is easier and more enjoyable for me to simply finish my reading with whatever personal message I take away from the book. However, in the case of Jane Eyre I was able to see, quite plainly, what the underlying theme of the novel was: Jane's biggest purpose is to feel accepted and loved by those surrounding her.
Because of the way Jane has been raised, she has little sense of self-worth: in many reviews and analyses I have read, Jane is described as "The Other." The other is an individual who is perceived by the group as being fundamentally different and as not belonging. The individual's differences need not carry a negative connotation, though their differences are perceived as negative by the rest of the group. I believe Jane falls into this category of the other: at the Reed house, she is different because she is not as pretty, simple and submissive as her cousins. At Lowood Institution, Jane makes few friends, preferring to be alone with her books or her studies, thus being perceived as strange by the rest of her social circle. The constant perception that she is too different to ever be considered part of a social group strengthens her desire for the approval and love of others.
In essence, Jane's strong desires to feel as though she's gained the approval and love of others are met when she begins working as a governess at Thornfield Hall and meets Mr. Edward Rochester. I believe that Jane's aspirations to be accepted are so strong that she is willing to be with Mr. Rochester because he loves her, regardless of the treatment she receives from him. At one point in the novel, Mr. Rochester apologizes for often treating her like an inferior, and Jane responds by saying she will allow him to "hector" her (hector meaning verbally bully) because he forgot that she was his employee.
The smallest amount of attention given to Jane by Mr. Rochester appears, at first, as though it will satisfy her hunger for love: "So happy, so gratified did I become with this new interest added to life, that I ceased to pine after kindred; my thin crescent-destiny seemed to enlarge; the blanks of existence were filled up; my bodily health improved; I gathered flesh and strength." (304) Although Jane does find 'true love' in Mr. Rochester, I believe the initial reason she exhibits such great affection for him is because he pays her any attention at all, something she is certainly not used to.
As a child, Jane does not truly know what it feels like to be loved. If anything, the kind of treatment she endures is quite the opposite of love and acceptance: under the care of her Aunt Reed, she suffers both verbal and physical abuse. Jane is made to feel as though she is a burden for her Aunt, not worthy of anyone's love. "And you ought not to think yourself on equality with the Misses Reed and Master Reed, because Missus kindly allows you to be brought up with them. They will have a great deal of money, and you will have none: it is your place to be humble, and to try to make yourself agreeable with them." (9) Mrs Abbot says to Jane after she fights back when her cousin John strikes her.
Although the belittlement of Jane improves considerably when she begins attending Lowood School, she receives little more affection at the school, as it is an institution for 'charity girls' and the intention of the school is to provide the barest necessities for the students, and nothing else. The fact that few of the teachers seem to care for their pupils does little to deter Jane: in speaking to her friend and classmate Helen Burns, Jane says the following, "No; I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough; if others don't love me, I would rather die than live- I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or stand behind a kicking horse, and lit it dash its hoof at my chest." (91)
Because of the way Jane has been raised, she has little sense of self-worth: in many reviews and analyses I have read, Jane is described as "The Other." The other is an individual who is perceived by the group as being fundamentally different and as not belonging. The individual's differences need not carry a negative connotation, though their differences are perceived as negative by the rest of the group. I believe Jane falls into this category of the other: at the Reed house, she is different because she is not as pretty, simple and submissive as her cousins. At Lowood Institution, Jane makes few friends, preferring to be alone with her books or her studies, thus being perceived as strange by the rest of her social circle. The constant perception that she is too different to ever be considered part of a social group strengthens her desire for the approval and love of others.
In essence, Jane's strong desires to feel as though she's gained the approval and love of others are met when she begins working as a governess at Thornfield Hall and meets Mr. Edward Rochester. I believe that Jane's aspirations to be accepted are so strong that she is willing to be with Mr. Rochester because he loves her, regardless of the treatment she receives from him. At one point in the novel, Mr. Rochester apologizes for often treating her like an inferior, and Jane responds by saying she will allow him to "hector" her (hector meaning verbally bully) because he forgot that she was his employee.
The smallest amount of attention given to Jane by Mr. Rochester appears, at first, as though it will satisfy her hunger for love: "So happy, so gratified did I become with this new interest added to life, that I ceased to pine after kindred; my thin crescent-destiny seemed to enlarge; the blanks of existence were filled up; my bodily health improved; I gathered flesh and strength." (304) Although Jane does find 'true love' in Mr. Rochester, I believe the initial reason she exhibits such great affection for him is because he pays her any attention at all, something she is certainly not used to.
The fact that I was able to so quickly determine the theme of Jane Eyre greatly helped me to garner a better understanding of why the characters, Jane especially, acted the way they did. I believe it's incredibly important for a novel to evoke some kind of emotion within the reader: because I knew how badly Jane wanted to be loved and accepted by others, I felt much more empathy for Jane than I would have had I not understand her feelings of isolation, something I believe made my reading experience much more enjoyable.
Cree, at first I thought you were going to spend far too much time summarizes the text, quickly you used these summaries to provide context to your own close connection to the character. I felt great pathos for Jane as I read your post, and I think you reveal your own feelings of sympathy and pity for her as she endures many types of separations in her story, while discussing the significance of these elements to the text. Well done!
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