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1、An Analysis of Jane Eyres Personality I. IntroductionOn the personality of Jane Eyres as the main purpose of this paper is, a brief introduction of Gothic Novel at first seems appropriate, for Jane Eyre in some ways belongs to this style. Then, the situation of the author and the book will emerge in
2、 this part.A. Gothic NovelOriginally, the word Gothic refers to a Germanic tribe, the Goths. And the members of this tribe win fame because of their valiance and truculence during the battle. Today Gothic is usually used to indicate the mediaeval world or anything pertaining to the Middle Ages. In p
3、articular, Gothic is used to describe a style of architecture that originated in France and flourished during the Mediaeval Period, especially between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. The major characteristics of Gothic buildings are pointed arches and vaults, narrow spires, stained glass win
4、dows, and prominent verticality, etc. As a result, the Gothic architecture is commonly deemed to be flamboyant, mysterious, or even frightening, representing the inhumane and dark past. With the passage of time, Gothic is endowed with a new connotation. Around eighteenth century, Gothic developed in
5、to literary region indicating a type of romantic fiction and was called Gothic novel or Gothic romance, which was one phase of the Romantic Movement. Its principal elements are violence, horror and supernatural things, which strongly appeal to the readers emotion. With its descriptions of the dark i
6、rrational side of human nature, the Gothic form has exerted a great influence over the writers of the Romantic period. Jane Eyre is also a Gothic novel: the mysterious laughter, the hidden mad woman, dreams and portents are heritages from the Gothic novels. A good example is illustrated in the atmos
7、phere of strangeness and fear created in the red room: the gloomy hangings and furniture, the chill, the silence, the solemnity of the room, the white little face in the mirror, the thought of Uncle Reed, the fear that his spirit might rise before her in the room. A similar effect is created in desc
8、ription of the third floor at Thornfield with its antique furniture and tapestries, its locked doors, its strange inhabitants, and the strange laugh and the terrible cry. Similar touches which add atmosphere to other episodes are the examples of Janes momentary fear when Rochester first rides up wit
9、h his dog, and the momentary appearance of the blood-red moon the night before her wedding. All this add the atmosphere of mystery and fear to Jane Eyre. B. Charlotte Bronte and her Jane EyreCharlotte Bronte(18161855), the daughter of a clergyman in a small mill town in northern England, has long be
10、en considered one of the most outstanding and controversial women writers in the literary world of the nineteenth century. She, together with her sisters Emily Bronte and Anne Bronte, constituted the most marvelous myth in the history of British literature. Their mother died of cancer when the child
11、ren were still young and they were mostly left on their own as their father felt that “their prattle distressed him, reminding him of his dead wife”(Zhang 209). In 1842 Charlotte and Emily were sent to join their elder sister Maria and Elizabeth at Clergy Daughters school in Cowan Bridge. The condit
12、ion of the school made a horrifying impression on Charlottes mind. The discipline was harsh. Maria suffered a great deal, and after developing tuberculosis, was sent home to die at the age of eleven. In Jane Eyre, the description of the infamous Lowood School was based on this unhappy experience. Wh
13、en the girls were still young, their father brought a box of twelve wooden soldiers for their brother Branwell, who allowed each of his sisters to choose one of the soldiers and become its patron. The soldiers were exactly the things that originally aroused Bronte sisters wishes of being writer. Fro
14、m 1846 the sisters started to publish their writings. They put together a little volume of verse under their pseudonyms: Currer Bell for Charlotte, Ellis Bell for Elimy, and Acton Bell for Ann. Social prejudice against women writers had forced them to hide their sex. In 1852 Charlotte married her fa
15、thers curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls. The marriage was sweet but short. In 1855 she became ill and died on March 31 of that year of tuberculosis. All through her short lifetime, Charlotte Bronte produced five novels: Professor, Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette and Emma. Except her final unfinished novel E
16、mma, the other four have been widely read and translated into many languages. Their author also becomes the subject of the literary world.Charlotte Bronte is actually the heroine of her novel Jane Eyre. For the story embodied her personal experiences. We can hardly imagine what the author is without
17、 what she writes. Due to this special phenomenon, it is commonly believed that no literary commentary on Charlotte Bronte is of any authenticity if her personal experiences are overlooked.Jane Eyre is Charlottes second novel, published in 1847. The novel goes through five distinct stages: (1) Janes
18、childhood at Gateshead, where she is abused by her aunt and cousins; (2) her education at Lowood School, where she acquires friends and role models but also suffers privations; (3) her time as governess at Thornfield Manor, where she falls in love with her Byronic employer, Edward Rochester; (4) her
19、 time with the Rivers family at Marshs End (or Moor House) and at Morton, where her cold clergyman-cousin St. John Rivers proposes to her; and (5) her reunion with and marriage to her beloved Rochester at his house of Ferndean. Partly autobiographical, the novel abounds with social criticism and sin
20、ister Gothic elements. Jane Eyre was considered as the most distinguished work after only a week it was published. Then, why this work received so much popularity is worthy of thinking. In most cases, a character in a book directly reflects a reality or a social phenomenon, and Jane Eyre in some way
21、s is not an exception. Yet there are lots of extraordinary things that can be found from the heroinethe resistance of tyranny, the concept of woman statue, the thought of independence, which rather could be referred as unexpected things in that days and just could be referred as modernism nowadays.
22、It is these things that make the novel remarkable.II. Background of GrowthThe formation of Jane Eyres personality is closely related to her growing background. And her growing process can not be neglected in which a mans distinguished character is just developed under a special circumstance. On one
23、hand, the formation of Janes personality can be traced from family and social backgrounds. On the other hand, her success cannot be separated with the independence on spirit and economy as well. So family background, social background, financial independence and spiritual independence must be regard
24、ed as a whole.A. Family BackgroundJane is an orphan girl. Her parents die when she is still very young. Her uncle, Mr. Reed, adopts her after the poor girl lost her parents. And soon after, unfortunately, this mercy man dies also. Mr. Reed makes his wife vow to bring the poor girl up when he breathe
25、s his last. So Janes childhood is spent in Gateshead, where she has been suffering from the bitterness of the restraint brought with the dependent life under others eaves. The servants there keep admonishing Jane that she is under the obligation of Mrs. Reed. Consequently, she is no equal to Mrs. Re
26、ed and John: “This reproach of my dependence had become a vague sing-song in my ear; very painful and crushing, but only half intelligible” (Bronte 20). Mostly out of her instinct against oppression, Jane tries all that a child could to struggle against bully John. She cannot take her fate down due
27、to the lack of property, but her rebellious behavior is rather ineffective, though it shocks her aunt greatly. Her experiences in Gateshead have created her idea of resistance and liberty.Afterward, Jane is sent away to Lowood School, where she tries to enrich herself with knowledge and learn practi
28、cal skills necessary for women in Victorian age. At that time, the characteristics expected of the white female were that she should be silent, unassuming, chaste, modest and blushing. As a child, Jane clearly anticipates the social reproof resulting from the inadequacy of property. As she is small,
29、 weak and plain, Jane can hardly meet the established standard of a beauty. To make up her disadvantages, Jane smartly endeavors to gain more aesthetic female accomplishment, which includes playing the piano, painting, speaking Frencha language popular in high societyand sewing work on machine and c
30、anvass, and in the end, Jane is almost versatile. Her accumulation of knowledge gained from reading makes it possible for Jane to contemplate on her status rationally. Life in Lowood has paved the road of Jane Eyres coming days.B. Social BackgroundIn the nineteenth century, a great stratification ex
31、isted between the upper and lower classes. The upper classes claimed that the lower classes cannot be associated in any regular way with industrial or family life. A lack of adequate nutrition, medical care and sanitary resources also contributed to the stigma attached to poor people. The disease an
32、d malnutrition that ran rampant among the poor caused stunted physiques and pale face that caused not only economic division between the classes, but also physical divisions as well. The story takes the progress that Jane starts at the bottom of the social scale as orphan living off her aunts charit
33、y and eventually, becomes a lady with virtuous, integrity, keen intellect and tireless perseverance who breaks through the class barriers to win equal stature with the man she loved. The uncertain social status of governesses in the nineteenth century personified a life of intense misery. They were
34、also that most unfortunate individual; the single, middle-class women who had to earn their own living. Although being a governess might be degradation, employing one was a sigh of culture. The psychological situation of the governess made her position unenviable. Her presence created practical diff
35、iculties within the Victorian home because she was neither a servant nor a member of the family. She was from the social level of the family, but the fact that she was paid a salary put her at the economic level of the servants. Only the salary of the governess and her usually low family position ke
36、eps her from being considered part of the cultural elite.Under such a humble social condition, Jane, regardless of her original position as a governess, through unrelenting struggle against many odds, finally gains her happiness, which reflects her great personality.C. Financial IndependenceJane Eyr
37、e has been mentally prepared to handle properly the relation between wealth and womens honor. Her engagement to Rochester is far from satisfactory for her, though it sounds like fairy tale romance for common governess to break a few rules of propriety to find happiness in the love of their employers
38、. With an extraordinary consciousness to protect her liberty Jane rejects all possible lures, which might downgrade her passiveness of a housewife living on her husband. In this sense, she refuses any gifts of jewels: “jewels for Jane Eyre sounds unnatural and strange: I would rather not have them”
39、(Bronte 382). The desire for the fullness of a real economic independence, rather than the mercy or the overindulging love, prevents Jane from being overwhelmed by the impending happy life. To a certain degree, the property of womens can serve as the safeguard of womens equality in their marriages.
40、Janes allegation is surprisingly radical in Victorian age when marriage was widely thought as the springboard for a woman to gain economic security. Under such circumstances, Jane Eyre once again takes out the incredible courage to challenge the convention. As her position of governess makes her hel
41、pless in getting enough money to guarantee the equal status to Mr. Rochesters after their marriage, the information of her uncle John Eyre she got at the deathbed of Mrs. Reed, is no less than the exact salvation Jane is longing for. Without hesitation, she writes to her uncle, hoping if he would ad
42、opt her and make her his legatee: “I will write to Madeira the moment I get home if I had but a prospect of one day bringing Mr. Rochester an accession of fortune, I could better endure to be kept by him now” (Bronte 397). This is the authors purposeful arrangement for Jane to get the access to real
43、ize her economic independence. Besides, Jane strives to maintain her liberty at any cost. She does not give herself any chance to rest on others, so Jane requires continuing her job as a governess even after the marriage: “I shall continue to act as Adeles governess; by that I shall earn my board an
44、d lodging, and thirty pound a year besides. Ill furnish my own wardrobe out of that money, and you shall give me nothing” (Bronte 399).Jane gets a firm hold on her economic independence, which further ensures her spiritual freedom. She never wavers in her steps toward the final liberty, both materia
45、l and spiritual. Generally, economic status is the necessary access towards ones spiritual liberty. As for Jane, poverty sometimes also works to steel Janes will, for the mere poverty saves her from belonging to any material things, which eventually serves as a prompting to independence.D. Spiritual
46、 IndependenceJane has realized the importance of property in controlling her fate; meanwhile, spiritual liberty is crucial to keep her mental balance even when she is still in poverty. In her mind, she cannot bear to let the spiritual independence dominated by economic situation. In the beginning, J
47、ane interprets the spiritual freedom in different manifestation of desire. Since her childhood, Jane has been enjoying broadening her horizon in reading. And by doing so she gathers power to struggle for independence. In Lowood Institute, Jane finds the enjoyment of expanding her own mind, though th
48、e condition at there is poor and the discipline is harsh. After eight years as a student and two years as a teacher, Jane is better qualified than most of the other governesses. Besides the ordinary lessons other governesses can teach, Jane can also teach French, drawing, and music. Her qualificatio
49、ns for the governess job reinforce her self-confidence in the self-support effort. She finds a job as a governess in Thornfield. It is the groundwork, on which Jane wil1 achieve her goal gradual1y. As a mature girl with a sensitive heart, Jane claims for true love, and her anxiety for spiritual liberty is more acute than others. Jane is disadvantaged in many ways, as she has no wealth, family, social position and beauty. But Jane does have intelligence, and her disposition is