Jane Eyre Flashcards
‘There was the silence of death about it’
‘The grim blackness of the stones told by what fate the Hall had fallen-by conflagration: but how kindled?’
Death is linked to ‘silence’, capturing the lifelessness of Thornfield. The memories of Jane and Rochester, both the negative and positive ones have been obscured - they have been destroyed. The ‘conflagration’ is a symbol of destruction, fire will renew the love of Jane and Rochester, removing the negative associations Jane has given to Thornfield. It serves as a punishment to Rochester for his sins due to its hell-like connotations. The subjectivity of ‘fate’ contrasts the objectiveness of the visible ‘conflagration’. Perhaps, ‘fate’ foreshadows her loss of self worth as she moves into the institution of marriage where she will be restricted by both law and society.
[Mrs Reed] “there is something truly forbidden in a child taking up her elders in that manner. Be seated somewhere, and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent.”
Refers to sense of isolation placed on Jane by elder generation, purely because she questions their action.
Must remain silent because she is a young woman.
[Jane] “‘Wicked and cruel boy!’ I said. ‘You are like a murderer- you are like a slave driver- you are like the Roman Emperors!”
Hyperbole used, Jane’s inability to control her feelings demonstrates immaturity. Vocab reveals breadth of learning. Foreshadows future class-related conflicts.
[Jane] ‘cold winter wind’ and ‘penetrating’ rain
Pathetic fallacy signifies cruelty and harsh mistreatment faced by Jane at Gateshead. ‘Penetrating’ emphasises trauma caused to her.
[John Reed] ‘you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen’s children like us’
Others Jane due to her social class. Reflects his mother’s beliefs. Use of ‘you’ illustrates the difference between them and Jane and John’s hatred for her.
[Bessie to [Jane] “You are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep.”
Reminder that she is poor and lower class. Others her, she does not belong to either group at Lowood.
[Jane] ‘white bed and overshadowed walls’
Contrast between white and overshadowed. Reflects good vs evil motif and Jane’s inner turmoil.
[Jane @ Red Room] ‘red’, ‘deep red damask’, ‘crimson cloth’,
The colours and materials are both suffocating Jane. The heavy fabric produces a sense of claustrophobia.
[Jane to Helen] ‘When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard’ (compare to Helen to Jane)
Believes that people should defend themselves to ensure they are never mistreated again. Cannot mirror Helen’s passivity. Foil to Helen.
[Helen to Jane] ‘Love your enemies; bless them that curse you’
Her and Jane reflect passion vs restraint. She uses religion to help rather than hinder others. Positive view.
[Brocklehurst] ‘that girl’s hair must be cut off entirely’ yet his daughters have ‘elaborately curled’ hair and his wife has ‘a false front of French curls’
Brocklehurst symbol of Jane’s aversion to organised religion. Represents a poor form of Evangelical Christianity. Deprives students but spoils his daughters, social anxiety of social class mobility. An obstacle which Jane needs to overcome. Belief that some believed upper class were inherently moral. Hypocritical.
[Brocklehurst] “starve their immortal souls”
Relates to Bildungsroman as Brocklehurst is an obstacle for Jane to overcome. Applies semantic field of exclusion. He torments Jane and others her by calling her names.
[Brocklehurst] “not a member of the true flock, but evidently an interloper and an alien”
Deprives his students. Believes children born with original sin, therefore they must be cleansed if they want to reach salvation.
[Brocklehurst] “avoid her…exclude her…shut her out”
The use of imperatives show stubbornness of Mr B.
[Jane] “humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority”
Introduces the novel by othering herself. Emphasises her meekness and lowly status at the beginning.
[Helen] “universal parent”
Parent shows that Helen believes that God is looking out for her. Her God is universal, he cares for everyone without taking classes into consideration. Helen is consoling Jane, she is at peace with dying.
[Jane] “strange little figure” who is “half fairy, half imp”.
The self-image presented by Jane in the mirror is in fact her division of perception and identity. At this stage in the novel, Jane is only a child therefore the audience can expect some her to imagine fantasies and unrealistic imagery, yet the use of fairies and elves continues through the novel, for example later on Rochester calls Jane a fairy. This makes it clear that Bronte’s use of these supernatural beings are not simply to show Jane’s age, but relate it to the Gothic element of the book.
[Jane] “I like Revelations”
Emphasises Jane’s rebellious nature and her independence from the beginning. Jane’s responses are unconventional
[Jane] “Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel.”
Upper class and middle class women trapped within their homes. Saying Rochester is not better for hiding his feelings. She should not be perceived as weaker because she is a woman. Abnormal as women were not supposed to express themselves. Use of repetition.
[Preface to novel] “Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion.”
Many see Jane as immoral because she goes against convention. Links to Red Room. Mr Brocklehurst was self-righteous and Bronte criticises his form of religion.
[Helen Burns] “It is not violence that best overcomes hate - nor vengeance that most certainly heals injury”
Helen promotes forgiveness here.
[Bessie] “The Miss Reeds could not play as well!”
Ironic that Reeds behave less upper-class than Jane as they have had more resources. Encouraging readers to judge people by example set rather than class born into. Provides validation of Jane’s accomplishments.
John is ‘large and stout’, he ‘gorged’ himself
Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. His mother is ‘blind’ to his ways. Challenges views that men are superior.
[Jane] ‘I believed I was content: to the eyes of others, usually even to my own, I appeared a disciplined and subdued character.’
Jane had learnt to control her passion through Miss Temple. ‘Appeared’ insinuates that Jane is not truly this way. ‘Disciplined and subdued’ reflect the behaviour expected by women at the time.
[Jane] “what a great nose! and what a mouth! and what large prominent teeth!”
Uses the popular Red Riding Hood to imply that Mr Brocklehurst is the big bad wolf, contrasting with the passion of Jane, his victim.
[Helen] “You think too much of the love of human beings”
Implies that Jane’s true love should be with God. Her refusal to focus on the real world contrasts with Jane’s attitude.
“I would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations, for Gateshead and its daily luxuries”
Miss Temple and Helen formed part of Jane’s substitute family as she is an orphan. They allow her to tolerate the cruelties of Lowood. Jane is acknowledging that home is a place of acceptance and self-development. Surrogate family.
“Do you think I am an automaton with no feelings?”
When Jane believes that Rochester is going to marry Blanche Ingram. Shows Jane’s passion for Rochester. Rhetorical question shows she feels she is an equal to Rochester as she isn’t afraid to stand up to him.
“She bit me. She worried me like a tigress, when Rochester got the knife from her…She sucked the blood: she said she’d drain my heart.”
Animalistic portrayal of Bertha links to social attitudes towards foriegners and female hysteria. The foreign animal ‘tigress’ evokes a sense of mystery and dread - foreign animal to British readers. The vampire-like depiction exhibits that Bertha is both human and inhumane. She has lost her humanity due to this repression resulting in her hysteria and madness. Element of the supernatural used to develop suspense.
“I have suffered a martyrdom from their incompetency and caprice.”
“half of them detestable and the rest ridiculous, and all incubi.”
Blanche criticises governesses in front of Jane, revealing her nature. Could reveal her jealousy towards Jane. The supercilious attitude and sneering Blanche does encourages readers to judge the upper classes in general - not inherently moral. Reader learns that governesses cannot marry social equals. Jane is excluded due to social hierachy.
Blanche Ingram
Anthithesis to Jane. Blache, meaning white in French, is ironic as it conveys that Blanche should be a good person but she does not act as a good example of the upper class. However, white is cold and blank, evident of Blanche’s lack of personality.
“Blanche, an accomplished lady of rank.”
Reminder that ‘accomplished’ signifies one’s ability to attract a husband. Jane is concerned about her rival. Lady of rank because she does not need to be knowledgeable about certain issues, Blanche must only be pretty and accomplished enough for her husband. Accomplishments were coached to members of the upper class e.g. knowledge of music and foreign languages.
‘beautiful Blanche’
Alliteration emphasises the difference between Jane and Blanche. Blanche’s beauty is incomparable to Jane however her personality is no match. Questions if physiognomy is a good judge. Enforces the social hierachy.
“pantomime marriage”…“Bridewell.”
“Pantomime” foreshadows other sham weddings and the bigamous wedding Jane will have - it predicts that Rochester will get exposed. Bridewell is a pun on the words (bride and well) and is a famous prison at the time, indicating that Rochester is imprisoned in a loveless marriage
