Jane has a myriad of reasons to feel like an "other." As an orphan, she belongs to no one. Even though she makes important connections at Lowood, none of them stay with her in a practical way once she has left. Helen Burns clearly remains as a resident of Jane's heart, but when Jane leaves Lowood, she is very much alone. Despite being at Lowood for eight years and finding some dear friends there, none of her acquaintances were elevated to the status of family, even in an informal way.
I also think that being a governess (or any kind of live-in help, for that manner) is to exist as an other. People in such positions live in a home that is not theirs and care for people who they have no familial connection to. Rather than being a member of a household, they are a tool that is used to serve the official members of the household.
We can also consider Jane's otherness in relation to Bertha. When Bertha's existence is revealed, Jane realizes that she is an "other" woman.
I also want to respond to something that we discussed in class last week: the many homophones for "Eyre". I thought of one more as I was finishing the book this weekend: the word "ere", which means "before."
I think that discord reflects Bronte's sense of the negative cultural ramifications of colonialism. The self/other dichotomy abroad was becoming more evident at home. In Hegel's thought, too, the master/slave dialectic incorporated the self/other discord. German Idealism and Hegel saw in the struggle between the two forces the individual's realization of "world spirit". In Jane Eyre's case, it seems to me that sense of otherness results from her having a conceptual scheme completely at odds with her adopted family, she is the slave and Mrs. Reed the Master. She "had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed." Yet, unlike Hegel's dialectic, Jane is only able to realize her "world spirit" when she entirely removes herself from the dialectic at Gateshead and places herself in a new one with Rochester, who, interestingly enough, she repeatedly calls her Master.
I believe that Jane's sense of "otherness" stems from the fact that in her childhood at Gateshead, she was treated as an "other." Although the Reeds were in fact her blood relatives, they viewed Jane as beneath them because of the low-class status she inherited from her father. Consequently, Jane was never accepted into the family. She was an outsider and developed a sense of her low position in society.
At Lowood, Jane was part of a community of "others" who had been cast out and sent to live in an institution. Although she had some sense of belonging to this group, the terrible living conditions and resulting deaths only intensified Jane's belief that she was a "discord."
At Thornfield, Jane's sense of otherness is apparent when Rochester entertains his guests. Jane sits in the background, watching, but never taking part in the conversation. She knows her place and the restrictions placed upon her by her class.
Jane Eyre is also not your typical 19th Century heroine, particularly in looks. She is no Elizabeth Bennet and no Lily Bart and therefore, can be considered an 'other' to readers. She obviously is made to be so in the text. She is compared to her cousins when Bessie visits her at Lowood, and she compares herself to the beauties who visit Rochester's manor. I think Bronte's choice to make Jane plain is interesting. She pushes Jane into such a marginal position by stripping her of all that made women worthy during this era. Jane is given no reputable family name, no money, and to top that off, she is plain which makes her pretty much un-marriageable. In doing this Bronte creates a pretty unusual protagonist. And in allowing Jane to succeed without the use of these resources, she does something quite subversive.
4 comments:
Jane has a myriad of reasons to feel like an "other." As an orphan, she belongs to no one. Even though she makes important connections at Lowood, none of them stay with her in a practical way once she has left. Helen Burns clearly remains as a resident of Jane's heart, but when Jane leaves Lowood, she is very much alone. Despite being at Lowood for eight years and finding some dear friends there, none of her acquaintances were elevated to the status of family, even in an informal way.
I also think that being a governess (or any kind of live-in help, for that manner) is to exist as an other. People in such positions live in a home that is not theirs and care for people who they have no familial connection to. Rather than being a member of a household, they are a tool that is used to serve the official members of the household.
We can also consider Jane's otherness in relation to Bertha. When Bertha's existence is revealed, Jane realizes that she is an "other" woman.
I also want to respond to something that we discussed in class last week: the many homophones for "Eyre". I thought of one more as I was finishing the book this weekend: the word "ere", which means "before."
I think that discord reflects Bronte's sense of the negative cultural ramifications of colonialism. The self/other dichotomy abroad was becoming more evident at home. In Hegel's thought, too, the master/slave dialectic incorporated the self/other discord. German Idealism and Hegel saw in the struggle between the two forces the individual's realization of "world spirit". In Jane Eyre's case, it seems to me that sense of otherness results from her having a conceptual scheme completely at odds with her adopted family, she is the slave and Mrs. Reed the Master. She "had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed." Yet, unlike Hegel's dialectic, Jane is only able to realize her "world spirit" when she entirely removes herself from the dialectic at Gateshead and places herself in a new one with Rochester, who, interestingly enough, she repeatedly calls her Master.
I believe that Jane's sense of "otherness" stems from the fact that in her childhood at Gateshead, she was treated as an "other." Although the Reeds were in fact her blood relatives, they viewed Jane as beneath them because of the low-class status she inherited from her father. Consequently, Jane was never accepted into the family. She was an outsider and developed a sense of her low position in society.
At Lowood, Jane was part of a community of "others" who had been cast out and sent to live in an institution. Although she had some sense of belonging to this group, the terrible living conditions and resulting deaths only intensified Jane's belief that she was a "discord."
At Thornfield, Jane's sense of otherness is apparent when Rochester entertains his guests. Jane sits in the background, watching, but never taking part in the conversation. She knows her place and the restrictions placed upon her by her class.
Jane Eyre is also not your typical 19th Century heroine, particularly in looks. She is no Elizabeth Bennet and no Lily Bart and therefore, can be considered an 'other' to readers. She obviously is made to be so in the text. She is compared to her cousins when Bessie visits her at Lowood, and she compares herself to the beauties who visit Rochester's manor. I think Bronte's choice to make Jane plain is interesting. She pushes Jane into such a marginal position by stripping her of all that made women worthy during this era. Jane is given no reputable family name, no money, and to top that off, she is plain which makes her pretty much un-marriageable. In doing this Bronte creates a pretty unusual protagonist. And in allowing Jane to succeed without the use of these resources, she does something quite subversive.
Post a Comment