Lonely Life: Isolation in Jane Eyre
There are two types of isolation, mental isolation and physical isolation. Physical isolation is when someone is separated from a group of people while mental isolation is when someone feels alone even if they have people around them. Physical isolation can lead to mental isolation (Isolation). The theme of physical and mental isolation is shown all throughout Jane Eyre. This pattern of isolation had a negative effect on Jane Eyre that started at a young age for Jane Eyre and continued along with her until she experienced community and love in her marriage at Ferndean.
Jane loses her parents at a young age, she was first brought to the Reed 's house by her uncle. But when her uncle passed away, her aunt
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Jane accidently drops her slate while Mr. Brocklehurst is visiting and he reacts by putting her on a stool and giving a speech to the other students about her. When Jane is standing on the stool she looks out at her peers, she explains "I felt their eyes directed like burning-glasses against my scorched skin" (Bronte 129), at this point Jane is singled out. She is isolated from her peers and then embarrassed in front of them. Mr. Brocklehurst says, "...that this girl, who might be one of God 's own lambs, is a little castaway: not a member of the true flock, but evidently an interloper and an alien" (Bronte 129). Mr. Brocklehurst is telling the other students that Jane does not belong. This creates a social isolation between Jane and the other children because they now have this view of her that she is different from them and does not belong. Mr. Brocklehurt then instructs, "...let no one speak to her during the remainder of the day" (Bronte 131). Mr. Brocklehurst isolates her physically and socially here, he makes her stand away from the rest of the group and then he tells the group to ignore her. This isolation negatively impacts Jane because it prevents her from creating relationships with the other students at …show more content…
It isn 't until Jane is happily married to Rochester at Ferndean that she has a sense of community. Jane expresses her desire to be with Rochester when she says, "I 'll not leave you on my own accord" (Bronte 546). This is the first time in the novel that Jane expresses content with who she 's with where she is living. Jane describes her marriage by saying, "I am my husband 's life as fully as he is mine. No woman was ever nearer to her mate than I am" (Bronte 554). It is evident that Jane feels a close connection with Rochester, and this is one of the first times in her life that she doesn 't feel isolated from everyone she is with.
The theme of physical and mental isolation is shown all throughout Jane Eyre. This pattern of isolation had a young effect on Jane that started at a young age and continued along with her until she experienced community and love in her marriage at Ferndean. Jane experiences isolation from her cousins at the Reed House when she 's younger. This isolation then follows her as she attends Lowood school and when she becomes a governess at Thornfield. She doesn 't feel a personal connection to anyone until she is happily married at Ferndean. Her isolation left her with self-confidence issues and
Mrs. Reed likewise separates Jane from the Reeds’ social circle by confining her to the nursery while her cousins spend their days in the drawing room (22) and calling Mr. Lloyd, the apothecary for “ailing servants,” instead of the family physician for Jane’s illness (15), thus placing her among the servants. However, the servants too reject Jane from their group—Miss Abbot told Jane that she is “less than a servant” because she does “nothing for [her] keep” (9). Jane thus
After Jane drops the slate, Mr. Brocklehurst positions Jane on top of the stool and publicly humiliates her in front of her peers and teachers. He orders everyone to shun her, avoid her, and exclude her from their converse. The public shaming is Jane’s adversity because she states, “There was I, then, mounted aloft: I, who had said I could not bear the shame of standing on my natural feet in the middle of the room, was now exposed to general view on a pedestal of infamy” (66). However, as the girls are passing by, a girl lifts her eyes at Jane and this act inspires Jane to have dignity. Through overcoming this misfortune, Jane grows and learns that people are by her
Jane Eyre Discussion Questions Mrs. Amato Honors English 11 Gabby Sargenti CHAPTERS 1-4 1. Review the details Brontë provides about the weather in the opening chapter of the novel. How does this establish the mood of the story when it begins? “Cold winter” “Leafless” “Cloud” “Chilly” “Protruding rain”
Isolation In Frankenstein Humans are one of the most sociable creatures on this planet. We need social interaction to live our daily lives, because without it are we really human? In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley we see several examples of people isolating themselves from one another. Through this isolation we see what happens to their character both physically and mentally.
Finally, the details about society show that Jane recognizes the standards of her victorian society and needs to abide by them. After Jane had thought awhile, she no longer “felt justified in judging” Mr. Rochester and Blanche for “acting in conformity to ideas and principles instilled into them.” Though Jane wishes to be loved by Mr. Rochester, she comes to the realization that rich men do not marry lower-class women in her
Jane requests to return to the Reed house, after learning about her cousin’s suicide and her aunt, Mrs. Reed’s, illness; however Rochester questions, “And what good can you do her… you say she cast you off,” Jane replies, “Yes, sir, but that is long ago; and when her circumstances were very different: I could not be easy to neglect her wishes now” (Brontë 227). Jane looks beyond that Mrs. Reed “cast[ed] her off,” implying that she has grown to let go of grudges and developed a mature mentality. The irony of Jane’s inability to “neglect her wishes,” infers how the injustice treatment of Mrs. Reed unaffectedly brings Jane to look past the situation by visiting the Reeds in a time of sorrow. In addition, Rochester attempts to convince his wedded Jane to stay with him, after learning about his mad wife; Rochester claims that his father had “sent [him] out to Jamaica, to espouse a bride already courted for” him but only so his brother and father to get “thirty thousand pounds,” Rochester further admits to Jane that “you know now that I had but a hideous demon. I was wrong to attempt to deceive you…
To isolate can be defined as causing a person or place to be or remain alone or apart from others. Isolation is a epidemic that devastates millions of people, making them feel useless and hopelessly alone. Being detached from society and human interaction is an awful feeling and can lead to serious mental and physical problems. If isolation is so disastrous, why do authors make so many characters feel isolated to the point where the characters actions and emotions are only based off of this isolation? Authors such as M.T. Anderson in Feed, J.D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye and Ursula K. Le Guin in Tehanu all create some sort of isolation for their characters.
When Jane meets Helen at Lowood school, Jane is amazed and confused at Helen’s ability to tolerate the abuse directed at her by the teachers. Both Helen and Jane struggle at the school however, Helen and Jane endure the mistreatment from the teachers individually. “I heard her with wonder: I could not comprehend this doctrine of endurance” (Brontë 6). Jane refuses to conform to the teachers complaints, her free
In the beginning, she is deprived of education, love and appreciation of her presence which ultimately is her prime reasoning of taking off to be successful. Her experience at Gateshead was nothing more than miserable, she fought for what she needed and grew out of her comfort zone to stick up for herself. The strict rules and limits to freedom was not something Jane could handle for much longer, starting with the false accusations said by Brocklehurst of Jane. Brocklehurst is one of the many obstacles Jane fights to become happy and successful. She did not let him control how she envisioned her future life, rather she became even more passionate to prove how much of a cruel master he was.
In Charlotte Bronte’s novel “Jane Eyre” Edward Fairfax Rochester plays a contributing role in Janes development and growth as a character and human being in the Victorian time period. Not only does he play a large role in her independency, but in her emotional and spiritual growth as well. She grows around him whether she likes it or not. Due to Edwards manipulative and seductive nature, jane has to grow and develop in a way that has her frequently questioning her own ideals, whether that be spiritually or morally, and strengthening her independence by constantly refusing her feelings for him and adapting to punishing situations. Edward also opens Janes eyes to a world that is bigger than she realized due to his company at the house, wealth, and opportunities at the favorable Thornfeild manor at which she was employed by him.
In Gateshead she was terrified of bothering the Reed’s and being sent back to the red-room. At Lowood she was first focused on her studies and then her pupils. She wants to feel secure and like nothing could harm her in anyway. At Thornfield Jane was making some money from being a governess. She met someone she loved and she was at one of the highest points in her life.
Over the course of Jane’s journey, she struggles with her own Christian faith in God and beliefs as well as with the approaches to religion the characters Mr Brocklehurst, Helen Burns and St. John Rivers have chosen. Mr Brocklehurst Jane’s first encounter with one of the strongly religious characters takes place in her aunt’s house. Jane meets Mr Brocklehurst, the master Lowood school, where she will be studying and eventually become a teacher later in the novel. During her first interaction with him Mr Brocklehurst promptly asks Jane “Do you read your Bible?”
Jane is a bit of a loner. Her experiences have led her to believe that in the end, all groups fail and its better to be on your own and obviously values her solitude. When given the chance she will venture to secluded areas away from the main group. The main exception to this rule is Clementine in that when she ventures off alone Clem will often accompany her, but one person isn't a whole
The titular Jane in Jane Eyre struggles to free herself from the power of others to achieve independence throughout the course of the book. As a child, she fights against unjust authority figures, and as an adult, she spurs multiple unequal marriage proposals. Bronte, through Jane asserts that a woman should be independent from others. When Jane was young, she tried to free and defend herself from unjust authority figures. When Jane 's aunt unfairly confines Jane to the Red Room, Jane launches into a verbal diatribe against her aunt.
Charlotte Bronte takes us on a journey from the point which Jane Eyre, the protagonist lives with her aunt and cousins whom very much dislikes her in Gateshead to her going to a boarding school in Lowood, after which she becomes a governess in Thornfield where she falls in love with Mr. Rochester her employer whom she later finds out is married to a mad woman by the name of Bertha Mason, upon her discovery of this she picks up and leaves Thornfield, she then ends up at Marsh End where he meets her relatives. The novel carries us through ever important event in her life, which introduces us to new aspects of her personality, up until her eventual marriage to Mr. Rochester. The novel fits this theme as its protagonist chooses individualism as she refuses to take the role subservience as that of a traditional female of the Victorian era society, she stands up for her rights and want she believes in, she ventures in her own unique thoughts, and stands by her views even if it means disagreeing with those superior to her. Jane comments on the role of women in society and the greater constraint imposed on them. V.S Naipaul’s