quiet entry: My Review of Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

 

    

    c. October 19th, 1847, by Charlotte Brontë

    What I admire most about Jane Eyre is her resoluteness and humility. Experiencing a soft return to Christianity in my own life, I often looked upon the principles which she held with a greater degree of observation than most would likely offer. Humility, intellect, resoluteness, belief in herself and reverence for the pathways God bestowed to her—all of these coalesced to form a protagonist worthy of generations of readers’ love. Without the romantic tropes, Jane herself, no matter how ordinary her life was, was easy to admire and follow, because she made the best of every environment in which she entered. She saw beauty in the individuals which constituted each environment and made lasting impacts in her different communities; regardless of her early life hosting a difficult environment and unforgiving, cruel characters. Although she went through dispositions of strong protest and fervent love for varying masters as she aged, she was never tainted in such a way that she wasn’t willing to try and rebuild again, with no lasting prejudices. Regarding her love tropes, the portrayal was beautiful, lively, and ever-descriptive. I have never witnessed such yearning in novels as I did in Jane Eyre; Charlotte Bronte knew how to pull at her readers’ heartstrings for the time in which she wrote this book, and years upon years later, that impression is still applicable. Deep down, there is an understanding that to desire and to be desired has a great impact on the fruitfulness of life, so to portray that want so vividly speaks greatly to one’s thoughts about their existence and relationships. To read Jane Eyre made me think more artistically about life and how I could portray the love that I feel, and to consider deeply at what distance love could be rooted in my soul for those around me. Most of all, it made me feel a sense of courage, dignity, and perseverance—like I too could host strong principles oriented around being a resolute individual, not predisposed to any passions other than ones that are selfless, based in love for the ones who deeply impact my day-to-day life, and encourage the pursuit of intellect or simply a fulfilling life.

 
commentaries on occurrences in the novel (SPOILERS) + may change

-Jane’s friendship with Helen

            I found significant favor in Jane’s exposure to friendship with a figure like Helen. Illness never led Jane astray from partaking in a life-altering friendship like she did with this older girl. Their departure was heart-wrenching. It was devastating to read about Jane falling asleep with Helen as she passed, but it was fully worth undergoing those bittersweet emotions, because we knew Helen was at peace. I was touched by her wishes to return to her home despite the cold-natured Lowood which Helen had died in. The friendships you develop in girlhood are like no other.

-Jane’s initial romance with Mr. Rochester, before she knew, and after.

            The yearning that Jane felt was well-deserving of empathy. The romance was curated in such a way that the reader could not help but to feel interchangeably pulled away and pulled back into admiration for a figure like Mr. Rochester. In other words, Charlotte was a very persuasive author and made the blooming of love very easy to see and feel as an outsider. So, when the news broke of Mr. Rochester’s dark past, it was up to Jane to be the strong figure and to be extremely resolute, because as a reader, I found myself trying to empathize with his actions and see where the loving man could have implemented his judgement in some form of a good nature. In other words, I probably would have folded or not been able to be as strong as Jane. This is why I admire her willpower so much—she is truly a figure guided by God, beyond the passions of her flesh.

-Her new pathways

            I was so delighted by Jane’s discovery of a community through her schoolhouse but especially delighted by her good fate to finally find some kinship in her otherwise solitary world. The gratitude I felt for these discoveries exceeded the impact of happiness in the reciprocated love between her and Mr. Rochester up to that point (before her return to him..).

-Return to Mr. Rochester

            I think that this was the happiest ending for Jane. I didn’t quite expect her to give in so easily to her passions and throes of love for the man, but seeing as no more obstacles had barred her from loving him (on the basis of her principles), I do not blame her for seeking the happiest path of living: loving the man she loved so fervently before, and he who loved her just as much. To be desired is an incredible additive to human existence and makes every day just that little bit much more worth living. I understand her wish to live an existence filled with love and cheered her on as she finally got the marriage and partnership she deserved—especially with a man so spiritually guided and renounced as Mr. Rochester. I am SO happy he did not marry Blanche Ingram! The portrayals of shallow characters and the “almost” tropes in this book were very, very convincing, and had me worried. But what is to be said of it all, is that everything turns out just as it should, and both Mr. Rochester and Jane find a happy ending with each other. And a baby boy with his eyes! What a beautiful little detail to add at the end :)

Just looking for a place to post my thoughts, 

Mary