简爱的不朽形象

中图分类号：I106.4

学号：[1**********]

南阳师范学院

本科毕业论文

论文题目：简爱的不朽形象作者：指导教师：学院：外国语学院专业：英语班级： 2008级 5班

二〇一二年三月

简爱的不朽形象

南阳师范学院

外国语学院

英语专业

申请文学学士学位

毕业论文

作者：

指导教师：

The Immortal Image

of Jane Eyre

A Thesis Submitted to

English Department,

School of Foreign Languages,

Nanyang Normal University

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

Supervisor：

Acknowledgements

Upon the completion of the thesis, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Xu Jing, who has given me important guidance on the structure of the thesis. Without her help and encouragement, my thesis would have been impossible. Besides her help with my thesis, she has also given me some advice on the methods of doing research, which is of great value to my future academic life.

I am also obliged to my lecturers Ding Xiaoyu, Li Xiaohai, and Gong Xiaorui, whose lectures have broadened my scope of vision in British and American literature and laid a necessary foundation for the writing of my thesis.

摘要

夏洛蒂·勃朗特是英国著名的女作家，其不朽作品《简·爱》深受广大读者喜爱。本文主要对该作品中女主角简爱的不朽形象进行剖析，突出表现其反抗旧制度和不公平社会制度的无畏精神，从而再现了一个妇女意识与反抗性格和谐统一的不朽妇女形象。

关键词：不朽形象；妇女意识；反抗性格

Abstract

Charlotte Bronte is a famous female British writer. Her outstanding works Jane Eyre is very popular. This paper mainly analyzes the immortal image of the heroine Jane Eyre and explores her fearless spirit of fighting against the old custom and unfair social system and the immortal image of harmonious unity of female consciousness and rebellious character.

Keywords: immortal image; female consciousness; rebellious character

Contents

Acknowledgements ................................................................................... I 摘要 ............................................................................................................ . II Abstract .................................................................................................... III Contents .................................................................................................. . IV

1. Introduction .......................................................................................... . 1

1.1 Introduction of the Author ...............................................................1

1.2 Introduction of Jane Eyre ................................................................2

1.3 Introduction of the Women’s Status in the 19th Century ................3

2. Analysis of Jane Eyre’s Immortal Image ............................................... 3

2.1 Jane Eyre’s Rebellion and Independence ................................... . 3

2.2 Female Consciousness ............................................................. . 4

2.3 Self-esteem and Self-respect .................................................... . 6

2.4 Quest for Equality ...................................................................... . 9

3. Conclusion ......................................................................................... .. 14

Bibliography ............................................................................................... 16

The Immortal Image of Jane Eyre

1. Introduction

1.1 Introduction of the Author

Charlotte Brontë (1816 – 1855) was an English novelist, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters whose novels have become enduring classics of English literature. She was born in a Priest’s family in York shire in 1816. She had two elder sisters, two younger sisters and one younger brother. Her mother died when she was five years old, leaving six children. Fortunately, her father was an intellect, so he often taught his children to read books and magazines and told stories to them. It influenced Charlotte in developing her interest in literature. When she was very young, she was sent to a boarding school with her three sisters. In 1825, her two elder sisters died of infectious disease in that school. Then, her younger sister Emily and she were forced to go back home and compile a journal named ―Youth‖, which laid a solid foundation for their later creation of literature. When she was 15, she went to another school to study. And in order to support her family, she became a teacher in this school after her graduation. After she left this school, she went to a rich family to be a tutor for twice, during which she declined to men who wanted to marry her. In order to teach French, Charlotte and Emily went to a French school to learn French. In that school, Charlotte fell in love with her French teacher deeply, yet she didn’t tell him. In 1847, under the name of Currer Bell, she published her first novel Jane Eyre which was a great shock at that time and made her successful. Her two younger sisters also published their novels and succeeded at that time. The great success of the Bronte sisters brought great happiness to their family. But in the following years, Charlotte suffered from great sorrow: her

南阳师范学院本科毕业论文

younger brother and two younger sisters died one by one in two years. But she persisted in writing and published another three fictions. She got married with a priest when she was 38 years old. After she enjoyed happiness for six months, she died in the next year. English critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the forties and in the early fifties. The critical realists described with much vividness and great artistic skill the chief traits of the England society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint. She created several works, such as Shirley (1849), Valetta (1853), and The Professor (1857). Her works are all about the struggle of an individual consciousness toward self-realization, about some lonely and neglected young women with a longing for love [1:88].

1.2 Introduction of Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is an important works in the history of British literature. Jane Eyre is such a great novel that it holds an important position in the history of British literature. It has been translated into various languages and adapted for movie, dazzling generations of readers all though the world. It is also an autobiography novel and though which the author expressed her female consciousness. This novel begins with little Jane as a despised orphan, who is cruelly treated in childhood by her aunt, Mrs. Reed, a harsh and unsympathetic woman on whom she is depended. Because Jane reacts strongly against the unliable aunt’s bad treatment, she is sent away to a charity school, Lowood Charity. There she suffers a lot both physically and mentally, only consoled by a kind teacher, Miss Temple. Jane stays at the school for 8 years, and then becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall. Mr. Rochester, the master of the house, is fascinated by her wit and courageous

The Immortal Image of Jane Eyre

spirit and falls in love with her. This is the same with her. But their marriage is prevented by the revelation that he has had a wife, a raving mad woman, still alive. Shocked and deeply hurt, Jane makes up her mind to leave him and flees to the Moor House. There Rivers family takes her in St. John Rivers, a very handsome clergyman who is determined to devote himself to God, almost succeeds in making her agree to marry him. But she refuses and finally goes back to Rochester, who is a blind and free man. Then they marry and live a content life.

1.3 Introduction of the Women’s Status in the 19th Century

In the 19th century, women did not have any status. They were discriminated against and conceived of as people inferior to men. Although women’s colleges were established at Cambridge in 1869 and at Oxford in 1879, women could not take degrees at the university until 1920-1921. At that time, almost the only occupation open to women of good families was teaching as school mistress or more likely serving as governess in a private family. The Victorian moral code for women was that they should remain ignorant and uneducated. So, novels about young girls who went out alone into the world, suffered various trials, miseries and temptation, and emerged chaste and triumphant had been popular in England for over a century. Charlotte Bronte and her Jane Eyre challenged the old commandment and traditional discrimination to women.

2. Analysis of Jane Eyre’s Immortal Image

2.1 Jane Eyre’s Rebellion and Independence

Jane Eyre begins the story of her life with a violent interruption. She is

南阳师范学院本科毕业论文

different from the other heroines in that she is a small and plain orphan girl brought up by her harsh and cold-hearted aunt. Instead of pretty appearance, richness, frailness and modesty, Jane has nothing attractive at the first sight. She is a small, plain and poor governess who begins her life all alone, cared by nobody. In the family of her aunt, where she is looked down as a ―bad animal‖ and abused everywhere, she knows her rebellious spirit. Though she is very weak, she is brave enough to fight with John who is strong and arrogant [2:28]. As she silently tells herself tales to match the illustrations in a picture book, Jane’s cousin John attacks her; she strikes out in self-defense and is taken away to be locked in the terrible Red Room. Left herself there, quiet and silent, Jane begins to fear that her kind uncle, who died in Red Room, might return unbidden to avenge her. Her fantasy, ―consolatory in theory but terrible if realized‖, is supported by the appearance of a gleam of light on the wall, provoking ―a species of fit‖ that ends in a stream that summons the others [3:98]. Jane begs to be released, asserting that she ―shall be killed‖ if left there alone. Her demand is denied. Jane’s quarrying with her cousins John is the beginning of her struggle to identify herself, as human being, as an independent human being, as a free human being. Here, Charlotte uses the words such as fascinated, tears, fears, fearful, violent grief, terrible, gaze, and in desperate effort to illustrate Jane’s rebellious spirit as well as her melancholy and inferiority complex. Through such life experience, Jane becomes independent and rebellious.

2.2Female Consciousness

If we say that Jane Eyre’s rebellious character is sprouted in Mrs. Reed’s family first, then the further development of her character is in the

The Immortal Image of Jane Eyre

Lowood-the charity school. Here we can see her female consciousness is portrayed vividly. Little Jane Eyre has earnestly hoped that she would begin a new happy life. However, in this hell on earth, Jane witnesses and experiences all kinds of maltreatments. Mr. Brocklehurst is actually a hypocrite and treats girls like slaves. The charity school is a real hell for ruining the children’s bodies under the cover of religion. Owing to the bad condition lots of orphan children died one by one. Jane, the poor girl, unfortunately can not free from Mr. Brocklehurst’s control when the cruel man, who is known for maltreatment to the children for a living, orders Jane to stand straight on the stool for punishment. The stubborn girl does not submit to his order. She lifts up her head, and takes a firm stand on the stool silently. The soundness reticence shows her great courage and unyielding character. It is hard to imagine Jane is only a little weak ten-year-old girl. This kind of rebellion is also represented by her friend Burns. Burns’s experience is a sharp contrast against Jane’s. Burns is poisoned by the religion deeply, she insists ―Return good for evil; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you.‖ Jane hates the hell on earth. She does not think people must meekly submit to oppression, instead people should be free and equal in the world, which just represents her female consciousness [5]. She is angry with Burns’ compromise, she says, ―And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose‖ [1:39].

From this we can see Jane is brave enough to fight against oppression and her female consciousness for winning over human rights becomes

南阳师范学院本科毕业论文

much stronger than before. She encourages Burns to be independent, not always be docile and compromising. She thinks they must do everything they can to fight against the bad man; they must resist the unfair punishment. The rebellious fires burn more vigorously. She has never stopped longing for living a vividly free life in a new world; she can not help giving out her call, ―I desired liberty; for liberty I gasped; for liberty I uttered a prayer.‖[5:145]

Jane’s character does not change despite the evil environment. She wins over hunger, tear, humiliation, maltreatment and a job as a teacher in the Lowood School. She completely breaks away from the life of relying on others.

2.3 Self-esteem and Self-respect

Jane remains keeping a clear mind to win over self-esteem, self-respect and to support her. In charity school Jane can not stand the stuffy atmosphere any longer. Her friendship and hope are taken away by the leaving of Miss Temple, and then she resigns from her teaching job. So lonely does she feel that she goes to Thornfield to work as a governess. Jane lived in a hostile atmosphere when she was a child. No one loved her there, and this led to her reserved and defensive attitude in Thonfield. She does not want to expose the internal world of her heart so as not to be hurt, but she is ready to deal with attacks of the outside world. When others give respect to her in the process of association, she treats them with sincerity. On the contrary, she will resist and counterattack those who trample her living principle. From this we can see that Jane’s female consciousness has already reached a higher standard. Jane’s heart becomes restless and never tranquil when she is in a peaceful and quiet atmosphere in Thornfield.

The Immortal Image of Jane Eyre

Jane’s life in Thornfield is the most important period for the formation and establishment of her rebellious character. Her life from the Thornfield made her character reach the climax. As the saying goes, Love is the central representation of one’s personality. In love, Jane’s rebellious character is shown more distinctly. So is her female consciousness. She is an 18-year-old girl who has scanty experience of life, while Rochester is a well-travelled, experienced and knowledgeable man, who has already got married. Jane looks plain and young, but what she has is the special character that Mr. Rochester wants. Before him she shows her self-esteem, but he thinks that he has the right to be proud, to be masterful, but Jane says abruptly, I do not think sir, you have the right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because see more of the word than I have. You claim to superiority depending on the use you have made, of your time and experience‖ [2:157].

Jane loves Rochester sincerely, but she can not stand the attitude that Rochester has, who regards himself as the ―master‖. She refuses to accept his present for her and points out directly that he has no right to control or command her. If she loses her human dignity, just like losing her value of being human beings, she thinks. She becomes an entirely free woman when she gets along with Rochester. Jane’s bravery, firmness, and loyalty get his fervent love. Of course, the love is based completely on equality, independence and human dignity. Those who treat Jane equally, who respect her self-esteem, and her human dignity and who meet the demand of her liberty, can only become close to her and get her love. This is the focus of Jane’s female consciousness. Jane despises the bourgeoisie’s idea

南阳师范学院本科毕业论文

of family status, regardless of her status of being a governess, which is almost equal to a servant, and she boldly falls in love with Rochester. It is undoubtedly a kind of challenge in love or resistance to the rigidly stratified bourgeoisie society.

Jane wins in the process of resistance. However, the god of fate seems to test her again. When they are ready to get married, she knew Rochester’s mad wife is still alive. If all of this just shows the proof that he is rich and dallies with a poor governess, Jane may leave without worrying. But his love is so deep and faithful that Jane can not give up, not even cut it off. What should she do? Leave or stay? From her contradictory situation, we should see how Jane represented her female consciousness. Yes, the answer lies in her rebellious character. If Jane leaves the affectionate Rochester and takes away all his life and happiness, she will feel sad; but if she stays to share his property, she will be taken as the mistress of him by the society. Choosing the former, it must be too cruel to both sides; choosing the latter, it perhaps meets Rochester’s needs, but Jane will lose her personality and human dignity as well as her self-esteem. And also it is unfair to another woman, his original wife. After intense psychological struggle, her self-respect makes her choose the former. She says, ―I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustainable I am are all I have at this hour to stand by; there I plant my foot‖ [1:269].

These firm words just shows Jane’s female consciousness and describes that Jane follows a sacred and inviolable principle of self-esteem, and self-respect. Jane, a little woman, is brave enough to challenge and resist the noble bourgeoisie, the unequal society, the evil environment, and

The Immortal Image of Jane Eyre

the social estate system of the 19th century in Britain. These are her commendable points of her spiritual world.

The appearance of the mad woman is the focus of Jane’s female consciousness. She chooses to live because of her desire for human dignity. Love would have nothing to depend on if there is no equality and human dignity. She thinks only equality and human dignity can stand for people’s real value, only under the close unity of love and human value, love could rise to a higher level. The leaving of Jane is not her escape from love, but the much higher level of choice and pursuit, which is the progress of a common woman for pursuing her social position. Love should not be controlled by money, but united by both hearts freely. The leaving of Jane is not only the full expression of her rebellious character, her sincere pursuit and her female consciousness, but the bole challenges to common ideas. From this Jane’s rebellious character is the centralized expression of her female consciousness.

2.4 Quest for Equality

There are great disparities between Jane and Rochester, not only in age and social experience, but also in status, but they surmount all those obstacles bravely. The mansion of their love is solid and indestructible, because equality is the corner stone of it.

From Gateshead to Lowood, the little girl witnesses the coldness of the world, tastes to the full the bitterness of life and receives unfair treatment. Though she is under adverse circumstances, she cultivates good habits and becomes strong-minded and forms the spirit of revolt. She hates the dark and empty world, which makes her decide to challenge the unfair

南阳师范学院本科毕业论文

society. She is determined to depend on her own power to embark her new life. Resolutely she resigns her post as a teacher at Logwood and leaves for Thronfield, and then she becomes a governess there. Now, let’s listen to her voice from her inner world, ―the real world is wide, and a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaits those who have courage to go forth into its expanse, to seek real knowledge of life amidst its perils.‖ [6:258]

When she first comes to Thornfield, she uses a reserved manner to defend herself, but she is neither haughty nor humble. And she seldom exposes her inner world, but she is ready for defending against the coming attack at any moment.

When Jane is asked to change her frock and wear a brooch to meet Mr. Rochester she feels uncomfortable and she thinks it is a trial to appear so formally summoned in Mr. Rochester’s presence. When she is received in impatient yet formal tone, she feels quite disembarrassed. In her opinion, a reception of finished politeness would probably have confused her and she would not have returned or repaid it by answering grace and elegance on her part; but hash caprice lays her under no obligation.

From her thought, we can see that Jane Eyre hopes everyone is equal. She does not think she is only a governess, who has low social position; she does not think she is only a paid subordinate who should be obedient and humble; she does not like to pretend to be polite or elegant but for the sake of politeness, maybe she should have behaved in an affected way. However, just as she is natural and at ease, she wins the appreciation of Mr. Rochester.

The Immortal Image of Jane Eyre

Mr. Rochester, who is nearly forty years old, is neither tall nor graceful. He seems rude, cold and insolent at first. He almost dislikes everyone and everything. The reason why he feels great enmity towards the society is that he is cheated many times.

One example is his marriage. His father and brother join in the plot against him, so that they can get the thirty thousand pounds. They let Rochester marry the daughter of a West Indian planter, even though they know the bride’s mother is mad and her brother is a complete dumb idiot and the bride will be mad in the future too. Rochester is totally a prey of the family benefit, and his marriage betrays his youth and hope.

He realizes that he will never have a quiet or settled household. He goes to Europe, trying to seek and find a good and intelligent woman, whom he can love, but he does in vain, so he tries dissipation, but all the women, whom he meets are either unprincipled and violent or mindless and inexpressible, although all of them are very beautiful, including Miss Ingram, a noble and prefect woman in many people’s eyes, who seems to love Mr. Rochester, in fact, she only loves his station and wealth.

For ten years long, Rochester coves about one capital after another. He knows many women, but no one is the right person he wants to ask to marry. During those years, he tries companionship of mistress. He is gross, impure, and depraved. Until the presence of Jane Eyre, who is a pleasurable illumination to him, his life begins to change and his spirit follows on willing wings the flight of hope up and on to an ideal heaven.

They fall in love, though one is a poor governess who has low social position while the other is a wealthy gentleman, who is respected by all

南阳师范学院本科毕业论文

people; though rank and wealth serve them widely, just as Jane Eyre says to herself, ―I have something in my brain and heart, in my blood and nerves, that assimilates me mentally to him.‖ [6:259]

Then what are their assimilations? The answer is that both of them hate the hypocritical high society. When Jane Eyre is at Gateshead, everyone treats her unfairly. Her aunt locks her in the red-room; her cousin often abuses her and gives her a blow without a reason; even the servants have an antipathy to her. Then she is sent to Lowood, a charitable concern, where she also suffers a lot. Having gone through these misfortunes, she has hatred towards the high society and forms a strong sense of self-reliance and the spirit of revolt.

The same unfortunate person is Mr. Rochester. Though he is rich, his mad wife makes him live in the hell, the bottomless pit. Wandering in Europe, he goes through different social circles and meets many beautiful women, but his heart is dried up and scorched and needs living blood, his being longs for renewal and his soul thirsts for a pure draught. Because in the high society, all the people intrigue against each other, resorting to deception and fraud. A useless, roving and lonely life corrodes with disappointment, which makes him hate all, disgust all, and refuse all.

But no matter how many misfortunes they go through, they still long for a new life, they never give up the hope of change, they still try to create the life they want. That is the basic common point—the love of life. They treat each other open-heartedly and equally. Jane never belittles herself. At the beginning, Mr. Rochester thinks he has the right to be a little masterful, abrupt or exacting, because he is older than Jane. But Jane disagrees with

The Immortal Image of Jane Eyre

him; she says that whether he has the right to claim to superiority depends on the use he has made of his time and experience.

From Jane’s attitude, we can see her views on interpersonal relationships, that is, everyone is equal. She does not care that Mr. Rochester is rich and she is poor; he is the master and she is the governess, a paid subordinate. In her eyes, they are equal individuals. Mr. Rochester treats her equally too. Though at first he puts his request in an absurd, almost insolent form, soon after that, he designs an explanation, almost an apology, he even inquires whether or not Jane is piqued and hurt by his orders; he sincerely says that he doesn’t wish to treat her like an inferior. So, both of them treat each other equally [2:106].

On the basis of equality, two hearts that have countless traumas gradually come together: They recount their worries and difficulties to each other, open their hearts to each other and depend on each other. They fall in love regardless of the inequality on the age, wealth and social position. Their love begins with equal treatment, and develops with sincere and equal treatment. That is why they marry and live a happy life at the end of the story.

In the process of communication, through Mr. Rochester’s sadness, stubborn and intractable attitude, Jane sharply feels his sincere, good and honest heart; through Jane’s plain appearance and slight figure, Rochester clearly sees her rich and different inner world and her pure heart. Because of the strong love, Jane bravely breaks the bandage of family status, and makes a great challenge to the high society, to the secular prejudice and the traditional system of marriage. In Jane’s opinion, love is equal, which is

南阳师范学院本科毕业论文

first and the foremost standard of choosing a husband. Mr. Rochester and she are totally equal and both of them have the right to love and to be loved. ―Just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal, as we are!‖ [6:246]. Every word is sharp and stern and has deep thought. This is not only the standard of choosing a husband, but also the standard of acting as human beings. It is equality and mutual respect that make them come together, and it is her courage and spirit of revolt that help her win equality. In a word, self-respect and rebellious spirit is the spring, from which flow her courage, confidence and power. Without these two qualities, love cannot exit or last.

3. Conclusion

All in above, Jane Eyre’s character, personality, spirits, sentiments and behavior are not reflected through abstract conception, but are shown by concrete environments, events and detailed descriptions. Jane’s immortal image is quite different from other women portrayed by some writers at Charlotte’s time. Jane Eyre has outstanding personality and great vitality in the constant strife for the liberation of individuality. So through her life, disobedience and pursuit are her whole life. She shouts for protecting human dignity and personality. She accuses of the capital system which tramples and cruelly hurts people’s lives. She puts forward a basic social problem, the problem of human value. And with her special beauty attracting Rochester, Jane oversteps the strikes on her humble status and destiny and obtains economic independence and perfect love, even the most

The Immortal Image of Jane Eyre

important of all, the victory for the liberation of individuality. Her female consciousness and rebellious character expresses seriously and attacks the oppression of women at that time. The successful character, Jane, is one typical representative of women’s liberation. The success of Jane’s image lies in the harmonious unity of Jane’s female consciousness and her rebellious character.

南阳师范学院本科毕业论文

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