What a ending!

Well I new the whole time that Jane was always going to get back with Mr. Rochester, but I never thought that Mr. Rochester could have his life get so screwed up. I feel pretty terrible for him getting his hand burnt and going blind. This is his entire fault though he kept his crazy wife up in his attic when he should have put her in an institution. If he had done this he would have not gotten so injured. At the same time I can see this being a punishment for Mr. Rochester for not telling Jane the whole truth. Well in the end I am glad to see that they got together and had a family.

Questions for the Ending

To me the end of the book created more questions than it answered.
Did Jane ever become and a man's equal? Did the book ever find a medium, a balance between men and women or is everything just brought together by some "natural force"? Was this "natural force" the reason that Jane could finally accept Rochester's proposal, or was it simply because he was physically weakened by a god's will? Why in the last hundred pages did god's will become such and evident part of the novel? Virtually it comes down to what was Bronte actually trying to say about feminism?
These questions are obviously the openers for different essays, but each seems so broad and can float in so many direction. It hard to focus your opinion in just one aspect of a question and support it all the way through. I feel as though the end of the novel contradicted everything that Jane stood for. She finally married, but was it really for love or just because Rochester was forced to depend on someone else due to his disabilities? These questions confuse me because at the same time I feel that Jane used different settings in her life to "island" herself away from society in order to become independent. It almost would have been more beneficial if Bronte would have had Jane independently thrive into old age, creating a contentedness between the reader and Jane. I can not make a strong stand point either way. I feel that it would be so much easier for me to write an entire essay about independence if Jane had never married Rochester, then the concluding argument could be about how a woman's happiness can be achieved without a man. At the same time, in 1847 Jane accomplished much for a woman during that era.
Again I am waffling and don't know which side to choose. The entire essence of God and Nature at the end also throws me through a loop and I don't want my essay to get to broad. Why is the garden of Eden so constantly re-iterated and why does Rochester and St. John's opinion about religion suddenly seem so vital?
All in all, I truly enjoyed reading this book, but it is a challenge to make even a substantial solid opinion for me about if feminism was portrayed in a negative or positive light.

Finally finished

Towards the end, the book got a little interesting. I enjoyed reading the passages about Jane's journey to find her one true lover. First we see the burnt and dead old building, possibly a clue(false) for Rochesters death, that sends Jane into panic mode. She is driven by her inner passion and races to find what becomes of her lover. By interrogating the innkeeper, Jane discovers the true story of the fates of Bertha, the house, and Rochester. I thought the story of Bertha's rampage was interesting. What could have caused such an outburst? I also think Jane wonders, and possibly feels guilty that, had she been there she would have stopped it. She had stopped it once before, but by leaving, had she condemed Rochester? Yes. Why, because after she finds him, there begins a rescuing process. She begins to take care of him, save him. Eventually his eyesight is restored, and Jane takes the place of his missing hand, feeling and touching for him. With Jane there, her condemnation is repent and Rochester is saved. Both of their lives are fulfilled and they live happily ever after. (Until Rochester dies, and widows Jane for many, many years.)

Another One Bites the Dust

Karma truly is on Jane’s side when John Reed dies. Not only was he a contamination of her childhood memories, but he apparently also was a failure as a business man and a provider for his family. The power-crazed boy with a cousin complex got what he deserved in my opinion, and good riddance. Next on the list: old auntie Reed. Not only is the woman completely senile, she’s robust, her children either are worthless or cynical, and she is barely tolerated by anyone. Props for Jane for having the backbone to deal with old quarrels, stare them in the face, and pity them for the useless wastes of emotions that they are. Jane certainly shows a great deal of self-reliance as well as independence and ability to remove herself emotionally from a difficult situation. In the end, Jane was the one that came out on top, no thanks to her worthless family relations, and above all else she need not regret anything and can safely close the chapter in her life.

Moonlight

There seems to be a connection between important events and occurrences in the plot, and the moon. Every time the moon is up, Jane encounters a problem, a rapid change in surroundings, etc. The moon is prevalent when Helen Burns dies, causing sadness to creep into Jane’s already pitiful life. The moon again makes an appearance when Rochester rides down the road, his horse slips on ice, and overall causes a graceful entry for Rochester into the story. He is a monumental character in Jane’s life, and whenever he and Jane are together the moon is usually present. Jane’s sketches or paintings from her portfolio include one of an eclipse and even one of a ship sailing through the half risen disc of the moon on the ocean. The moon again is present when the blood-curdling cry woke the visitors in the night, leading to the possibility of a vampire-werewolf character that snarls in the back room of the third story. Besides the moon itself, paganism vs. religion appears to be a repeating theme, enhanced by the moon’s apparitions. A strong connection to females in general is provided by the moon, or in pagan terms, the Triple Goddess a symbol of female fertility. This connection can double as a link back to “lunacy” and a degrading term for women who have lost their minds, apparently because of the female connection to the moon. It is easy to predict that the moon will continue to appear throughout the book, and that its presence means a turn in events or possibly a link to Jane’s femininity: either independence and madness or other.

Rochester

What is the deal with this character? He is so multi-faceted it is impossible to tell whether to love him or hate him. He is harsh, brusque, demanding, and abrasive to Jane, especially when they first meet each other; on the other hand, however, he is compassionate in his own way, intelligent, and accepting of Jane. The man takes in as a ward the daughter of a French fling gone awry, providing her with every happiness on one hand while degrading the child for her shallowness on his other hand. Rochester pretends to be other people while trying to trick information from the ones he inquires, through feigned ignorance, such as Jane’s first meeting with him, and especially when Rochester pretends to be the gypsy beggar. Even with these strange acts of his however, Rochester is in so many ways too sensitive to take a direct approach, which adds an endearing part to his character as well. The man is an enigma. It is no wonder Jane both admires him and keeps him at an arm’s length. A rather funny aspect of Rochester’s character that relates to me personally is his distaste for children. My favorite line by Rochester thus far would have to be: “I am not fond of the prattle of children…for, old bachelor as I am, I have no pleasant associations connected with their lisp. It would be intolerable to me to pass a whole evening tete-a-tete with a brat…”, ironic then that he even took in Adele in the first place, is it not? Another factor with Rochester is the challenge he provides Jane. He both degrades and appraises her, daring her to reject his ideals while at the same time demanding high work ethic. As far as the negative male influence in the novel goes, Rochester is the first male lead to be irritating, abrasive, and rude while not really distressing Jane or truly trying to make her compliant. It is a slight twist in the plot and theme.

Beauty

It seems that beauty as a feature added to scenery or characters inevitably leads to death and destruction in this book. Where the plain featured Jane is involved, it is like Beauty itself spits in her face constantly. First, beauty thrives in the presence of Georgiana and Jane’s lack thereof a true family; next, with the beautiful spring months in Lowood, when typhus fever breaks out. There is a particularly beautiful scene depicted on page 94 in which Jane watches the moon rise, enjoying its majesty in the presence of the fragrance of flowers and the calmness of dew on the ground. That same night, Helen Burns is announced to be dead by morning. Where ever beauty goes, death and despair follow. Through these subtle features added to characters or scenery, I believe Bronte is trying to put across the irrelevance of beauty in the matter of life and death. Helen Burns dies, but believes in the equality of souls in the afterlife, regardless of good or bad deeds, and Jane believes Helen beautiful from the inside. Even with the introduction to Mr. Rochester, Jane does not believe him a handsome man in the slightest, but he is attractive through his other qualities. In the scheme of life, and especially in this book, beauty is relative.

Lowood Institution

With the changing of scenery in the novel, my first thoughts are that Jane will finally find happiness in her life without having to live in fear of her “family”. But, when Lowood comes into the picture, my hopes for Jane were smashed instantly. The clothing is boring, the people and faces are drab, the personalities are beaten out of people, and the most fun provided to the students is sewing hour. Fantastic, more abuse provided for children of the 19th century. It makes me really grateful for our current school system established, and the amount of freedom for expression allowed in the 21st century. Another strong female character is introduced in these chapters: Helen Burns. She provides a stout heart and subtle friend/role model for Jane in her first weeks at Lowood. Something about Helen’s character portrays a martyr-esq. feeling, like she is taking the sufferings of everyone and channeling them up to God. It is very interesting when these two little girls start to discuss religion, relations, and just plain opinions. Both are very resolute for being so young, which seems both tragic and thrilling for character development.

A brief summary on Brocklehurst: he is an arrogant pompous ass, who not only is hypocritical but also clearly blind to the horrible attire provided for his family, and the distinctly ironic situation of poverty he forces upon the students of his school. What is the man thinking? This character is yet another blow to men in this novel.

Red Room

Alright, this scene is probably going to be a major one throughout the book to remember. The red covered walls, furniture, and deco in general is a bit creepy in itself. The room is excessive with a color that is loud and bright, but Bronte is describing it as cold and forgotten; the contradiction between the purpose of the room and the aura it gives off stands out completely. The Red room scene is one of close context to death for Jane. It’s like the room itself is smothering her; ironically, the room could represent a long forgotten memory of her uncle, but here again is the negative influence of the male presence on Jane’s character. With the red deco, and Jane’s love for enclosed spaces such as the curtain she hides behind from the first chapter, the Red room is like Jane’s personal hell: the death of her family, an overly enclosed space without escape, and red like hell fire surrounding and choking her. And as far as the seeing of ghosts is concerned, I would have screamed bloody murder too.

Beginning

The best part about this book so far is Jane’s random mentioning of exotic places and diverse cultures. I really enjoy when little images, such as Jane sitting “cross-legged, like a Turk”, or her love for stories involving Arabian tales. As a young girl, she seems very perceptive and sharp in the mind, which, as the protagonist, makes her interesting and refreshing. Jane appears to not tolerate a lot of crap, which is always entertaining for the reader. Yes, she deals with her cousin’s abusiveness, but only because she is afraid and unjustly accused of being wicked by her aunt. When Jane finally calls her aunt out for hypocrisy and for ruining her future chance for happiness, the manor in which she did it was perfect, and Jane seemed very mature for her age while she yelled at her aunt. I really enjoy reading about Jane’s skepticism with faith, especially the scene when the righteous Brocklehurst. Jane is a girl after my own heart telling the fanatic that if she’s going to go to hell, then she might as well live forever. It is enjoyable to see her character, and Jane’s already very developed mind, it will be interesting to view how she evolves as a protagonist. As for the other characters, John Reed is a complete waste of space and breathable air. What a jerk, I know Jane isn’t the most attractive girl in the household, but all of these punishments John deals out are abusive and uncalled for. Her family is harsh, her cousins spoiled rotten, and her aunt is a wicked witch. As far as family goes, Bronte seems to show a slight distaste and bitterness for it. The only character that shows affection is Bessie, and even her love is slightly strained. Also, the male characters are chaffing and usually a negative influence in Jane’s life, such as Brocklehurst and John. I wonder how that will shift and develop.

Pro-Jane

I like to think that Jane didn't succumb to the basic traditions of marriage and run back to Rochester simply because she wasn't strong or independent enough. I think she had the will and heart to live her life without the man she loves and she was willing to stick it through. however, what's the point of living life if you're not happy. Rochester fulfilled her heart, as well as her intellect and that's why she loves him. She's not frail and doesn't NEED him in her life, but he completes her and makes her feel whole. She had the heart to not succumb to her love when it wasn't morally correct (when Bertha was alive) and that shows her strengh and character. Though I don't much agree with what she believes, she stuck to it and I've got to give her props. Yay, Jane's happy