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Post by reshmabelur on Nov 17, 2015 0:53:47 GMT
In class today, we discussed many societal extremes and the spectrums that are thereby formed. Many such interesting dichotomies exist in the novel Jane Eyre. One compelling overlap of dichotomies is the contrast between pure vs. tainted and affluent vs. destitute. Bertha Mason comes from immense wealth and status while Jane is only a lowly governess in the beginning of the novel. Jane is also considered dainty and innocent while Mason is considered corrupt and "fallen". There seems to be a negative connotation attached to wealth as Bertha Mason, Blanche Ingram, and Mr. Rochester all have undesirable qualities that tarnish their character. Jane, however, maintains her pure character and modest lifestyle by sharing her inheritance with her cousins and decreasing her sum considerably.St. John and his sisters each have characteristics attached to modesty and intelligence. Despite their initial dire financial situation, the family remains generous and allows Jane into their home. The ideas of modesty in the personal as well as material sense seem to be interconnected.
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Post by joshualiu on Nov 17, 2015 22:38:51 GMT
Reshma, I liked the way you related wealth with character. Another dichotomy that's associated with status and wealth is religion. The few characters that attempt at having a faith in God are linked to being more pure, but also more poor. Jane and St. John, along with her two cousins, Diana and Mary, are seen to be content with what little they have. They also show characteristics more similar to purity and self-sacrifice, and less fallen or animalistic. On the opposite side, Rochester, Bertha, Aunt Reed, and cousin John are seen to care little about religion, show more characteristics of being wild and selfish, and have more wealth. Rochester and Bertha both give in to their desires and marry out of wild lust, rather than true love. Aunt Reed and John are unfair and uncaring to Jane, and they treat her with disdain. Bronte may be associating religion with wealth and purity as well.
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Post by reshmabelur on Nov 19, 2015 22:56:48 GMT
Josh- one character that does not fall into this dichotomy is Brocklehurst. Although devoutly Christian, he has an overall negative impact on Jane's life and detracts from her experience at Lowood. What could explain this anomaly? Also what do you think Eliza's reasoning was to join the convent? She was previously infatuated with money yet she transitioned into a career of devotion. I do agree that almost all other religious characters are given an aura of generosity and kindness.
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Post by harleen5 on Nov 20, 2015 1:53:16 GMT
Reshma, to answer your question, I feel that the religious characters in the novel all had their own take on what religion meant to them. For example, St. John believed in selfless devotion to helping others. Yet Mr. Brocklehurst was a bit hypocritical, as he wished that the girls gave up all luxuries in life, but he himself was rich. Because of this contrast between what he preaches and what he practices, Brocklehurst ends up having a negative impact on Jane.
As far as Eliza joining the convent, I believe that she became jealous of all the attention her beautiful sister Georgiana received. Disappointed in herself, Eliza emotionally cut herself off from the world and became a nun.
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amyyu
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Post by amyyu on Nov 21, 2015 16:10:24 GMT
Josh, I agree with what you said about the contrast of people who have a faith in God and those who could care less about religion. As for Reshma's question, even though Brocklehurst constantly refers to religion to the girls at Lowood, he wasn't a true believer and Christian because he preached one idea at Lowood while doing the exact opposite when it came to the lives of his wife and daughters. He used religion incorrectly and was corrupt in his methods of running the school. He proposed a plain life without any luxuries for the girls at Lowood and told them that this was the life they needed to live in order to avoid going to hell. However, Brocklehurst was a hypocrite when it came to religion and showered the women in his family with expensive dresses and material items. He was so corrupt that he used the money that was donated to Lowood for his own family's expenses rather than using it properly for good quality food and clothing for the girls at Lowood. This shows how Brocklehurst is not a true Christian and how his hypocrisy explains the anomaly in the dichotomy between religious and non-religious characters in the novel.
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Post by colleenstrohlein on Nov 21, 2015 20:54:28 GMT
Reshma, referring back to your original post one other corresponding attribute to wealth versus poverty is beauty. Bertha Mason, Georgina, and Blanche Ingram are all beautiful, but their personalities are lacking. In the end, none of these characters end up happy or loved. The fact that the characters that had money and beauty and even initial high social class never find contentment is a clear indicator that Bronte wanted to break the stereotypes of angels and monsters, and helps to convey the message that there is no such thing as perfection.
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