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Abstract: Jane’s religion choice was enlightened through Bronte’s artistic comparison, by which makes little Jane change from an innocent girl into a penetrating Christian woman.
Key words: comparison, religion, environment, children and adult
As for Charlotte Bronte, born in a poor country clergyman family in 1816.her childhood may be the prototype of Jane’s. Bronte was sent to a cherish boarding school only aiming at adopting clergies’orphans at 8 years old, which due to her mother’s death. Where she got orthodox Christian education, however, with her father’s influence as a clergyman of Wesley, she became a Protestant instead of a traditional Christian. Now look back to her work, Bronte enlightens such a young girl in only nine chapters by a persuasive and nature method.
Facing with Jane’s childhood, we can easily find out that there are so many contradictions existing around her. Let’s consider about Bronte’s art of comparison in this part.
Environments
In Jane’s childhood, there are two places offered by Bronte as her homes. One is her aunt’s- Mrs. Reed’s Gateshead Hall, while the other is Mr. Brecklehurst’s cherish school Lowood. In Gateshead which is filled with mean, greedy and hypocritical people, Jane lived in the nursery with vassalages. She was not allowed to stay with other children nor read books. Her families looked down her, laughed at her, and took corporal punishments on her. In such a greedy atmosphere, she became a girl with turbulent impulse of nature, and she experienced piled of sufferings. So she didn’t get enlightenment, when facing with these difficulties, she chose to revenge. At last it dawned on Jane that the school would be a complete change: it implied a long journey, an entire separation from Gateshead, an entrance into a new life. And there came the Lowood.
Lowood is quite different from Gateshead, where Jane lived equally with other girls. Although she was required to obey community rules, recite Bible to learn to live like a Christian, learn French, geography, history, music, painting and so forth., all these lectures help Jane to take her first step to know more about Christian and the outer world, and it is at that time that Jane become to develop into a penetrating and thoughtful person. Compared with Gateshead, in Lowood, Jane has more freedom and dignity. From Jane’s perspective, she would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations for Gateshead and its daily luxuries. We can safely draw a conclusion that this comparison between the two environments suggests that Jane came to like the Christian surroundings there. Children
In Jane’s childhood, there are several children gradually appeared around her and influenced her. Among them, a girl named Helen Bums influenced Jane’s religion choice and her whole life.
Firstly, Helen is compared with Jane’s cousins: Eliza, John and Georgiana. Jane was always abused and beat cruelly by them, but Jane despises her cousins for their fatuous, self-centered, propensity for saving and so on. She’d like to revolt them. But when it came to Helen, Jane found out that this girl was quite different from her cousins. Jane was touched by Helen’s occupation at first sight. Helen was a meek, learned and sympathetic girl. This difference inspired Jane to get more close to the Christian girl, and at the same time she is getting closer to the Christian spirits.
Secondly, Helen is compared with Mary Ann Wilson. Mary Ann was Jane’s companion when Helen was ill. But Mary Ann was just a normal child. Compared with Helen, she just could satisfy Jane’s curiosity, while Helen could teach her a lot. This suggests that Jane started to realize that Christian spirits is very worth for her life. The word “Resurgam” inscribed on Helen’s tablet suggested her Christian spirits would last on Jane.
Thirdly, Helen is compared with Jane Eyre herself. Once when Jane was in Gateshead Hall, we have seen her desire for revolting and revenging. But after several times she saw Helen’s reaction towards unequally punishments, she started to learn to reflect on herself. At first, Jane just didn’t understand Helen’s quietness, and imagined if it was herself, she would resist and revolt the unequal treatment. But later Helen told her, it would be her duty to bear the sufferings, if she could not avoid it and it was not violence that best overcomes hate or vengeance that most certainly heals injury. Finally, Jane was punished. But at this time, Jane imparted strength in the transit. Through this comparison, it inferred that Jane first encounter the light of the ‘Christian spirit ’from her peers and do her utmost to pursue it.
Adults
In Jane’s childhood, Bronte portrays some sheer different adults to influence her religion enlightenment. She set up the comparison to let Jane tell what is right and worthy to learn.
All the adults are Christian, but obviously Miss Temple is the soul idol of little Jane. Comparing with Mrs. Read’s cruelty and Mr. Brocklehurst’s acerbity, Miss Temple is harmonious, restraining and warm-hearted. These qualities are just what Christian spirits inspire its followers to have. Miss Temple’s grave countenance and bearing erect first impressed Jane a lot. Jane regarded Miss Temple as her mother, governess and latterly companion. Just as Jane said, “I owed the best part of my acquirements to Miss Temple’s instruction.” She behaved herself to be her disciple. It can be easily found out that Jane inherits Miss Temple’s Christian behaviors in her later life. And from this comparison, we can all in all that Jane finds a very close association with the Christian, and this is when she start to consider about taking Christian as her religion faith during the whole life.
Thanks to Charlotte’s art expression of comparison in this work, Jane tries to tell the right from the wrong by comparing her surroundings and people. While she builds up and perfects her religion faith step by step, she grows from an innocent, self-welled and testy girl to a self-restraint, faithful and mature woman. All the changes leads back to her religion choice, and it also results her special characters, fate and one of the most famous literature works in England named Jane Eyre.
Reference:
[1]Bronte,Charlotte.1847.Jane Eyre.London.Smith,Elder&Co. M．H. Abrams. The mirror and the Lamp Oxford University press.1953,reprint 1980.
Key words: comparison, religion, environment, children and adult
As for Charlotte Bronte, born in a poor country clergyman family in 1816.her childhood may be the prototype of Jane’s. Bronte was sent to a cherish boarding school only aiming at adopting clergies’orphans at 8 years old, which due to her mother’s death. Where she got orthodox Christian education, however, with her father’s influence as a clergyman of Wesley, she became a Protestant instead of a traditional Christian. Now look back to her work, Bronte enlightens such a young girl in only nine chapters by a persuasive and nature method.
Facing with Jane’s childhood, we can easily find out that there are so many contradictions existing around her. Let’s consider about Bronte’s art of comparison in this part.
Environments
In Jane’s childhood, there are two places offered by Bronte as her homes. One is her aunt’s- Mrs. Reed’s Gateshead Hall, while the other is Mr. Brecklehurst’s cherish school Lowood. In Gateshead which is filled with mean, greedy and hypocritical people, Jane lived in the nursery with vassalages. She was not allowed to stay with other children nor read books. Her families looked down her, laughed at her, and took corporal punishments on her. In such a greedy atmosphere, she became a girl with turbulent impulse of nature, and she experienced piled of sufferings. So she didn’t get enlightenment, when facing with these difficulties, she chose to revenge. At last it dawned on Jane that the school would be a complete change: it implied a long journey, an entire separation from Gateshead, an entrance into a new life. And there came the Lowood.
Lowood is quite different from Gateshead, where Jane lived equally with other girls. Although she was required to obey community rules, recite Bible to learn to live like a Christian, learn French, geography, history, music, painting and so forth., all these lectures help Jane to take her first step to know more about Christian and the outer world, and it is at that time that Jane become to develop into a penetrating and thoughtful person. Compared with Gateshead, in Lowood, Jane has more freedom and dignity. From Jane’s perspective, she would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations for Gateshead and its daily luxuries. We can safely draw a conclusion that this comparison between the two environments suggests that Jane came to like the Christian surroundings there. Children
In Jane’s childhood, there are several children gradually appeared around her and influenced her. Among them, a girl named Helen Bums influenced Jane’s religion choice and her whole life.
Firstly, Helen is compared with Jane’s cousins: Eliza, John and Georgiana. Jane was always abused and beat cruelly by them, but Jane despises her cousins for their fatuous, self-centered, propensity for saving and so on. She’d like to revolt them. But when it came to Helen, Jane found out that this girl was quite different from her cousins. Jane was touched by Helen’s occupation at first sight. Helen was a meek, learned and sympathetic girl. This difference inspired Jane to get more close to the Christian girl, and at the same time she is getting closer to the Christian spirits.
Secondly, Helen is compared with Mary Ann Wilson. Mary Ann was Jane’s companion when Helen was ill. But Mary Ann was just a normal child. Compared with Helen, she just could satisfy Jane’s curiosity, while Helen could teach her a lot. This suggests that Jane started to realize that Christian spirits is very worth for her life. The word “Resurgam” inscribed on Helen’s tablet suggested her Christian spirits would last on Jane.
Thirdly, Helen is compared with Jane Eyre herself. Once when Jane was in Gateshead Hall, we have seen her desire for revolting and revenging. But after several times she saw Helen’s reaction towards unequally punishments, she started to learn to reflect on herself. At first, Jane just didn’t understand Helen’s quietness, and imagined if it was herself, she would resist and revolt the unequal treatment. But later Helen told her, it would be her duty to bear the sufferings, if she could not avoid it and it was not violence that best overcomes hate or vengeance that most certainly heals injury. Finally, Jane was punished. But at this time, Jane imparted strength in the transit. Through this comparison, it inferred that Jane first encounter the light of the ‘Christian spirit ’from her peers and do her utmost to pursue it.
Adults
In Jane’s childhood, Bronte portrays some sheer different adults to influence her religion enlightenment. She set up the comparison to let Jane tell what is right and worthy to learn.
All the adults are Christian, but obviously Miss Temple is the soul idol of little Jane. Comparing with Mrs. Read’s cruelty and Mr. Brocklehurst’s acerbity, Miss Temple is harmonious, restraining and warm-hearted. These qualities are just what Christian spirits inspire its followers to have. Miss Temple’s grave countenance and bearing erect first impressed Jane a lot. Jane regarded Miss Temple as her mother, governess and latterly companion. Just as Jane said, “I owed the best part of my acquirements to Miss Temple’s instruction.” She behaved herself to be her disciple. It can be easily found out that Jane inherits Miss Temple’s Christian behaviors in her later life. And from this comparison, we can all in all that Jane finds a very close association with the Christian, and this is when she start to consider about taking Christian as her religion faith during the whole life.
Thanks to Charlotte’s art expression of comparison in this work, Jane tries to tell the right from the wrong by comparing her surroundings and people. While she builds up and perfects her religion faith step by step, she grows from an innocent, self-welled and testy girl to a self-restraint, faithful and mature woman. All the changes leads back to her religion choice, and it also results her special characters, fate and one of the most famous literature works in England named Jane Eyre.
Reference:
[1]Bronte,Charlotte.1847.Jane Eyre.London.Smith,Elder&Co. M．H. Abrams. The mirror and the Lamp Oxford University press.1953,reprint 1980.