Jane Eyre - Chapters 1-3:
The first thing to capture my attention in Charlotte Bronte's novel was the character behavioral paradox that is portrayed in the young Jane Eyre. It begins with her life at Gateshead Hall. Jane is simply attempting to read a book while hiding behind a window curtain, when her cousin, John, finds her, reprimands her, and advises her she has no right to read. John reminds Jane that she is just an orphan, dependent upon his family. Jane has long endured abuse from this family, but Jane is not thwarted. She hides to pursue her love of books and learning and to stay sane amidst the cruelty. This shows a sign of Jane's determination, intelligence and keen cleverness. On the inside, Jane is bright, witty, curious, observant, but also is perpetually nervous amidst her surroundings. Jane demonstrates her intellect, observance and perceptivity in how she describes almost everything in great detail throughout the novel, down to the colors, fabrics, window dressings, and even the feelings a certain room emits or transfers to her mind. On the outside, however, she is, at least at first, found to be cautious, plain, reserved, and she depicts an introverted nature. However, soon to be discovered in the story, Jane has been "trained" to behave this way outwardly, due to her cousin's and her Aunt, Mrs. Reed's, cruelty towards her. They are quite abusive, unkind, and contemptuous toward Jane, as is seen several times throughout these first chapters. In the beginning, Jane describes how the family, especially her "benefactress," Mrs. Reed, accuse her of being a liar, and also being rude, selfish, naughty, etc., when, in reality, it is all of Mrs. Reed's own children that hurt people, animals, one another, and who are spoiled, selfish, liars, and who possess many other dreadful characteristics. Even with their mischief, the Reed children never seem to get in trouble for any of their actions, and Jane seems to get the brunt of all inquiry and resulting punishment. This situation caused me to wonder if perhaps the Reeds, whether consciously or unconsciously, direct their unhappiness with their own circumstances onto Jane. Perhaps Mrs. Reed does not wish to find fault with her own children or accept their wrongdoings, so Jane has become the target of her contempt. It seems the Reed children have also learned, through their mother's actions, that Jane Eyre is an easy scapegoat, someone they can menace to relieve their own wretched state of unhappiness.
I found it very interesting how such a huge part of the novel and insight into Jane's life at this point is established with little preamble at the outset of the book. Bronte invites us into the red-room, which at first appears as only a small fraction of Jane's abuse, but later, as Mr. Lloyd - the Apothecary - comes to their home, it is revealed that Jane's present state of health is far worse than the reader, and even the Reed's, had assumed. Life with the Reeds, and particularly the red room, becomes a scarring memory for Jane for the rest of her life. She references the experiences there multiple times as the novel continues. Jane cites the red room as one of the reasons Mrs. Reed was such an awful woman. Her experiences with her "Benefactress" and cousins become the underpinning for her comparison to each and every trial she undertakes moving forward. She compares future experiences of trial and grief to those horrific memories. I predict, however, that at some point these experiences may begin to also be memories Jane compares not only with hard times, but also with new and more positive beginnings in her life. Mr. Lloyd's arrival and willingness to listen presented a gateway for Jane to express her familial abuse and at least partially begin to alleviate her pain. Lloyd then pities her and suggests she be sent to school, due to the "need for a change of scenery".
Although Jane has few friends and allies, the stable and constant ones she has gained in these early chapters are Mr. Lloyd, the Apothecary, and Bessie, the nursemaid. Mr. Lloyd is a level-headed, unchanging character who appears to pull for Jane right from the moment he comes in contact with her, seeing the condition of her health and the sorrow in her current living state. Bessie, however, is a dynamic character that, in my opinion, is quite confusing and contrary. She appears to be someone who values Jane's feelings and well-being when no one else is around, but her attitude and demeanor change as soon as the rest of the family are in the vicinity. Bessie may have had to behave this way in order to keep her job as Mrs. Reed's nursemaid. However irresolute, Bessie really was the person who inspired Jane and gave her a fervent desire to become more than she was at Gateshead Hall. Bessie did this by telling Jane stories, reading to her, reminding her of her worth and intelligent nature, and by befriending her, when no one else considered her anything more than a nuisance and a delinquent. I believe that, throughout the remainder of Jane's life, Bessie's words and short time spent in her life will remain an inspiration and a driver for Jane. It will provide motivation for Jane to keep going, pursue something greater in her life, and push through the hard times, even when she feels as though she no longer can.
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