Connection (pt.2)

"'A part of me you must become' he answered steadily; 'otherwise the whole bargain is void. How can I, a man not yet thirty, take out with me to India a girl of nineteen, unless she be married to me? How can we be for ever together - sometimes in solitudes, sometimes amidst savage tribes - and unwed?'" (415). 

One aspect of social class is also gender. Typically, women are viewed as inferior to men socially and in need of protection because of views instilled during childhood. This quote is St. John speaking to Jane about why she cannot come to India with him because it was scandalous to  have an unmarried man and woman travel together as equal partners. Despite many years passing since Jane Eyre's publication, this idea is still widely held true. If a young  woman were to travel somewhere dangerous to spread an idea that may be fought against, it is difficult to see an older man who's travelling with her as an equal, because he will most likely be seen as her protector, and therefore on a different level socially than her. 

Allusion (pt.2)

"'It is time some one undertook to rehumanize you,' I said, parting his thick and long uncut locks: 'for I see you are being metamorphosed into a lion, or something of that sort. You have a 'faux air' of Nebuchadnezzar in the fields about you, that is certain: your hair reminds me of eagles' feathers; whether your nails are grown like birds' claws or not I have not yet noticed"(443-44).

 While speaking to Mr. Rochester after returning to him, Jane relates Mr. Rochester's appearance to that of the biblical king, Nebuchadnezzar. In the biblical story of Nebuchadnezzar, God punishes Nebuchadnezzar after refusing to stop sinning by giving him the mindset of an animal, in response to a dream he had. After this dream, he spent seven years in the wilderness, until he was humbled and became a good king ("Nebuchadnezzar). Mr. Rochester's story parallels that of Nebuchadnezzar's because after the fire, he was reduced to a blind, decrepit man, who lost a great deal of his wealth in Thornfield Manor. He is no longer as arrogant as he used to be and seems to accept this loss of social status by marrying Jane quietly as planned.

Works Cited:
"Nebuchadnezzar." Aboutbibleprophecy.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 2 May 2013.

Connections

"'The fact is, once and for all, I don't wish to treat you like an inferior: that is I claim only such superiority as much result from twenty years' difference in age, and a century's advance in experience'" (135). 

 Similar to wealth, family name, and gender, age is also something that can provide people a reason to claim social superiority over others. In this quote, Mr. Rochester is speaking to Jane about how he wishes to treat her like an equal, however because he is older and wiser, he cannot. Being a younger sister, and having a job in which time spent there is integral to how superior you are to other employees, the number of years people claim can be important in raising yourself above others. Older siblings can often claim superiority over younger siblings, not only because they've lived for longer than the younger siblings have, but also because the older siblings know more than the younger siblings do during the time that they are in school. At work, if an employee has been working there for longer than another employee, the former usually knows how to do more things than the latter, allowing the employee who has worked there for longer to raise themselves above the newer employee because they are supposedly inferior.  

Diction (pt.2)

"It is a fine thing, reader, to be lifted in a moment from indigence to wealth - a very fine thing: but not a matter one can comprehend, or consequently enjoy, all at once" (388). 

In many instances, people can be liberated from their lower social class by way of inheriting a  large sum of money, whether from hard work, or relatives - this is the matter in Jane's case.  This quote is Jane's reaction to St. John telling her that she inherited a sum of £20,000 from her dead relative, whom she never got the chance to see before he died. The main feeling of this quote is a feeling of happiness but also a feeling of not understanding the gravity of what happened yet. Words such as "fine", "lifted", and "enjoy" all would indicate the feeling of happiness from being raised from a lower social class. However, Jane soon contradicts this, stating that although it is a good thing, she does not understand how this event will change her life.

Diction

"Some say there is enjoyment in looking back to painful experience past; but at this day I can scarcely bear to review the times to which I allude: the moral degradation, blent with the physical suffering, form too distressing a recollection ever to be willingly dwelt on. I blamed none who repulsed me"(334). 

The diction in this quote vividly paints a picture of how unpleasant and horrible her time as a beggar was after leaving the safety and comfort of Mr. Rochester's manor. Her word choice displays not only how society felt about her begging but also how she felt herself about being a beggar. Despite belonging to the lower social classes for the majority of her life, Jane had never been so low as to beg for food and jobs, lowering her social status to the lowest it could possibly be. Words such as "painful", "degradation", "suffering", "distressing", and "repulsed" display how terrible her time as a beggar was, and help create a hopeless and sad picture. Most of her suffering was at the hands of others, however, Jane's view also points to the way in which society viewed vagrants, having only been a beggar at that time in her life.

Allusions

"'Now, King Ahasuerus! What do I want with half your estate? Do you think I am a Jew-userer, seeking good investment in land? I would much rather have all your confidence. You will not exclude me from your confidence, if you admit me to your heart?'"(266). 

This quote alludes to the biblical story of King Ahasuerus, or King Xerxes, in the book of Esther. He was the king of Persia, who lives in relative splendor compared to the lives of the suffering Jews. In the bible, King Ahasuerus decides to marry another woman because his wife was disobedient, and corals all of the beautiful women of the area to his palace. Among them is Esther, a poor Jewish girl, who he picks as his wife ("Men of the Purim Story"). This allusion is relevant to the story of Jane and Mr. Rochester because they both the social differences between the two of them, however it is evident that Mr. Rochester doesn't care. Much like King Ahasuerus, Mr. Rochester is too deeply in love for social caste to matter.

Works Cited:
"Men of the Purim Story." About.com Judaism. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2013.

Theme: Social Class (pt.2)

 "'I would carry to you the square of un-embroidered blond I had myself prepared as a covering for my low-born head, and ask if that was not good enough for a woman who could bring her husband neither fortune, beauty, nor connections'"(

This quote displays Jane's questioning of Mr. Rochester's motives for marrying her, because she knows that socially, Jane can bring him nothing. In this quote, Jane is speaking to Mr. Rochester about the lavish and expensive veil that he just bought her. Jane is making fun of Mr. Rochester's standards as a man of a higher social class in comparison to her standards as a member of a lower social class. Jane is also pointing out the social differences between them because at this time, marriage usually wasn't done for love, but rather for gaining wealth and connections. Jane is aware that her only connections are with two cousins (at this point she was unaware of Diana, Mary, and St. John), and that her only source of pay was him.

Characterization: Blanche Ingram (pt.2)

"'No,' I heard her say: 'She [Jane] looks too stupid for any game of the sort'"(185).

This second quote occurs a couple weeks after Blanche first states her opinion of governesses to Mr. Rochester. Miss Ingram says this to Mr. Rochester after proposing to invite Jane to play in the tableaux game Mr. Rochester and his rich friends were going to play. She still loudly proclaims her dislike for Jane, if not in a more obvious way this time. Her haughty words are evident of her prejudices against the poor and especially Jane. Her character is described my Mr. Rochester as being similar to a robot, emotionless, and only motivated by money and status. This is ironic because her character is not only flat to readers, but to other characters in the novel.

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to my blog! While reading Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, something that especially stood out to me was the role that social classes played in the interaction between the characters. The main character, Jane Eyre, belongs to arguably one of the lowest social classes in Britain, at the time: when she was little, she was an orphan, poor and a woman. Her social role remains the same for most of the novel, and as a servant for the rich bachelor Mr. Rochester, she encounters many people who are above her socially. These interactions between her and the rich form the basis of the social critique that takes place in the novel. This blog will be exploring these interactions and how they show the theme of social conflict and the characterization of flat and round characters. This blog will also be analyzing how allusions and diction show these social discrepancies, and will also include a few interactions connect to the 'real world'.  

Characterization: Blanche Ingram

"You should hear mama on the chapter of governesses: Mary and I have had, I should think, a dozen at least in our day; half of them detestable and the rest ridiculous, and all incubi - were they not, mama?"(179).

The character of Blanche Ingram is flat because some of the most notable qualities about her is her disdain for those below her and her haughtiness. This quote is Blanche Ingram speaking to Mr. Rochester on the topic of governesses, and how it would be financially responsible to send Adèle to school, rather than have a governess. Blanche believes that because all governesses during her childhood were supposedly less than moral or unlikable, all will be. While Blanche is saying this to Mr. Rochester, Jane is sitting within hearing range of the couple, however, it doesn't stop Blanche from saying it anyways. Her haughtiness associated with her class is something taught to her by her mother, shown by her asking her mother for confirmation of her beliefs. Another notable fact is that of a dozen governesses that Blanche and Mary had as children, none were remotely likable. Her mother's agreement with Blanche about governesses being horrible shows that this prejudice exists between the two, and possibly Mary.

Theme: Social Conflict

"'Leah is a nice girl to be sure, and John and his wife are very decent people; but then you see they are only servants, and one can't converse with them on terms of equality: one must keep them at due distance, for fear of losing one's authority'"(98).

Social differences among different social classes is a theme that is very prevalent in Jane Eyre. This quote is Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall, speaking to Jane about the social differences between the residents of the hall. Mrs. Fairfax is describing her social class, relative to the other servants, and her feeling as though she is unable to talk to them because she is not on the same level socially as they are. Instead of finding company with the other servants, she instead wallows in her loneliness in fear of losing the ability to continue to manage her servants. Initially, Jane believes that Mrs. Fairfax is the owner of Thornfield Hall, and therefore her beliefs believable and understandable; however, Jane soon discovers that Mrs. Fairfax is not the owner, and in fact the manager of the household, making her only slightly above the other servants. Her placing such great importance on the social level of her fellow servants and refusing to speak to them jovially demonstrates the significance social class plays in Mrs. Fairfax's mind.