-
Essay / Jane Eyre's Personal Development Through Experience
Intelligent and self-aware as a child, the novel's protagonist, Jane Eyre, grows from an immature youth to a well-respected woman in learning from several different environments that test his character. . Jane must navigate society as she progresses from student to governess and teacher to her final position as wife. At the beginning of the novel, Jane is a passionate girl who acts on impulse, but as she grows, she learns when it is appropriate to speak her mind and when she should hold back. Jane learns to control and evaluate her emotions rather than acting fancifully; this process is defined by critic Suzanne Hader as "...long, arduous and gradual, composed of repeated clashes between the needs and desires of the protagonist, as well as the opinions and judgments imposed by an inflexible social order". The act of maturing is usually a struggle that goes against a person's nature. Jane, for example, is often hurt by a society that is relentless and full of obstacles. As Jane overcomes challenges, she begins to find her identity and finds herself in a permanent situation that she desires rather than a temporarily acceptable one. Jane's quest for identity reveals several aspects of her character that society deems unacceptable. Jane matures as a person, learning to act on her emotions and knowing when to contain them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Jane's actions and thoughts highlight her immaturity as a child while living in Gateshead and Lowood. While Jane is living with her adoptive family in Gateshead, she argues with her aunt, Mrs Reed, over a conversation her aunt had with the supervisor at Jane's new school. After Mr. Brocklehurst leaves, Jane aggressively scolds her aunt for misrepresenting her character to Mr. Brocklehurst. After Jane tells Mrs. Reed that she does not love her and wants to leave the house, Mrs. Reed solemnly leaves the room. Jane rejoices as she thinks to herself: “I was left there alone – winner of the pack…I stayed on the carpet for a while…I enjoyed the solitude of my conqueror” (45). As Mrs. Reed leaves the room, Jane feels a sense of pride as if she had won the argument; Jane deliberately caused Mrs. Reed to display what appeared to be regret and remorse. This “victory” is an example of Jane’s immaturity. Jane makes valid points regarding her treatment at Gateshead, which was abusive and vile, but her argument achieves no benefit and appears to hurt Mrs. Reed. Jane verbally abuses a woman who raised her alone as a child with the help of cleaners, and although Jane's stay in Gateshead was not always a pleasant experience, at least she did not has never been without food or shelter. Jane doesn't appreciate what she was given and instead scolds the person who kept her safe. Scolding Mrs. Reed hurt Jane in the long run because Mrs. Reed, later, refuses to deliver an important letter to Jane out of spite. It would have been better for Jane to control and contain her emotions in this particular situation. This act of passion was not the only one of its kind in Jane's youth. While Jane is at school in Lowood, her friend Helen Burns is beaten with a stick for forgetting to clean her nails. Helen is not angry because she says it helps her fix her faults, but Jane argues, "...If I [Jane] were in your shoes, I wouldn't like her...if she hit me with this rod, I would take it away from himof the hand; I should break it under his nose” (66). Jane doesn't commit an immature action during this scene but she does think about it. The teachers use questionably cruel methods to correct students, but this does not justify Jane's thoughts of retaliation through physical attacks. If Jane were to retaliate with the stick, it would undoubtedly get her in trouble or, potentially, get her kicked out of school, but she doesn't envisage that outcome. Jeanne, at this stage, does not know how to evaluate and control her emotions. Jane doesn't act on that thought like she had in the past, which is a step in the right direction, but she would have if she was the one who got hit. Jane's argument with Mrs. Reed and her theoretical plan for revolt demonstrate the maturity of her character. In both situations, Jane acts or considers acting based on raw emotions, without thinking about the repercussions. She needs to learn the difference between when it's okay to speak and act on how she feels and when it would be better to hold back her feelings. Jane is immature as a child, but as she goes through school, she begins to become a wiser and more mature person. Helen is another intelligent teenager who helps teach Jane to be more controlled. Helen understands why she is being punished and also helps Jane understand this act. Helen's maturity has a strong influence on Jane's character and guides her to become a more mature person. Although Jane acted immaturely as a child, it becomes evident that she matures through her pursuit of a desirable occupation as well as through her social interactions later in life. life. After being a student and teacher at Lowood, Jane becomes dissatisfied and longs to see the world. Jane introduces herself as a governess in the local paper and quickly receives a response, at which point she reflects: "This [potential employment] situation was satisfactory: a private fear haunted me, that in acting thus for myself...I I ran the risk of finding myself in a delicate situation” (105). Jane fears that this new opportunity could have a bad outcome, and as she follows her own instincts, she doesn't know if it's the right decision. Jane does not wish to put herself in an inadvisable and unfortunate situation, which is a rational and mature thought. In the past, Jane would have reacted spontaneously to her desire to leave Lowood in search of her calling, but Jane has matured and now knows that it is important to weigh the potential consequences of her decisions. After carefully considering the offer she has received, Jane decides to leave Lowood to reside in Thornfield, the location of her new position. Although Jane has shown signs of maturity, she has not yet gained full control of her emotions. While Jane lives in Thornfield, she is introduced to the owner of the house and her employer, Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester asks Jane if she finds him attractive, to which she impulsively responds by saying no. She regrets having said no and telling Rochester "Sir, I was too clear: I beg your pardon. I should have replied that it was not easy to give an impromptu answer to a question about appearances ..." (154). Jane, once again, acted impulsively and insulted her employer's appearance. Although she doesn't think looks are very important, because she too is unattractive, insulting Mr. Rochester in an immature way. She feels remorse for her response but she cannot take it back. Mr. Rochester says he's not offended, but the comment certainly didn't make him feel that way. If Jane had been mature, she would have thought about her response more carefully. A wise person andmature should not insult their employer, especially during the first interactions. Jane regrets her action, which is a positive sign because it shows that she is beginning to understand the possible negative consequences of her actions. During Jane's later years at Lowood and her welcome at Thornfield, she begins to act more maturely, but she still has not managed to entirely rid herself of her impulsive actions. Jane makes a rational, considered decision to leave Lowood, which is mature, but then quickly insults the appearance of her employer, who is immature and rude. Jane clearly learns to differentiate between what is acceptable to say and what is not, as evidenced by her apology to Mr. Rochester after his direct comment. Jane continues to grow and mature as she spends the next part of her life in Thornfield. Jane's character growth, during the second half of her time at Thornfield, reaches a new level of maturity as she faces and overcomes emotionally intense challenges. During Jane's stay in Thornfield, a group of wealthy and haughty people arrive for temporary residence. One of the nights, while Jane is in their company, a game of charades takes place which Jane refuses to play. A vain woman, Lady Ingram, makes a sarcastic remark when Jane is invited: “Lady Ingram immediately rejected the idea. “No,” I [Jane] heard her say, “she looks too stupid for a game like that.” (212). Lady Ingram verbally attacks Jane when the idea of her participation in the game is mentioned even though Ingram has no knowledge of Jane's intelligence or character. Lady Ingram makes a blatantly snobbish assumption about Jane that is seriously incorrect, but Jane, a scholar with skills in English, French, and art, does not retaliate. Reflecting on Jane's past, this lack of rebuttal speaks to Jane's maturation. In the past, Jane was so angry at Mrs. Reed's comment about her character that she reprimanded her, but in this case, when Jane is being vilified, she does not act impulsively based on her emotions. A young Jane may have had an argument with Ingram, but Jane has grown into a mature woman and knows there's nothing good to come of it. Jane once again faces an emotional challenge during her residency at Thornfield; this time being more extreme than the last. Jane agrees to marry Mr. Rochester, but on their wedding day, Jane is presented with a hidden truth that hinders their marriage. Jane goes against every ounce of emotion in her body when she decides she must leave Mr. Rochester and Thornfield. As she leaves Thornfield, she considers what Mr. Rochester will think of her decision: “He [Rochester] would feel abandoned; his love rejected: he would suffer; maybe become desperate. I thought that too” (368). Jane understands that this decision will not only have harmful consequences on her, but also on Mr. Rochester. Again, instead of making a decision on a whim, like Jane has done in the past, she thinks about the different ramifications her actions could have. to have. She loves Mr. Rochester wholeheartedly but she knows that the morally right thing to do is to run away even if it means she will hurt Rochester. At the end of Jane's stay at Thornfield, she manages to contain her emotions in order to access them. Jane wants to marry Rochester but given the circumstances, she must leave because staying will only cause her more pain. Jane's action is one that only an experienced and mature person can do. Jane must knowingly hurt herself emotionally, as well as hurt another person, in order to do what is right. Jane has grown enormously as.