Literary Work Analysis: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Literary Work Analysis:

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

Ø Theme

A woman shall be independent, and independent here means she can speak out loud what she thinks, she can have her own ideas on faith and principle, she grows up to be a better person, she can protect herself, and she knows what’s best for herself.

Ø Setting

There are five main locations which are the Reed family’s home at Gateshead, the wretched Lowood School, Rochester’s manor house Thornfield, the Rivers family’s home at Moor House, and Rochester’s rural retreat at Ferndean. Those all are located in England. And the time setting is late in the reign of George III (1760–1820).

Ø Character and Characterization

·        Jane Eyre

Direct: Smart, brave, strong, intellectual, rebel, and independent.

Indirect: Freedom-seeker.

·        Edward Fairfax Rochester

Passionate, romantic, mannered, smart, critical thinker, and lustful.

·        St. John Rivers

Persevering, cold, unromantic, high-handed, ambitious, and religious.

·        Helen Burns

Intellectual, tolerant, peaceful, religious, patient, and diligent.

Ø Point of View

This story was told from Jane Eyre’s point of view. From the event that is happening to her feeling, all told in Jane Eyre’s point of view. And she also told her retrospective from event back then.

Ø Plot

·        Exposition

Jane Eyre is an orphan whose both parents are died from illness. Her uncle took her to Gateshead. But, she got mistreated after her caring uncle died. The rest of her uncle’s family accused her for having a wicked heart. Her aunt’s son hit her, then she could no longer bare her feelings and fought back.

Jane got locked up in the red room and hallucinated ghost, then she passed out.  A doctor who knew her very well suggested her aunt to send Jane to a boarding school. Jane’s aunt gladly sent her to Lowood Charity Boarding School. Jane felt a relief when she finally could step out from her evil aunt’s house.

·        Rising Action

At first, living at Lowwod felt so hard for Jane. As time passed by, she learned to face the difficulty and enjoyed her time there with dear friends who are Helen and Miss Temple. After the departing of Miss Temple and Helen’s death, Jane decided to change her life.

Jane advertised herself at a newspaper to find a new job. She got an offer to be the governess of a ten years old girl at Thornfield. She accepted it and moved out from Lowood School.

Jane was curious about her master, Mr.Rochester, who are rarely at home. One day, Mr.Rochester got back to Thornfieldfrom his business journey. He stayed for a long time. It pulled Jane and Mr.Rochester to be closer into such romantic kind of relationship.

·        Climax

Mr. Rochester proposed Jane. She felt happy, for she would marry her loved one. But in the wedding, it was revealed that Rochester had married, and his wife was still alive. The fact that Rochester had been hiding his mad wife at a place where Jane also lived in really struck her hard. She decided to leave Mr. Rochester. She arrived at a random house, a place where St. John Rivers lived. Jane worked for him since then as a teacher at his school.

·        Falling Action

St. John Rivers proposed to Jane and asked her to move along with him to India for religious purpose. One night, Jane heard Mr. Rochester’s voice calling out her name in distant. She hurriedly came back to Thornfield just to find that the house already burned down. She searched for Mr. Rochester whereabouts. She found him living at Ferndean. His condition wasn’t good. He was blind and looked powerless.

·        Resolution

Jane finally reunited with Mr. Rochester. He explained to her about what happened when she left Thornfield. His wife was dead because of the flames she caused. Now that Jane found herself economically equal to Rochester, so Jane didn’t have any fear to marry him due to different social status. They both married. She claimed to enjoy perfect equality in her marriage.

Ø Symbol

·        Red Room

Red room is a symbol of the feelings of loneliness, silence, and solitude that Jane Eyre is feeling, so do everyone who has those feelings. Jane feels threatened as she is trapped in the red room. She wants to be free. Free here means having a freedom. Freedom of not being trapped emotionally and physically by any kinds of way. She hurriedly wants to get out of the red room so desperately until she runs out of energy and pass out.

·        Bertha Antoinetta Mason Rochester

She representated the “trapped” Victorian wife, who is expected never to travel or work outside the house. She finds no outlet for her frustration and anxiety, and that drives her gone mad. She also represented a married woman who completely surrender herself to her husband. Deep inside Jane’s heart, she fears married to Mr.Rochester because married feels like an imprisonment for her.

Author:

Arum Ratnaning Ratri

2211416050

English Literature 2016

Universitas Negeri Semarang

For subject:

Prose (309)