24-30: Home is Wherever I'm with...people who mistreat me
Discuss the various "homes" that Jane has been in
so far, Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, and the Rivers' household. How are they the
same, and how do they differ?
Each different home that Jane encounters all have their own separate problems, but they all seem to somehow mistreat Jane one way or another. In the Rivers' household though it was not a constant mistreat but the one time instance where Hannah almost left Jane out to die. Although St. John is not exactly the most eager about her presence he does not exactly beat her like at Gateshead. All of these different homes gradually get better as time progresses. In Lowood after they Jane is able to become a teacher there who is adored by the young girls that she is teaching. At Thornfield well her and Rochester fall in love although as of right not it has not exactly been the smoothest of relationships. In the Rivers' household Diana and Mary take care of her as if she is part of their family. The only one that did not get better treatment was Gateshead because she left while she was still young and even on her deathbed her Aunt Reed managed to despise her. Each home that Jane has been in always has its ups and downs some places with more ups than downs and vice versa.
Jane seems to always find a house or residency that allows her to feel at "home" or a place where she can seem to find peace and rest with herself. Gateshead is the beginning of this journey when the red room incident occurred she did not feel as safe at Gateshead her home in the beginning of the novel she wanted to find a place where she find the true meaning of why she was on this Earth and planet. She said she wanted to go to school because she wanted to get away from all the people who mistreated her and go to a place far enough where she could find out for herself who she truly was. Gateshead was the beginning of the journey and while Lowood was not the best place where she could go she found a place where she was not as mistreated and somewhat looked after. This sense of belonging continued by finding her friend at Lowood and then experiencing what it was like to have a companion really made her grow up into who she was as her friend would die and she would lie in bed with her as she died this would be Jane growing up to find the next goal or step in her life. After this incident she knew teaching at Lowood would not do it with the memories and ideas that would come teaching the little children and she set off to her next goal to find somewhere she could work to gain experience and maybe find someone else who can understand her and love her like many did in the life ahead. Rochester and Thornfield is where she almost felt that success of finding attention someone who would tend to her in Rochester someone who actually cared. As she continued to teach and move through her job and days at Thornfield the relationship became to close and after the incident with Bertha she did not feel safe and she knew that Rochester while he felt like he could love her Jane knew the right decision was to leave because of how evil and sinister Rochester was. Jane did not want to become Bertha and she did not want to live with someone who did such a thing and the fact he was still married distriubed Jane. Next would be the Rivers Household it is not a house like Rochester's not somewhere she was adored by almost everyone and she could charm people. She had to earn St.John's approval and she was not beat but rather looked down upon and scolded from a distance. The sisters try to help but try to find distance she is nor mistreated but merely scolded what happens in the next few chapter who knows but it is interesting that the last house she stays at she is not physically but mentally abused.
I think that its interesting to see her experiences at the 4 different places. Like Matt said, the problems that she encounters at each residency is different. However, they all lead her to find/escape to a new "home". At Gateshead we see Jane struggle with being hated and the treatment she receives from her family members. In this situation she was quick to decide to leave in hopes of a new home. However she ended up at Lowood. While she was at Lowood, Jane had a hard time with being accepted and wanting to be loved and praised. This soon led to her decision to leave Lowood and go to Thornfield. Jane believe Thornfield would be great home for her and it was. Until Rochester's past secrets came out. Here we see Jane struggle with leaving someone she loves. With the dream she had, she decided to leave as it was the wrong thing to do by staying with Rochester and ended up at the River's household. So far we have only seen the initial of Jane actually getting to the house and being accepted into the household. I'm anticipating what kind of struggle Jane will have to endure in this new "home".
Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, and the River's Household are all significant in that Jane gains a puzzle to her incomplete life. Like Matt and Jessica said, in the four places, Jane encounters a different problem that lead her into leaving and feeling of "not fitting in". Jane encounters someone who becomes the light in the darknesses (like Yeji has stated) in all four places. Although Jane is constantly mistreated by the Reeds and is isolated, Miss Bessie cares for Jane. In Lowood, Jane has Helen and Miss. Temple where Jane learns about love and affection, in Thornfield, there are Ms. Fairfax, Adele, and Rochester (although Jane leaves Thornfield because of Rochester and Ms. Fairfax disapproved Rochester's and Jane's marriage), and Jane has Diana and Mary who take care of her as if she is part of their family. In all four places, Jane gains someone in her life, but she decides to leave them because of a problem within. This can be seen as her flaw in Jane Eyre, not confronting her problem.
She is treated tremendously differently in each one. In Thornfield she is being treated like garbage, for all tends and purposes she had no family, and her aunt Reed was the worst. she was an outcast and she was alone. in Lowood she made a friend and managed to get through the harshness of such a place, but survived because she felt loved. Mistreatment wasn’t new to her, but love was, and that made all the difference. Once she is in Gateshead, she is calm and serene, capable of doing anything, and got a great family, and a great man as a boss. She was treated fairly by Roshester, and Adele, and now her life turned around to something good even to marrying the man she though she never could (even if she ran away). With the Rivers, I think she find a sweetspot were she is treated with respect and given a chance to prove herself, rather than being treated like a princess in Gateshead. I think that all show a different part of her life and help us see her endurance and growth as a character. she went from oppressive life to a friend to a dream come true to end in apace where there is respect. which is something I think she was looking for her entire life
As Rodrigo said, each of the places she has lived have varying amounts of mistreatment of her, with places such as Lowood and Gateshead being the absolute worst in terms of abusing her. As the story moves on, the way she is treated improves as she stays at a new place, with Gateshade ranking the worst because she was basically all alone with no one that truly loved her other than Bessie, but that did not really apply until she was already at the point where she was going to go to Lowood, which could be sort of a bridge in between the two places. At Lowood, the treatment of her is almost on par with the treatment she received at Gateshead, but unlike Gateshead, she had the fortune of making a friend to keep her going through up until the point where she passed away. After leaving Lowood, she is introduced to a place where she doesn't really get mistreated in any way, as well as a place where her life changes in the form of being asked to marry Rochester. The fact that Rochester did not mention that he was already married to someone else can be a form of mistreatment since it hurt Jane, along with the fact Rochester was making her jealous on purpose. After being taken in at the Rivers, she finally finds a place where she isn't mistreated for once, allowing her to move on in a sense. All of these places play an important role in showing her progression through her life, as she sort of matures along the way with each household.
Gateshead was the most dreaded place for Jane. She felt no love from anyone, except Bessie near the end of her stay. When she got to Lowood the living conditions were harsh. However she felt more of a personal attachment with multiple people there, such as Helen. Thornfield was the most different because it provided her with both a good living environment and kind people. She even fell in love with a man. This is the most significant place she lives in because it is where she truly becomes and woman. Although it did have complications due to the inequality presented by the social status of her lover, Rochester. The Rivers place was similar to Thornfield because it presented her with a decent living environment and caring people. However it also contained a controlling man which relates it back to Gateshead and the controlling situation presented by the Reed family.
Each different household provides a different experience for Jane that is either good or bad. For example at Gateshead she lived with an abusive family (aunt) and frequently treated wrong (being put in the red room). Then Jane goes to school in Lowood where at first she is treated wrong by the headmaster at a run down building, however, as Jane's story there progresses though Jane learns that she can make changes and becomes more empowered here. After this Jane ends up at Thornfield where she is treated well despite all the weird things that go on, and here is also where Jane falls in love with the head of household, Rochester. But after she finds out his secret she leaves looses all her belongings and ends up at the Reed household where she is taken care of and Jane learns what she really wants. So you can say the situations weren't the only thing that changed, but Jane did as a character as well.
In each environment Jane is tested, and she always gains valuable life skills or lessons or even convictions from the unfavorable events that occur while she is growing up. At Gateshead, she faced the wrath of her insidious aunt, Mrs. Reed, who feels that Jane is burdensome and unlikable and therefore not entitled to a proper childhood. Mrs. Reed has her locked up in the room of her dead spouse which sends Jane into a hysteric fit, threatenening to end her young life. After the ordeal has passed and Jane Eyre has miraculously healed, Mrs. Reed then sends her off to boarding school so as to be troubled no more by the cumbersome individual she was coerced into caring for. This is the breeding ground for much of Jane's basic philosophies as an individual. Her ideas that masters and servants should have a mutually respectful and beneficial relationship, and that class barriers should not be so rigid find their genesis in her traumatic childhood at Gateshead. They are further set into her heart at Lowood, where she finds real friendship for the first time in Helen Burns, a kind and loving young girl of her own age. Helen softens some of the anger Jane has held onto since her experiences at Gateshead, and perhaps gives Jane the thing she most desires: love. Without Helen, though her stay in Jane's life was brief, Jane's heart may have been crushed or hardened by the adults who failed to nurture her mind or self-image. Thornfield is where Jane find power. She is the servant of Rochester and not a particularly lofty figure as far as the world is concerned. However, she finds power over Rochester in that she discovers he loves her and he wants to be with her despite her class or plain appearance. She finds the confidence and courage to uphold her morals and leave Rochester when she discovers Bertha. The development of that iron will is crucial to how the plot pans out. Finally, Jane stays with the Rivers for quite some time following her vacation from Thornfield, It is here that she comes into her inheritance, finds real and lasting friendships and also discovers the people she has come to adore are her cousins.
These are all similar events in that lessons are derived from each. The methods in which the lessons are learned vary, as do the duration and quality of her life at that particular place.
Each different home that Jane encounters all have their own separate problems, but they all seem to somehow mistreat Jane one way or another. In the Rivers' household though it was not a constant mistreat but the one time instance where Hannah almost left Jane out to die. Although St. John is not exactly the most eager about her presence he does not exactly beat her like at Gateshead. All of these different homes gradually get better as time progresses. In Lowood after they Jane is able to become a teacher there who is adored by the young girls that she is teaching. At Thornfield well her and Rochester fall in love although as of right not it has not exactly been the smoothest of relationships. In the Rivers' household Diana and Mary take care of her as if she is part of their family. The only one that did not get better treatment was Gateshead because she left while she was still young and even on her deathbed her Aunt Reed managed to despise her. Each home that Jane has been in always has its ups and downs some places with more ups than downs and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteJane seems to always find a house or residency that allows her to feel at "home" or a place where she can seem to find peace and rest with herself. Gateshead is the beginning of this journey when the red room incident occurred she did not feel as safe at Gateshead her home in the beginning of the novel she wanted to find a place where she find the true meaning of why she was on this Earth and planet. She said she wanted to go to school because she wanted to get away from all the people who mistreated her and go to a place far enough where she could find out for herself who she truly was. Gateshead was the beginning of the journey and while Lowood was not the best place where she could go she found a place where she was not as mistreated and somewhat looked after. This sense of belonging continued by finding her friend at Lowood and then experiencing what it was like to have a companion really made her grow up into who she was as her friend would die and she would lie in bed with her as she died this would be Jane growing up to find the next goal or step in her life. After this incident she knew teaching at Lowood would not do it with the memories and ideas that would come teaching the little children and she set off to her next goal to find somewhere she could work to gain experience and maybe find someone else who can understand her and love her like many did in the life ahead. Rochester and Thornfield is where she almost felt that success of finding attention someone who would tend to her in Rochester someone who actually cared. As she continued to teach and move through her job and days at Thornfield the relationship became to close and after the incident with Bertha she did not feel safe and she knew that Rochester while he felt like he could love her Jane knew the right decision was to leave because of how evil and sinister Rochester was. Jane did not want to become Bertha and she did not want to live with someone who did such a thing and the fact he was still married distriubed Jane. Next would be the Rivers Household it is not a house like Rochester's not somewhere she was adored by almost everyone and she could charm people. She had to earn St.John's approval and she was not beat but rather looked down upon and scolded from a distance. The sisters try to help but try to find distance she is nor mistreated but merely scolded what happens in the next few chapter who knows but it is interesting that the last house she stays at she is not physically but mentally abused.
ReplyDeleteI think that its interesting to see her experiences at the 4 different places. Like Matt said, the problems that she encounters at each residency is different. However, they all lead her to find/escape to a new "home". At Gateshead we see Jane struggle with being hated and the treatment she receives from her family members. In this situation she was quick to decide to leave in hopes of a new home. However she ended up at Lowood. While she was at Lowood, Jane had a hard time with being accepted and wanting to be loved and praised. This soon led to her decision to leave Lowood and go to Thornfield. Jane believe Thornfield would be great home for her and it was. Until Rochester's past secrets came out. Here we see Jane struggle with leaving someone she loves. With the dream she had, she decided to leave as it was the wrong thing to do by staying with Rochester and ended up at the River's household. So far we have only seen the initial of Jane actually getting to the house and being accepted into the household. I'm anticipating what kind of struggle Jane will have to endure in this new "home".
ReplyDeleteGateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, and the River's Household are all significant in that Jane gains a puzzle to her incomplete life. Like Matt and Jessica said, in the four places, Jane encounters a different problem that lead her into leaving and feeling of "not fitting in". Jane encounters someone who becomes the light in the darknesses (like Yeji has stated) in all four places. Although Jane is constantly mistreated by the Reeds and is isolated, Miss Bessie cares for Jane. In Lowood, Jane has Helen and Miss. Temple where Jane learns about love and affection, in Thornfield, there are Ms. Fairfax, Adele, and Rochester (although Jane leaves Thornfield because of Rochester and Ms. Fairfax disapproved Rochester's and Jane's marriage), and Jane has Diana and Mary who take care of her as if she is part of their family.
ReplyDeleteIn all four places, Jane gains someone in her life, but she decides to leave them because of a problem within. This can be seen as her flaw in Jane Eyre, not confronting her problem.
She is treated tremendously differently in each one. In Thornfield she is being treated like garbage, for all tends and purposes she had no family, and her aunt Reed was the worst. she was an outcast and she was alone. in Lowood she made a friend and managed to get through the harshness of such a place, but survived because she felt loved. Mistreatment wasn’t new to her, but love was, and that made all the difference. Once she is in Gateshead, she is calm and serene, capable of doing anything, and got a great family, and a great man as a boss. She was treated fairly by Roshester, and Adele, and now her life turned around to something good even to marrying the man she though she never could (even if she ran away). With the Rivers, I think she find a sweetspot were she is treated with respect and given a chance to prove herself, rather than being treated like a princess in Gateshead. I think that all show a different part of her life and help us see her endurance and growth as a character. she went from oppressive life to a friend to a dream come true to end in apace where there is respect. which is something I think she was looking for her entire life
ReplyDeleteAs Rodrigo said, each of the places she has lived have varying amounts of mistreatment of her, with places such as Lowood and Gateshead being the absolute worst in terms of abusing her. As the story moves on, the way she is treated improves as she stays at a new place, with Gateshade ranking the worst because she was basically all alone with no one that truly loved her other than Bessie, but that did not really apply until she was already at the point where she was going to go to Lowood, which could be sort of a bridge in between the two places. At Lowood, the treatment of her is almost on par with the treatment she received at Gateshead, but unlike Gateshead, she had the fortune of making a friend to keep her going through up until the point where she passed away. After leaving Lowood, she is introduced to a place where she doesn't really get mistreated in any way, as well as a place where her life changes in the form of being asked to marry Rochester. The fact that Rochester did not mention that he was already married to someone else can be a form of mistreatment since it hurt Jane, along with the fact Rochester was making her jealous on purpose. After being taken in at the Rivers, she finally finds a place where she isn't mistreated for once, allowing her to move on in a sense. All of these places play an important role in showing her progression through her life, as she sort of matures along the way with each household.
ReplyDeleteGateshead was the most dreaded place for Jane. She felt no love from anyone, except Bessie near the end of her stay. When she got to Lowood the living conditions were harsh. However she felt more of a personal attachment with multiple people there, such as Helen. Thornfield was the most different because it provided her with both a good living environment and kind people. She even fell in love with a man. This is the most significant place she lives in because it is where she truly becomes and woman. Although it did have complications due to the inequality presented by the social status of her lover, Rochester. The Rivers place was similar to Thornfield because it presented her with a decent living environment and caring people. However it also contained a controlling man which relates it back to Gateshead and the controlling situation presented by the Reed family.
ReplyDeleteEach different household provides a different experience for Jane that is either good or bad. For example at Gateshead she lived with an abusive family (aunt) and frequently treated wrong (being put in the red room). Then Jane goes to school in Lowood where at first she is treated wrong by the headmaster at a run down building, however, as Jane's story there progresses though Jane learns that she can make changes and becomes more empowered here. After this Jane ends up at Thornfield where she is treated well despite all the weird things that go on, and here is also where Jane falls in love with the head of household, Rochester. But after she finds out his secret she leaves looses all her belongings and ends up at the Reed household where she is taken care of and Jane learns what she really wants. So you can say the situations weren't the only thing that changed, but Jane did as a character as well.
ReplyDeleteIn each environment Jane is tested, and she always gains valuable life skills or lessons or even convictions from the unfavorable events that occur while she is growing up. At Gateshead, she faced the wrath of her insidious aunt, Mrs. Reed, who feels that Jane is burdensome and unlikable and therefore not entitled to a proper childhood. Mrs. Reed has her locked up in the room of her dead spouse which sends Jane into a hysteric fit, threatenening to end her young life. After the ordeal has passed and Jane Eyre has miraculously healed, Mrs. Reed then sends her off to boarding school so as to be troubled no more by the cumbersome individual she was coerced into caring for. This is the breeding ground for much of Jane's basic philosophies as an individual. Her ideas that masters and servants should have a mutually respectful and beneficial relationship, and that class barriers should not be so rigid find their genesis in her traumatic childhood at Gateshead. They are further set into her heart at Lowood, where she finds real friendship for the first time in Helen Burns, a kind and loving young girl of her own age. Helen softens some of the anger Jane has held onto since her experiences at Gateshead, and perhaps gives Jane the thing she most desires: love. Without Helen, though her stay in Jane's life was brief, Jane's heart may have been crushed or hardened by the adults who failed to nurture her mind or self-image. Thornfield is where Jane find power. She is the servant of Rochester and not a particularly lofty figure as far as the world is concerned. However, she finds power over Rochester in that she discovers he loves her and he wants to be with her despite her class or plain appearance. She finds the confidence and courage to uphold her morals and leave Rochester when she discovers Bertha. The development of that iron will is crucial to how the plot pans out. Finally, Jane stays with the Rivers for quite some time following her vacation from Thornfield, It is here that she comes into her inheritance, finds real and lasting friendships and also discovers the people she has come to adore are her cousins.
ReplyDeleteThese are all similar events in that lessons are derived from each. The methods in which the lessons are learned vary, as do the duration and quality of her life at that particular place.
Delete