Jane eyre 3
Jane eyre 3Jane Eyre
In Jane Eyre, the themes of servitude and liberty are brought to life and contrasted with each other in many instances throughout the novel. Inside, Jane at first desires to be a free spirit, but the social class stratification and conditions of the world that she lives in make this dream impossible to truly fulfill. Jane regards the concept of such absolute freedom a fleeting, ethereal, and "hollow" notion, and accepts her servitude; it is a vehicle that helps her learn more about herself and her true desires. From her experiences in servitude, Jane learns what she needs in a relationship and also what she cannot bear; she recognizes the foolishness of class distinctions and realizes the true value of kindliness and being able to forgive and forget. Jane seems to be consistently moving from one type of servitude to another throughout the novel, from her beginnings at Gateshead under Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst at Lowood Academy, to Rochester at Thornfield, and then to St. John at Moor House. She Jane ultimately realizes that attaining true liberty is not only beyond her power, but it is also not really her true desire. She rejects the idea of seeking spiritual liberty alone and accepting a life of solitude like St. John, and chooses instead to remain in a type of servitude as Rochester's wife. However, she consoles herself with the fact that this is a different type of servitude unlike her others, it is that of a lover caring for another, someone who needs and appreciates her, and someone who treats her with respect. These are the things that she has wanted all of her life, and she is willing to put aside her personal freedom to enjoy them and to for once be loved, accepted, and appreciated.
Throughout the book Jane serves many different masters, and her situation, thoughts, and desires change greatly as she develops, as do her feelings concerning freedom and servitude. The first of her masters is the Reed family, most notably John and Mrs. Reed. These opening characters serve to represent a transformation in her character, as she goes from obedient and unassertive to very opinionated and defiant. While Jane at first obeys their orders because she wants to be included in their social circle, she soon realizes that the Reeds are nothing more than arrogant, elitist slave drivers, and that her submission only serves to reaffirm their power. Her first act of rebellion is against John, who condemns her for reading "his" books, and reminds her that she is not an equal, but a beggar, not worthy of living with "gentlemen's children."(27) . After he strikes her with the book, she struggles against him and cries out, "You are like a murderer - you are like a slave-driver - you are like the Roman emperors!"(43). Here she is stating that his rights are not...
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