Characters And Conflicts In Jane Eyer Chapter 1 Essay

How effectively does Charlotte Bronte present the character and conflict of Jane Eyre in Chapter 1

In chapter 1 of Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte presents the characters and conflicts using language to create a dramatic effect. Its written in a 1st person narrative and in the style of an autobiography although the character Jane Eyre does not have the same name as the author. I think that the book probably reflects on the authors life and childhood. The overall feeling coming from the character of Jane Eyre is misery and unhappiness. Bronte uses negative adjectives to create the feeling of loneliness and misery.

In the first paragraph Bronte starts with quite an unusual sentence. Instead of what a lot of auto biographies start with (I was born in..) she starts with, There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. Opening the paragraph like this makes the reader want to find out more. She then goes on to say We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery for hours. The word leafless creates the image of loss and emptiness. This is a reflection on Janes child hood. Bronte also says we had been wandering even though in the previous sentence she said that there was no chance in a walk. The word wandering shows that they were walking aimlessly about with no actual purpose.

When she introduces her siblings and immediately says that she is inferior to them. Bronte then says Eliza, John and Georgiana Reed where clustered around there mamma the cl sound has a very harsh acoustic texture. The sound is created at the back of the throat and creates the effect of disgust. Clustered also shows that John, Eliza, Georgiana and there mother are all very close, physically but also close as a family. As she doesnt include her self in the group it shows Jane is outcast and rejected from the family.

Bronte uses the word mamma very sarcastically. The use of mamma instead of mother to make them sound immature (like babies), dependent, snobby and pompous. She lay on the sofa with her darlings around her. This is slightly sarcastic and sounds purposely childish and shows her anger and jealousy. Darlings is a very posh, snobbish word and

Jane is presented as a bit rebellious and impulsive what does Bessie say I have done this would have been rude in Victorian times as children and women were treat as second class citizens. This is shown thought the entire book. This also shows that Jane is a very strong and passionate character who is not put down easily by her miserable child hood. Jane is shown as very intelligent and independent we know this because she reads a lot of books even though she hasnt had a proper education.

Bronte says shades of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand. Bronte uses the colour scarlet as it is a very emotionally intense colour and tends to represent anger and is usually associated with wrath. As the drapery is shutting in her view it shows the reader that the families wrath, anger and aggression towards Jane is limiting her freedom. The colour red could also be seen as a passionate colour and Jane is escaping from the depression the family puts her by hiding her self in her passion, which is her love for reading.

The books she reads reflections on her emotions and feelings at the time melancholy isles and Forlorn regions of dreary space these show her child hood being very glum and depressing. Bronte says I was shrined she uses the word Shrined to show that her books are very important to her and as a character that the only place she feels safe is when shes lost in her books. Bronte also uses the books to show how intelligent Jane is. However, Bronte also shows that she is still a child by saying Taking care the book should be one with pictures This shows us that although she is very intelligent she is still just a child.

When John throws the book at Jane it implies that John is unintelligent, seeing the book as a weapon. As the book is very glum and depressing it could also represent John and the family striking Jane with sadness and depression

There is a lot of conflict between Jane and her family Tell mamma that she has ran out into the rain; bad animal. Bad animal makes John seem insensitive, arrogant and disrespectful The first chapter focuses on Johns wickedness more then the others to shown how much more superior men were at the time and how inferior children and women were, this is more clear when John says call me master reed as well as women being inferior the poor were often looked down upon as well. I think that Bronte tries to stress the social views towards people at the time

John then goes to say youre a dependent mamma says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg these harsh, insensitive insults go back up my point on how much more dominant men and the upper class where and as john would never say this to an adult how inferior children are, as well as this it shows the views that people of the time had on the poor Bronte uses the word you to show that John is targeting Jane and making it sound like it her fault that she has no money. Bronte uses Youre a dependent mamma says to show that John doesnt think for him self and he needs someone else to tell him his own views about other people should be. This is very ironic as he is calling Jane a Dependent when John is actually the dependent one.

Throughout the whole chapter we get the feeling there are lots of negative emotions from Jane towards the rest of the family you are like a murderer-you are like a slave-driver-you are like the Roman emperors. The part about the slave drivers is especially effective as the slave trade had just ended and was a very serious and emotive topic. I think that Bronte might have used all of the negative emotions to make the chapter to show Jane as childish like a child who is easily worked up over things. Bronte makes sure that the reader know that she is still a child to show how inferior children where at the time and how they had no say in anything.

In conclusion I think that Bronte is very effective at presenting the characters and conflicts of Jane Eyre. Bronte uses a number of language devices to create a dramatic affect. She often swaps the subject with the object of a sentence to make the sentence more dramatic and make Jane seem more innocent, even Janes name is simple and innocent. Bronte uses colour to show conflicts between characters. In this chapter we are shown that at that time men were superior to women and children were inferior to adults. This theme is strongly carried throughout the whole book.