分析简爱人物__英文

阅读材料

Emily and Anne were to write a novel Wuther Heights and Agnes Gray. They sent the three novels to the publishers together. Soon their publishers said, Wuther Height and Agnes Gray have been accepted, but Charlotte’s Teacher will be returned.

It was a great blow to her. But she did not retreat, instead of beginning writing another novel. This is Jane Eyre.

1.2 A summary of Jane Eyre

Jane's father is a poor pastor. When she is still young, her parents both died of disease. Jane Eyre was sent to Mrs. Reid’s family. Mr. Reid told his wife to take good care of Jane Eyre before dying. But Jane Eyre in the family's status even was lower than the female. She never wanted to stay in the home of Mrs. Reid. So Mrs. Reid put her into an orphanage, where a teacher called Miss Tam Bern was very care about her. Jane stayed as a teacher for two years after graduation. She could not stand the loneliness there. So she became a teacher by advertising. So she went to the manor of Thornfield. There she fell in love with Edward Rochester, the owener of Thornfield. Then they finally got married.

1.3 The writing background of Jane Eyre

In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte portrays one woman's desperate struggle to attain her identity in the mist of temptation, isolation, and impossible odds. In its first publication, it outraged many for its realistic portrayal of life during that time. Ultimately, the controversy of Bronte’s novel lied in its realism, challenging the role of women, religion, and mortality in the Victorian society.

In essence, Bronte's novel became a direct assault on Victorian morality. Controversy based in its realistic exposure of thoughts once considered improper for a lady of the 19th century. Emotions any respectable girl would repress. Women at this time were not to feel passion, nor were they considered sexual beings. To conceive the thought of women expressing rage and blatantly retaliating against authority was a defiance against the traditional role of women. It challenged Victorian class structure in a strictly hierachal society.

2. An Analysis of the Protagonist — Jane Eyre

2.1 Jane’ s character of pursuing dignity and equality

Jane is disadvantaged in many ways as she has no wealth, family, social position or beauty. Jane does have intelligence though, and her disposition is such to make Rochester fall in love with her. Here is seen resistance against class, as Rochester wishes to marry Jane in spite of the disapproval that will come from his class, and Jane also resists this disapproval and will marry him. However, Jane will not rebel against God or lose her self-respect and become Rochester's mistress when she finds out that he is already married. She expresses her strong belief on equality in her words:

“ Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?-- a machine without feelings? And can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!-- I have as much soul as you,-- and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh;-- it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal,--as we are!”