Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë, born in 1816 at Thornton, Yorkshire, is known for her short but fulfilling career as a novelist in Victorian England. Suffering tragedies within her lifetime that quickly would have restrained many from prosperity, Charlotte was capable of redirecting the pain of her afflictions into a creative energy that she used to etch an existence that provided her with fame. Tragically, she suffered the loss of her mother at the very young age of five, and was then forced to endure the deaths of her four sisters and her brother throughout the following years of her life. Understandably, much of her existence "was spent in mourning, in a struggle against the grim realities which surrounded her -- abandonment, brutalization, emotional deprivation, death and the search for reality, for her own identity" (Cody). Eventually, these very ordeals become the foundation for Charlotte's success.

After a number of unfulfilling career attempts as an educator, Charlotte proposed the collaboration of a collection of poems to her two surviving sisters. They accepted, and in 1846, the trio published their first book, Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Due to the unfavorable reactions to female writers at this time, Charlotte, Emily and Anne felt it necessary to assume male pseudonyms. They utilized the names of Currer, Ellis, and Acton, respectively, in order to disguise their gender. This attempt did not aid in the public notice of the amateur novelists, so thinking it better if they separated, continued to write exclusively while retaining their male pseudonyms.

In the same year Charlotte completed her first independent creation titled The Professor, which she was unable to publish during her lifetime. However, this did not dishearten the artist. She immediately began writing a second novel, which in the following year would yield such fame that Charlotte herself was amazed. This is the famous text of Jane Eyre, an autobiographical account of Charlotte's own life, which not only solidified Charlotte's position among her literary companions but also secured the achievement that Charlotte so desperately sought.

The form that the plot of Jane Eyre follows is commonly referred to as a Bildungsroman. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms defines this as "a novel that recounts the development (psychological and sometimes spiritual) of an individual from childhood to maturity, to the point at which the main character recognizes his or her place and role in the world" (31). The growth that Jane undergoes in the novel can be easily ascertained by breaking the text down into five very distinct sections that also aid in the analysis of the plot. These divisions include: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor House (Marsh End), and Ferndean.

The beginning of the novel introduces us to Gateshead, where the childhood of Jane is detailed. We witness Jane's cruel treatment by Mrs. Reed, her benefactress, and see the effects of this behavior on the poor orphan's emotional security. Jane then moves on to Lowood, where her education is the primary focus. Jane realizes, however, that the escape she had sought from the repression of Gateshead was only going to be reproduced at the school. The headmaster is similarly abusive and cruel to her, as was her aunt, Mrs. Reed. Jane befriends a young girl by the name of Helen Burns, who fills the void of interaction with Jane. However, an epidemic sweeps through the school and Helen dies of consumption. Jane is left, yet again, feeling lonely and vulnerable. After her education, Jane moves on to Thornfield, where she becomes the governess for a little girl named Adèle. Here, the reader follows Jane's first experiences with adult responsibilities in terms of her career. Also at Thornfield, Jane meets a man by the name of Rochester, whom she falls secretly in love with. Eventually, Rochester proposes to Jane and she accepts. However, on their wedding day, Jane abruptly learns that Rochester is already married. His wife is mad and he has kept her locked up in the attic. With her hopes for a happy life and her heart broken, Jane leaves Thornfield. She wanders aimlessly, poor and hungry, until she eventually ends up at Moor House. Here, she befriends three siblings who take her in. We witness Jane's interaction with her newfound friends, of who are found to be from the same blood as herself. She inherits 20,000 pounds from a distant uncle who is also the uncle of the three. When her love for Rochester consumes her, she follows him to his new home at Ferndean. Jane's ability to love is finally fulfilled and she enters into matrimony.

In order to understand the significance that these places hold in terms of the character's development, one must be able to see clearly their correlation to the life of the author. This is only relative due to the novel being considered an autobiography above all other things. Although Charlotte Brontë was not sent away when her mother died, her aunt came to live with her and her siblings and was comparable in experience to Mrs. Reed, Jane's aunt in the novel. Charlotte is then sent to Cowan Bridge to attend the Clergy Daughter's School, which causes similar suffrage to that of Jane at Lowood. Thornfield marks Jane's entrance into the adult world with the acceptance of a governess position, like Charlotte in her lifetime has also attempted. Finally, like Jane at Ferndean, Charlotte eventually marries. Although this outlines briefly the autobiographical aspects in Jane Eyre, the characters found within are much more detailed in their association to people in Charlotte's own life. One example of this is Helen Burns, whom Jane befriends at Lowood; her death is thought to parallel the death of Charlotte's sister, Maria. The main distinction of this description is to show Charlotte's development as seen through the character Jane. This growth that she experiences allows her to become the stable-minded adult that writes Jane Eyre.

The novel itself was started in Manchester only a few months after the completion of The Professor in 1846. "Jane Eyre had been written with such astonishing speed and inspiration…that it is as if the complete text had been lying dormant within her for years, simply awaiting transcription" ( Parkin-Gounelas 47). Brontë's ability to complete the novel and have it published by 1847, she believed, was because "it is natural for [her] to submit, and very unnatural to command" (Parkin-Gounelas 47).

However, Charlotte proves herself wrong in this reflection of her own nature because she confirms she is capable of authority. In a letter sent to Smith, Elder and Co. in September of 1847, Charlotte writes,

"I have received your letter and thank you for the judicious remarks and sound advice it contains. I am not however in a position to follow the advice; my engagements will not permit me to revise "Jane Eyre" a third time, and perhaps there is little to regret in the circumstance…" (Smith 539).

The revision that Charlotte is referring to is one of minor detail. In fact, nothing is known of any revisions that occurred in Jane Eyre other than the insignificant modifications of words or phrases. The only other changes that took place occurred in the second and third editions. The second edition added a dedication to Mr. William Thackeray, who Charlotte had not met as of yet. A Preface was also thought necessary by her publisher, so Jane added one. Initially, the title page included Jane Eyre/ An Autobiography/ Edited by/ Currer Bell. In the succeeding editions, it was modified to 'By Currer Bell' which caused the public to begin speculating on the mysterious author. This causes the modification that occurred in the third edition. Charlotte wrote a letter, addressed to the Public, claiming full responsibility to this particular novel and clearing the rumour that she may have written others. This was felt necessary for Charlotte because Thomas Newby, the publisher of Emily and Anne's novels, was giving the impression through his advertisements that Ellis Bell (Emily) was the author of Jane Eyre. Because this novel was personal to Charlotte, alone, and had become such a success, it would be expected for her to feel she needed to claim authorship (Dunn 3). Soon after the publication of the third edition and this 'Note', Charlotte felt secure with the success of her novel and chose to reveal her true identity.

The text of Jane Eyre received reviews of a mixed nature, however, most of them were positive. The novel is "not at all a conventional novel", following the form that it does, and therefore, is distinct from other novels written at this time (qtd. in Smith 555). This allowed the novel a lot of public attention. Also, because all three sisters were writing at the same time and using related pseudonyms, an aura was placed about the novel that simply drew more readers in. Fraser's Magazine had written a review of the novel, claiming that it is "indeed, a book after our own heart", but it wasn't published until after Charlotte had revealed her identity in December of 1847. It praises the novel openly, suggests to the public the necessity in reading it, and seems to be unaffected by the author's gender: "The writer is evidently a woman, and, unless we are deceived, new in the world of literature. But, man or woman, young or old, be that as it may, no such book has gladdened our eyes for a long while " (Friesen par. 23).

The Westminster Review considered the novel to be "the best novel of the season" (Friesen). They, too, were pleased with the difference in this novel in comparison to the others of the time. They find that "the originality and freshness of its style, possessing the merit so rarely met with now-a-days in works of this class" is definitely worth further examination (Friesen). This is only one review that praises the "force, vigour, and freshness" of Jane Eyre (qtd. in Smith 24). Many others find the text to be "most striking and original" (qtd. in Smith 569).

Another aspect of the text that was quite enjoyed by reviewers was its "unhackneyed, perfectly true and lifelike" characters (qtd. in Smith 568). Douglas Jerrold's Shilling Magazine writes in November of 1847 that there is a "strong delineation of characteristics evidently derived immediately from individuals, and the not the result of looking at human nature through 'the spectacles of books'" (Friesen). The Tablet, in October of 1847 felt that the truth derived from the characters only draws the reader "into the recesses of the human heart" (Smith 555). Similarly, The Morning Advertiser also felt that there was a "depth of feeling" within the novel that made it difficult for the reader to resist (Smith 555). They claim that this is due to the reality of the events that occur and the personalities of the characters that the author is so capable of bringing to life.

There were reviewers, however, that felt the book was a bit too sentimental. In December 1847, Frasers Magazine claimed that "[t]o create emotion in the reader is too much the aim, especially in the latter portion of the heroine's career, where the stern face of tragedy is thrown into the extravagant contortions of melodrama" (Friesen). Some also felt that Charlotte had attempted, a bit too forcibly, to create adventures that would elicit this very emotional reaction. The reviewers felt that the very sympathy that she was trying to gain with these scenes was lost in what they felt were exaggerations.

The few negative reviews that had circulated were gentle in comparison to those reviewers who actually found "some passages [to be] simply revolting in themselves" (Smith 562). The Christian Remembrancer found Jane Eyre to be "coarse and morally questionable" (Smith 587) and many others were not happy with Charlotte's portrayal of Rochester. All of the morality issues arise from the scene in the book detailing Rochester and his mad wife. These issues, in the nineteenth century were thought to be inappropriate and immoral when publicized and, therefore, were to be kept out of the eyes of the reader.

All of the reviews that Charlotte received on behalf of Jane Eyre may not have been full of praise, but they encompass the whole of her novel, as well as her life. The positive reviews that she read weighed much heavier on her own opinions than did those shedding negative light. For a woman who for years was emotionally, socially, and morally repressed, any public attention that could have been given to her was more than she could have hoped for. She was able to utilize her own experiences to create something that others could enjoy and she had every right to be proud of that. Her autobiography, in addition to all of the details surrounding that text, either good or bad, is what has kept Charlotte Brontë alive for her readers for over one-hundred-fifty years. It is the experience that helped to create the art, and therefore that experience, in its entirety, is what we must accept of Jane Eyre.

Works Cited

Cody, David. "Charlotte Brontë: An Appreciation". The Victorian Web. Ed. George P.

Landow. Dec 2002. University Scholars Program. 3 March. 2003 http://65.107.211.206/authors/bronte/cbronte/brontbio1.html

Dunn, Richard J., ed. Jane Eyre: Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 2001.

Friesen, Peter. The Brontës: Texts, Sources, and Criticism. Oct. 2000. Plattsburgh State

University. 3 March 2003. < http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/peter.friesen/>;

Murfin, Ross, and Supryia M. Ray. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms.

New York: Bedford Books, 1997.

Parkin-Gounelas, Ruth. Fictions of the Female Self: Charlotte Brontë, Olive Schreiner,

Katherine Mansfield. New York: St. Martin's, 1991.

Smith, Margaret, ed. The Letters of Charlotte Brontë. Vol. 1. New York: Oxford, 1995. 2 vols.