Jane Eyre-Literary Devices

1.     Symbol-substitute motherhood
Although Jane does not have a happy childhood, she encounters a couple of mother-figures who serve as role models for her growth and allows her to find comfort when obstacles strike.

“Bessie told me some of her most enchanting stories, and sang me some of her sweetest songs. Even for me life had its gleams of sunshine.”àBessie, the servant at Gateshead, is the one who takes care of Jane and the only one who shows love for her when Jane suffers in desolation and torture. She comforts her emotional trauma by telling her stories and singing her songs.
(p. 40)

“She had stood by me in the stead of mother, governess, and latterly companion.” àAt Lowood, Jane meets the teacher, Miss Temple, who possesses compassion and gentleness. She soothes Jane from her pain and encourages her to be who she is. She provides emotional care and serves as a role model for Jane’s development.
(p. 84)

“…I never tired of Helen Burns; nor ever ceased to cherish for her a sentiment of attachment, as strong, tender, and respectful as any that ever animated my heart.” àJane’s best friend, Helen Burns, strengthens her self-worth and teaches her about the power of faith. Helen represents a devoted Christian who embraces tolerance and acceptance and she believes Heaven is the most content place for home. Although Jane’s is a more ambitious character and longs to be recognized by others, her thoughts are influenced by Helen as she also counts on God for support and guidance.
(p. 79)

2.     Imagery
“I thought I caught a glimpse of a fairy place, so bright to my novice-eyes appeared the view beyond…a pretty drawing room, and within it a boudoir…Both ceiled with snowy mouldings of white grapes and wine-leaves…while the ornaments on the pale Parian mantel-pieces were of sparkling Bohemian glass, ruby red; and between the windows large mirrors repeated the general blending of snow and fire.”
(p. 106)

3.     Foil
“Mr.Brocklehurst was here interrupted…Mrs. and Misses Brocklehurst were splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs. The two younger of the trio had grey beaver hats, then in fashion, shaded with ostrich plums, and from under the brim of this graceful head-dress fell a profusion of light tresses, elaborately curled…”
(p. 65)

Helen: “I am sure there is a future state; I believe God is good; I can resign my immortal part to him without any misgiving. God is my father; God is my friend: I love him: I believe he loves me.”
(p. 83)

àHelen Burns, Jane’s best friend, serves as a foil to Mr. Brocklehurst. They both believe in Christianity. However, Mr.Brocklehurst uses religion to gain power and control and he selfishly indulges him and his family in extravagance while admonishing others who longs for necessities in life. Helen, on the other hand, represents an extremely devoted Christian who trusts her own faith and believes in forgiveness.

4.     Personification
“An odour of camphor and burnt vinegar warned me when I came near the fever room.” (p. 81)

5.     Alliteration
“…he is considered a just and liberal landlord by his tenants.”
(p. 106)

6.     Simile
“She worried me like a tigress.”
(p. 235)

7.     Oxymoron
“The doctor forbade everything which could painfully excite her.”
(p. 236)

8.     Allusion
"That night, on going to bed, I forgot to prepare in imagination the Barmecide supper of hot roast potatoes, or white bread and new milk, with which I was wont to amuse my inward cravings. "
(p. 70)

9.     Foreshadowing
“And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude and many associates, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire."
(p. 149)

10.  Hyperbole“…when Rochester got the knife from her...She sucked the blood: she said she'd drain my heart.”
(p. 315)

Innate vs. Learned Morality

   The link between morality and human nature has been a common theme since ancient times, and with the rise of modern empirical moral psychology, it remains equally popular today. In my opinion, morality is more likely to be learned than innate. The role of nature in morality drives us to inherit different genes that in turn make out our brain composition and hormonal discharges, thus affecting the types of behaviour. Recently, researchers have begun to look for moral evidences developed in human brains, and this explains the fact that people in every corner of the globe seem to share some sort of similar moral values. However, I think the current state of evidence supporting that morality is innate is unpersuasive. The reason being is that in a male-dominated society where women are exposed to mistreatment on a daily basis, I believe that the abuser will probably feel less morally responsible than an abuser from a gender-neutral country. I think the morality of a person can best be seen from their actions and behaviours, which are adapted throughout their lifetime. Evaluating whether an action has moral values depends mostly on the mind of the individual, although the opinions of others are often a significant factor as well. There is no fixed approbation or disapprobation because ethic codes are seldom defined and choices are usually complex in real life situations. Often times, morality is influenced by parental teaching, society rules, and peer pressure; these factors have great effects on a person’s morality depending on how much of the importance the person weighs these elements.

     Parents are the most important and influential figures in a child’s life. The role of parents can provide their child with a strong moral foundation. If parents were able to establish firm moral codes for themselves, their child would likely have similar moral values due to modeling his or her parents’ behaviour and looking for cues on how they would behave. It is up to the parents to establish a moral authority to lead their child to have the same basic values as they do. For instance, being an honest person at all times, helping others in need, knowing consequences if certain rules are broken, and making a decision not based on the judgement of others, but based on what you fundamentally believe to be right are the general moral beliefs that a child might to be taught. If a child is fortunate enough to gain valuable moral rules from their parents, he or she can ensure a strong moral foundation and be able to reject negative influences and base decisions from his or her conscience.

     “It is curious - curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare”-Mark Twain

     Although parental teachings can have great effects on the morality of a child, he or she can also be highly influenced by society that may alter their moral codes because of peer pressure. Oftentimes, the concepts and beliefs of morality are generalized and codified in a culture or group, and hence serve to regulate the behaviour of its members. Conformity to such codification may be mistaken for morality, and this morality exists only if the group stays attached. Very often, the individual is docile to follow the rules of society and believes that these rules are the principles of morality. For instance, every individual is assumed to obey the law, and for those who break it, they are considered as “criminals” or “violators” of society. Sometimes, the rules of society can have benign effects on the individual’s morality when they are set with positive intentions, and other times, they can be the catalyst for deviating an individual’s moral code. A society can easily assimilate a single into the dominant group’s cultural expectations. Deindividuation can occur as a result when an individual loses his or her sense of identity and gains the social identity of the group instead.  This connects greatly to the concept of peer pressure-when an individual becomes motivated or pressured into performing others’ actions because of fearing the consequences of being “excluded” or “targeted” if he or she does not follow the trend. This, in turn, devaluates the person’s morals due to the inability to make a choice based on conscience, but simply carries out an action by imitating other people’s behaviours. The individual’s fundamental characteristic becomes unreal and degraded under the menace of peer pressure or intimidating society rules, because society often moulds moral codes. I believe this is what Mark Twain is addressing when he states that the moral courage is often “so rare”. However, some may argue that society forms the relationship between individuals who share a distinctive culture, and that it establishes the identity and fulfils the integrity of each individual. Therefore, morality arises from social expectations in which an individual feels that gaining the approval from others is the most important element in his or her own belief. I cannot say that I completely object to this belief because I sometimes consider it truthful as well. Yet, I believe a person should base behaviour and action on his or her own moral values: what he or she believes to be correct or incorrect and not feel the necessity to pursue others’ actions for the desire to belong or fit in. For instance, if a person belongs in a gang where every member does drugs, he or she may feel compelled to follow what everyone else in the surrounding is doing because this is what seems to be “right” for the majority. He or she might also fear the rejection of others and lose the sense of belonging if he or she is different from the rest. Social pressure can enlarge to a tremendous scale. For instance, the Nazi Germany who developed a systematic stratagem to massacre all the Jews is a well-known historical event of deindividuation. Many Germans were performing actions not based on their morality but complying orders from the threatening authority and following what society believed to be right. If every person in society is controlled by peer pressure, then we lose a person’s fundamental sense of self. I believe many people will lose their own moral values as well as their identity if they follow whatever the mass believes without contemplating the just of the situation and evaluating the consequences of their actions. As a result, morality, which is defined as a sense of behavioural conduct that differentiates intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and bad (or wrong), will cease to exist and society will not survive for long.

     I think our morality is more likely to be learned than innate because everyone adheres to a moral doctrine to some kind whether by adapting it from their parents, from society, or from peers. Morality affects our everyday decisions, and these choices are directed by our conscience that is influenced as we develop. We should decide for ourselves where the conscience steers. Many people believe that their morals should be identical with the group where they belong, and that their morality is the submission or amalgamation of the majority’s beliefs. On the other hand, some hold to the idea that the concepts of right, wrong, and fairness is learned from and not controlled by others. Along the same line, I think our morality should be derived from our role models and obtained through the positive influences from our environment. We can learn to distinguish what is just by continuing to acquire valuable lessons through gaining knowledge and experience from solving the moral dilemmas that we encounter in our lives.  

An Inspiring Friendship

In Jane Eyre, the key quotes pivotal to the understanding of the protagonist’s character traits are found when Jane discovers her new sense of belonging in another environment with her new companion. An independent and determined girl, Jane Eyre, at the age of seven, suffers emotional and physical abuse from her relatives, resulting in her ultimate transfer to the Lowood Institution for education.

Upon entering the Christian charity school, Jane attempts to get accustomed to the routines and habits of others, meanwhile feeling isolated in her surroundings because she is unfamiliar with everyone, including the teachers. Although Jane acts as a strong and determined girl who does not show fear when faced with superiority or obstacles, she is also passive when it comes to building relationships. This is evident when she meets her first acquaintance, Helen Burns, and states that she “hardly know where [she] found the hardihood thus to open a conversation with a stranger,” which is revealing of her true nature and habits (49). She then explains that Helen’s situation “touched a chord of sympathy somewhere” because she is always being targeted by a teacher named Miss. Scatcherd (49). This quote is significant to the understanding of Jane’s personality because it shows that although she presents herself as courageous, she also has an introvert nature and yearns to be compassionate and supportive of those in need. To others, Jane might not seem like a passionate and approachable person, and Helen might seem like an irresponsible student, yet from this friendship they form, they both understand and appreciate each other for who they are.

Jane and Helen share stories of personal hardships, and from there, they both influence each other’s personality. Even though Helen is constantly mistreated by the history teacher, Miss. Scatcherd, she responses with generosity and forgiveness, explaining that “it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear” (56). This reveals that Helen is one who rather possesses compassion and forgiveness than resentment and abhorrence. Nevertheless, Jane at first finds her doctrine absurd and is befuddled by her belief. She, on the other hand, believes that it is fundamental for a person to demand respect and acceptance of who he or she is, and that those who fail to recognize this importance should not be tolerated:

“You are good to those who are good to you. It is all I ever desire to be. If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again. I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly” (57).

This quote strongly describes Jane as strong-willed and dignified. She firmly believes that everyone should have a sense of belonging and be treated with respect. On the other hand, Helen finds this theory “uncivilised” because she believes that “life appears too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs” (58). It is significant that although both Jane and Helen have opposite beliefs, (one who embraces forgiveness and one who does not allow to be trampled on) they still manage to form a tight friendship. Despite what they disagree the most is their beliefs in life, this is also the initial attraction that brings their friendship together. Ultimately, their opposite personalities amalgamate and their friendship becomes unbreakable.

Regardless of Jane’s unhappy childhood due to the lack of love and care and the emotional and physical assault she endures from her cruel relatives, her longing to be valued and recognized has eventually began to be achieved upon befriending Helen, who has made a positive influence on her character. As a result, Jane’s outlook in life has immensely altered to become more optimistic.

The Value of Family

     As I stood on top of the Eiffel Tower looking over at the unbelievably beautiful landscape of the city Paris, the sunlight hugged me with warmth and the breeze tickled comfortably in my face. Beside me there was a baby cuddling up in her mother’s arms, and behind me a little boy relishing his lollipop while holding hands with his mommy and daddy. Happy families were taking pictures of the gorgeous view while they glued their bodies to each other with huge smiles and cheerful laughter. I took out my journal in my bag and wrote my last entry: Mom, Dad, Brothers, I miss you.

     Thinking back, I thought going to France and Italy would be a new experience for me because I have never travelled without my family before. I did not expect much difference except that mom and dad would not be constantly asking me to pose for pictures and that mom would not be advising me on bringing the unnecessary things, such as fifteen pairs of socks, medicines for all types of incidents, and an iron for my jacket. I would be fine, I thought to myself. An exciting adventure was yet to begin.

     Nevertheless, what I anticipated before the trip was different from how I actually felt. I knew I would miss my family, but was only a secondary thought. I was more excited about going to Europe and seeing all the gorgeous views and enjoying the delicious food. I could not wait to stand on top of the Eiffel Tower because it was a dream of mine since I was a child. Yet when my dream had finally come true, a chill of loneliness rushed over me. This time I could not feel the warm hands, hear the soothing voices and be assured of the support from the most familiar people in my life. I suddenly felt a burden within me because I had to be much more responsible and extremely careful of my actions. There was no one to provide me with coats when it was cold, no one to buy me food when I was hungry, and surprisingly, no one to take endless pictures of me at the most opportune and desired times. I caught a cold because I did not wear proper clothing and I missed the snacks that reminded me of home. When I was getting on a train from Nimes to Paris, I had trouble lifting my suitcase and I was almost at risk of being left behind. This was an obstacle I had never encountered because my dad or brothers would always carry the suitcases for me and my mom. It was then that I realized what I truly fear is to be away from my family because they are always the ones to provide me with comfort and make me feel more relaxed so I can enjoy the experience of being abroad. Without my family, I felt insecure and horrified, because everything suddenly seemed to be so unpredictable.

     The fear of being away from my family was something that I never contemplated. Always having travelled with my family, I did not realize that going on a trip alone would be more difficult and that I would miss them so much. This trip definitely helped me develop more independence and responsibility, but I also found out a deeper significance in my life: the value of family. I did not understand how much my family has contributed when they went out of their way to do the favours for me because their efforts seemed perfectly natural to me before. Nonetheless, after this trip I discovered the people who brought me into this world and gave me confidence to conquer my fear are my family. I realized how much they really mean to me and how fortunate I was to be able to travel with them. As I gazed over at the delighted families on the top of the Eiffel Tower, I wished I could share the fabulous scenery with my mom, dad, and brothers at this moment.

English Death Knell

With the advancement of technology in modern society, computer language and text messaging have intruded their way into the everyday life of adolescents, causing extremely negative impacts on the literacy skills of young people. The use of computer language and text messaging has developed so rapidly that they have become the “essential” forms of communication for many teenagers.  Text messaging and computer language are  known to be anecdotal, more relaxed, shorter, and quicker to be expressed. However, the colloquialisms of the context, the grammatical errors of the language, and the increased use of abbreviations such as “omg” and “lol”, and misspelled words are the most savage ways to the degradation of English literature. The texting generation has been referred to as the “vandals who are doing to our language what Genghis Khan did to his neighbours eight hundred years ago…; pillaging our punctuation, savaging our sentences; and raping our vocabulary (Humphreys, 2007). The question whether teenagers should be allowed to incorporate textism into academic writing should not be of a question at all. It should be a direct statement that textism and computer language will only cause our literacy skills to deteriorate and that more people will become ignorant to the appropriateness of the language and lose their ability to construct proper English. Although some might argue that textism and computer language are inevitable to the natural evolution of the language, the fundamental structure of English should still be preserved and practiced in the “correct” way. By doing so, we can prevent the risk of losing the significance of education as well as the definition of education. Textism and the use of computer language have received strong, violent protests from parents and teachers because they believe that these forms are the modern scourge that would continue to assault the appropriate use of language. With the influence of electronic devices, students now learn and do their homework without a dictionary but with the use of improper capitalization and punctuation, shortened words, and perplexing characters on academic paper. When students use computer language or textism frequently, they will reach a saturation point where they no longer realize their mistakes and will eventually adopt these errors as standard English. The effect of textism and computer language have permeated through adolescents’ lives and caused serious impacts on formal writing to a point that they are considered to be the “evolution of modern English”. Nevertheless, these methods will only result in devastating consequence of our literacy skills, and to accept them as ways to compose academic writings is preposterous and calamitous. As part of the young generation in which the issue of textism and computer language is most closely related to, we should be concerned about the increased prevalence of the usage instead of embracing and allowing it to decline our ability to write properly.

Self-Reliance

Jane Eyre, the main protagonist of the classic novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, is an orphan who possesses a sense of self-worth and dignity regardless of the cruel treatment and alienation she receives from her Aunt, cousins, and servants in the mansion of Gateshead. Commissioned by her husband before he passes away, Aunt Reed adopts Jane after the death of her parents and brings her to live with her children, Eliza, John, and Georgiana. Yet they abuse her for their own pleasure, regarding her as someone less than a servant and a “little toad” (25). Jane feels ostracized and abandoned by her remaining family. Because she has an independent nature, Jane will not allow her self-esteem to be constantly tramped on by everyone in the house. She rarely drops a tear in front of people and she "cries because [she] is miserable" (22). This results in the development of her strong desire for autonomy and freedom. As her relationship with her aunt deteriorates due to Jane’s courage in standing up against her aunt’s disrespect and mistreatment, Aunt Reed decides to send her to the Christian school of Lowood to “civilize” her. I feel extremely sympathetic towards Jane Eyre because of the miserable circumstances she has had to endure in Gateshead, especially when she is only a child. I feel fortunate to have a family who is caring and loving and I am grateful that I never had to encounter Jane’s difficulties. In addition, I admire Jane Eyre’s strong sense of independence and unbreakable dignity in the harsh situations she is force to live in. Most children at Jane’s age would be unable to confront an adult, particularly someone in a position who has tremendous amount of power. They would most likely be intimated, horrified by the abuse they receive and would try to hide away their feelings, which would turn into rage and despair. Some children would be made to believe that their abuse is reasonable and that this is the way they should be treated. Nevertheless, Jane understands what is acceptable and she is not, and "will not ever be afraid" to resist injustice (39). I think Jane is a very exceptional child who has an innate sense of self-regard that gives her the strength to face her aunt and condemns her for her actions and attitudes. She fights valiantly for her rights as a human being deserving respect and compassion all by herself.

My Musical Companion

     Competing with people is always a challenge that enables us to stretch our potential and improve our abilities. Yet in a world of six billion people, competition with others can become endless and insignificant. Ultimately, what matters the most about competition is to enhance our self-understanding, not to be better than everyone else, because the biggest challenge we face in life is with ourselves.


     Now I hear a voice calling me from the stage.
  
     "Number Five. You're up."


     There I was, hands shaking, forehead clammy, my face as hot as a burning iron and my heart beating at the speed of a rollercoaster. "Get up and take your bow! What are you waiting for?" An impatient and harsh voice urged. "You are invincible," it commanded.


     This voice, so far yet so close, so loud yet fading away into the vast audience before me filled me with fear and pressure. "You can't fail," the voice cautioned.


     Then, a thunderous applause and a string of graceful, melodious music emanated from my cello.


     I was five when I went to my first cello lesson. I can still vividly recall the taste of the tootsies roll my cello teacher gave me and my bright lollipop lips. It tasted like paradise. She promised me more sweets if I learned to play better than her other students. She had captured my desire to excel on the cello and it became the most important mission of my life.


     This mission was still burning by the time I entered my teenage years; I was practicing daily, participating in competitions and excelling in my examinations. Every time I stood on the stage or sat on the chair in the exam room, there would always be an ambitious voice inside my head, strictly demanding me that I must achieve my goal and be better than everyone else. It told me to hide my vulnerability because I must be invincible and defeat all my competitors. Nevertheless, life was starting to make my musical dreams more complicated. High school stole so much of my time that my cello practices became less frequent and I could hear my harmonious world falling into disharmony. I began to panic when my skills deteriorated and I thought I would not be able to surpass any other musicians. A shrill voice inside my head scolded: "How could you fail? What were you possibly thinking? Don't you want to be a professional player? What happened to you wanting to defeat everyone else and shine on the stage?"


     This bully’s voice tormented me into believing that I had lost my talent and my hopes. I soon lost my taste for competition.


     As my schoolwork increased, my time with cello decreased even more. Nevertheless, the time I could spend in my music became precious to me. I would play Bach’s sonata in G Major when I was delighted with a new friendship or it was the end of a productive week. Sometimes I would need to work through Beethoven’s C Minor concerto to ease my stress and frustration. I came to love this musical companion of mine. My cello ceased to be an instrument of ambition and became an essential part of me.  It was then I discovered that my other ambitious self was the one who always oppressed my talents, who trapped my own passion and turned it into desires. I was the biggest enemy that I faced throughout the years.


     After learning that this enemy did not have to exist if I follow my heart and show my genuine side, I was no longer measuring myself to others but, instead, expressing myself through my music. The voice in my head was no longer admonishing me, but was praising me for my growth in understanding that it was myself who I needed to learn. The voice celebrated my passion for music and my appreciation for others’ talents.


     Last month I participated in the Kiwanis cello competition, and just like years ago, I was still very nervous. However, this time I had more confidence because my inner voice supported me by encouraging me to share my musical light with others. I practiced for days for this competition and I shone. My partner, Annie, and I won first place in the duet competition, and I won second in singles. I realized in these wonderful moments of recognition that to have my passion trapped for desire was very unworthy because my talent was not composed in a drive against myself and to be invincible to others, but it was created note by note with an instrument I love that is also my musical companion.