Jane Eyre questions, Julia Daniel

Question 1: The symbolism of dreams

Jane, the main character and narrator of the book, has many dreams throughout the story.
These dreams serve many functions which help convey underlying information about the story
and characters.

First, Jane’s dreams give us insight to her character and add depth to her. The most prominent
example for this is Jane’s frequent instances of daydreaming, and the subsequent scolding
she directs to herself, always insistent on separating between fantasy and reality, and never
allowing herself the luxury of hoping for more. Such as her thoughts around Mr. Rochester and
Blanche Ingram. Jane often catches herself daydreaming about a life with him only to snap
back into reality by comparing herself to Blanche. This is one of the many ways Jane
suppresses her own desire, and identity, faced with a society and upbringing that teaches her
to. She struggles between the Jane of her dreams, a Jane that dares to hope, to look past her
social class and accept herself for who she is, and the Jane she feels she needs to be, one
that obeys the rules and knows her place, and who works diligently in service of others and of
God.

Besides providing insight to our protagonist’s deep subconscious, the dreams in Jane Eyre
also serve as a means of foreshadowing, primarily with the help of superstition and a certain
element of supernatural pertaining to the gothic genre from which the book was inspired.
Charlotte Brontë wastes no time making the reader aware of Bessie’s superstitious belief that
dreaming of a small child is a sign of trouble, and uses such a child in several dreams that
Jane has. Sure enough, it’s not long after each of those child dreams, that some sort of
misfortune occurs. Whether it’s Bertha Mason, Rochester’s mad wife, almost burning her
sleeping husband in his bed, or Mrs. Reed falling ill. One particular dream, which Jane tells her
now-fiancé about, features that child, as well as Rochester leaving her and never coming back.
This foreshadows the reveal of Bertha being his wife, thus making his marriage to Jane
impossible.

Finally, the dreams Jane has are closely linked to her emotional state, and often directly depict
these emotions, literally or through symbolism. Taking the child dream where Rochester walks
away from her again, for example, we can deduce Jane lingering reluctance and fear of
marrying Rochester, due to her lower-class background and other insecurities about her
identity, feeling that such a happy fate could only exist in fairytales, and not reality. Another
example occurs just before Jane decides to leave Thornfield after finding out about Bertha
Mason. Jane dreams of being in the red room, as a familiar face appears to her on the ceiling,
telling her to flee. The red room is a reference to how Jane now feels imprisoned in Thornfield,
while the image of her mother is her own common sense urging her to escape.

We can conclude that dreams are an important element in Jane Eyre, serving as symbols for
many different aspects of the story and adding depth to the themes of the book.
Question 2: About religion in Jane Eyre

The theme of religion and Christianity appears in Jane Eyre, simultaneously as a symbol of
Jane’s torment, and her source of guidance. We see examples of both of these throughout the
book. The abusive Jane suffers because of religion comes from misguided interpretations and
hypocrisy, and manifests in the form of the owner of Lowood school, Mr. Brocklehurst. He
believes that in order to follow God, one should not allow themselves any pleasure or love. He
is also hypocritical, which is shown in the way his wife and daughters appear dressed in the
fanciest of clothes and curled hair, promptly after he had told off a student for her hair and had
her cut it all off. Misguided Christians often pick and choose which parts of the Bible to follow,
and Mr. Brocklehurst exemplifies that in the way he treats Jane, automatically judging her to be
wicked from the simple fact that she doesn’t enjoy reading the Bible, and, instead of offering
forgiveness, judges the most fitting course of action would be to outcast her.

Jane Eyre gradually starts learning and following the ways of God however, clinging to the
words of the Bible in her times of uncertainty, and that is mainly because of a more positive
influence in her life, her first friend at Lowood, Helen Burns. Helen correctly applies her
religious beliefs, and teaches Jane with patience and love, such that it makes her a better and
more mature person. We later see Jane putting Helen’s advice to use, especially when she
visits her dying aunt, she realizes that over the years, she has forgiven Mrs. Reed for the way
she treated her, and actively takes care of her, even if Mrs. Reed herself still cannot let go of
her hate. Jane additionally brings up the word of God many times in her conversations with
Rochester, such as her when she declared that she will leave Thornfield, telling Mr. Rochester
to believe in the word of God, and pray to Him.

One important thing to note, is how the book emphasizes the importance of balance when it
comes to religion, as living a life so devoted to Christianity might often result in a life devoid of
passion and joy, which is not a life worth living. One of a few examples, is Jane’s cousin, St
John Rivers, who is devoted to his work as a missionary. Because of this, he refused himself
the pleasure of marrying Mrs. Oliver whom he loved, and Jane remarks that he often looks
depressed and tired of life. Jane herself uses religion to justify leaving Rochester, as a means
of adhering to reason over her heart. She later learns to be both religious and passionate,
listening to both her heart and her head, when she ultimately chooses to go back to Rochester
over marrying St John.

Thus Jane is shown in the book as a natural example of a religious person, one that follows
both God and her heart, without hypocrisy.
Question 3: The five stages of Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre’s life throughout the book develops over five stages, each in a different main
location, where she encounters different people and learns different things, this is the main
way in which her character’s development takes place.

Her first stop, which takes place in her childhood, is Gateshead. During her young childhood,
Jane was adopted by the Reed family. This period in her life is characterized by abuse and
torture, Jane never felt loved or cared for, or important enough to express her own hidden
feelings, she was immature with little room to grow. It is her moment of defiance against John
Reed that ultimately leads to a change in surroundings. It is to be noted however that Jane
learns the concept of social hierarchy thanks to the Reed kids.

The second stop on Jane’s journey is Lowood school, or in other words, her adolescence, and
intellectual growth. This stage in the protagonist’s life marks her transition into adulthood. It is
here that she first learns the values that will stick with her until the end of the book. Her teacher
in this case in Helen Burns, who teaches her patience, how to let go of her anger, and to follow
the word of God. We see her applying these teachings later in the book, particularly, with Mrs.
Reed and Mr. Rochester. She also makes friends with Mrs. Temple, the kind headmistress of
the school.

The third and longest stop in Jane’s life is Thornfield Hall, her first independent job. It is here
that Jane first starts to experience love, as well as an internal conflict between her head and
her heart. The main representative of this stop is Mr. Rochester, the object of Jane’s
affections. Jane learns here how to express her emotions and embrace them, she also
acquires the courage to reject the social hierarchy and accept herself for who she is. Besides
the love interest, Jane also meets Mrs. Fairfax, who becomes a good friend and sometimes a
source of advice. After discovering Rochester’s hidden wife, Jane flees Thornfield Hall, and her
former fiancée, under the pretense of moral good.

The second-to-last stop is the Moor house where she lives and works independently, where
Jane meets the Rivers siblings. Here, Jane learns the importance of balance, and finally solves
the conflict between logic and emotion. In addition, Jane also gains newfound independence in
the form of sudden inheritance, as well as family which she can share her inheritance with,
which constitutes for a time, a situation of happiness and stability. But this new life ends
abruptly with the start of Jane’s final stage.

Jane’s final stop, Ferndean Manor, where she finally marries and starts a family. Jane finally
chooses to follow her heart and returns to Rochester. This marks the fruit of Jane’s growth
throughout the book, where she agrees to marry him, not for his money or to serve him, but out
of her own love for him.