Maria Graham
Prof. Jayne Brown
English 116
July14, 1997
A
Fundamental Belief System
Charlotte Brontë reveals quite a heroine in Jane Eyre; she lives a very
rough life, facing much oppression and turmoil, yet finds the strength to
overcome. Along the way there are many
people that enter her life, each having their own affect on her in varying
degrees. Jane learns many lessons in
life which help to shape her identity and contribute to the make up of her
personality. She applies what she
learns from other people to the knowledge she already has to alter or add to
her own belief system. What she learns
from the people around her directly effects the beliefs she holds in respect to
religion and morality. Jane learns
love, self respect, strength and righteousness, which I attribute to her
relationships with Helen Burns, Miss Temple, Mr. Rochester and God. Some relationships had helped her establish
beliefs, some helped to confirm them and others had actually shakened or
questioned them. What Jane learned
early in life from a childhood friend was the strength she needed as an adult
to stand up to coaxing temptations of love’s deceitful belittling attempts.
Jane has developed many strong beliefs over the years and she holds
fast to them through it all. The one
person most responsible for Jane’s faith is a certain Helen Burns, who gave her
not only that strength, but inspiration and vision, as well. When Mr. Brocklehurst puts her up on that
“pedestal of infamy,” it was Helen that passed by to give her the strength and
courage to face the world-- then and throughout her life. “In passing, she lifted her eyes. What a strange light inspired them! What an extraordinary sensation that ray
sent through me...and imparted strength
in the
transit...What a smile!...the effluence of fine intellect, of true courage”
(76). Helen is the one who introduced
her to God, convincing her to have faith and believe. Amidst all the cruelty and suffering there is a burning light of
hope and faith in Helen’s heart that guides and comforts Jane. Helen instructs her, “‘Read the New Testament, and observe what
Christ says, and how he acts-- make his word your rule and his conduct your
example,’” (67). Helen is teaching Jane
the foundation of the Catholic religion.
Lowood attempts to teach her the same, but it means nothing unless it
comes from some one she respects and
admires.
On her deathbed, Helen tells Jane exactly what God is: “‘My maker and
yours; who will never destroy what he has created. I rely implicitly on his power, and confide wholly in his
goodness...God is my father; God is my friend: I love him; I believe he loves
me.’ ” (90). Jane takes this straight
to the heart and it dear and true as the secret to life. She also reassures her of hope and this
“future state” called Heaven: “‘You will come to the same region of happiness:
be received by the same mighty, universal Parent, no doubt, dear Jane.’” This
makes a lot of sense to an orphan child, it was what every wandering soul needs
to know in order to look forward to each new day. It is evident that Jane took this lesson seriously when she later
calls upon His divine guidance as she decides to leave Thornfield. When she was so drained of emotion after the
revelation of Bertha Mason she
describes: “One idea only still throbbed life-like within me-- a remembrance of
God” (293). This piece is so powerful
in its context. It is one situation
conveying the confirmation of her beliefs as a reaction to trying times. She even goes so far as to offer this same
advice to Mr. Rochester, thereby proclaiming her stance: “Do as I do: trust in
God and in yourself. Believe in Heaven. Hope to meet again there,” (312).
When Mr. Brocklehurst accuses Jane of being a liar, Helen teaches her
that she shouldn't
worry about people
judging her. It shouldn't matter what
anyone else thought of her other than herself and God. We watch Jane learn this lesson, after first
witnessing her desperate yearning for acceptance. “I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough: if
others don't love me , I would rather die than live--” (78). She tells this to Helen and once again Helen
eases her pain. She talks of the
spirits and kingdom around us and of salvation. “‘You think too much of human beings...there is an invisible
world and a kingdom of spirits...those spirits watch us, for they are
commissioned to guard us...and recognise our innocence, and God waits only the
separation of spirit from flesh to crown us with a full reward’” (78-9). What Helen is saying is that God and the
angels are looking out for us. We don't
need to worry about what other people think, so long as we are doing right in
God’s eyes. When we die we shall be
judged and justly rewarded without regard to the false allegations of other
imperfect mortal beings. This is where
Jane acquires the basic foundation of her devotion to only do good and “all
that is right” (218). In the same
scene, Helen tells Jane that her own personal opinion of herself affects the
way people see her, as well. “‘If all
the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience
approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends’”
(78).
Helen is aided by Miss Temple in proving this point. Miss Temple believes that Jane is truthful
and gives her a chance to redeem herself.
When this finally happens and the letter is read aloud in the presence
of all Lowood residents, Jane feels such a sense of relief and accomplishment. This is very important to her self esteem,
and now she is relieved of the uncomfortable and awkward feelings. Miss Temple was always so optimistic, a
great inspiration for both Jane and Helen.
It she who tries to correct the children’s manners rather than just
punishing them. It is she that gives
Jane that flicker of hope and the meaning of self respect. . It
is through this
experience that Jane learns that she has the power to control her own life and
defend herself from evil. If Helen
Burns is the teacher who reveals the goodness of God to Jane, it is Miss Temple
that is the medium in which she realizes the truth in the matter. Its during her stay in Lowood when she
realizes there really is something good in this world.
We confirm that she learns to value only her opinion and that of God
when she tells Mr. Rochester how it would not be wrong to love him, but it
would to obey him (311). By this she
means it would be a lack of self respect on her part to surrender to him and
become his mistress. By rejecting this
proposal she can maintain her dignity, by doing what she feels is right in the
eyes of God.
Jane takes the lessons of faith and religion during her life to do only
what she believes is right. She will
not be swayed to do evil. This is
because she believes wholeheartedly in the teachings of Helen Burns. She lives for the day of her redemption,
when se will be judged by the one and only omniscient being in our universe and
ascend into the promise land of eternal life. Mr. Rochester notices
this one night, when they are talking she says, “‘I like to serve you, sir, and
to obey you in all that is right,’” (218).
He says that he knows she is happy to please him, but if he ever asked
her to do something wrong she would boldly tell him, “‘No, sir; that is
impossible: I cannot do it, because it is wrong.’” She learns from Mr. Rochester many things, among them of course,
love. Most of all, she learns to stand
up for what she believes in and to overcome other’s attempts to spoil her
fidelity and good faith. The night she
decides to leave Thornfield is the night she puts into use her belief that the
only opinion that really matters to her is her own. If she had stayed that night, she would definitely think less of
herself. She would be reduced to a role
as a married man’s mistress, bringing shame upon her virtuous existence. She also learns that she possesses the
strength to become independent as she ventures out alone and poor. That did not matter to her, she had her
pride and the word of God to defend, and if any could do it, it would be none
other than Jane Eyre, herself.
If such significant figures as Helen, Miss Temple and Mr. Rochester had
been absent, it would have changed Jane Eyre and who she is. It is a known fact that someone’s
personality is shaped partly by genetics and also partly by environment. Seeing as how we can hardly compare the
biological differences, we are left to contemplate the effects of those around
her whom she loves and admires.
Maria Graham
Prof. Jayne Brown
English 116
July 28, 1997
May the Forces Work Against You
Esperanza is a young girl growing up in poverty, surrounded by
opposition, but always hoping for the best.
There are so many obstacles in life and outside forces that act upon
her, she has to find her own weapon of defense in order to hold fast to her dreams. She finds refuge in writing because she
knows very well that it is her key to success.
Even Aunt Lupe tells her that she must keep writing. Writing is the means by which she
developsdeas of freedom and self identity.
It is virtually impossible for
her to function properly and achieve freedom with so many oppressive
forces holding her down. The obstacles
restricting her most are completely beyond her control and abundant in the
environment every day. Esperanza
already has strikes against her at birth.
The superstitions are against her in ever possible way. She is born in the year of the horse
according to the Chinese Calendar, which is bad luck for women (My Name). Esperanza says this doesn't bother her it is
only because "the Mexicans don't like their women strong." Even with this reassuring explanation, it
still leaves a bad taste of misfortune.
Her mother tells her that she was born on an evil day (Born Bad), which
she further interprets as a sign that she deserves to go to hell. Most people can ignore all these
superstitions, just like Esperanza tries to do; but when life doesn't go so
great as the years go by, one starts to wonder why. This is the time when these superstitions start to make sense and
have an affect on her. Esperanza's life
is not easy, I'm sure that since she mentions these ideas time and again when
discussing challenging situations, that in the back of her mind it really nags
her. She also has physical strikes
against her. She is a very skinny girl;
she says she "can't even blow up a balloon without getting dizzy" (A
Rice Sandwich). She is not the
strongest girl in the world, it would be more challenging for a small girl like
her to radically escape conformity. She
can't just run away, she would probably starve to death in a matter of days. In
her mother's letter to the school she writes about how small Esperanza is and
that she might faint one day on her way home.
The author paints this picture of a scrawny little thing which makes the
reader further sympathize with the improbability of her success. She does not have much religion to turn to
for help or guidance. Even though she
attends a catholic school, she is afraid of nuns. She has always had bad experiences with them. They put down her home (House on Mango
Street) and don't let her stay more than one day in the canteen. Esperanza tells us, "I always cry when
nuns yell at me, even when they're not yelling" (A Rice Sandwich). It seems as like religion is working against
her, too! Esperanza does have prayer,
though. Prayer is private and easier to
take on personally in your own way. Her
mother prays for her; so does Lucy, Rachel and herself-- "For ourselves
and for each other" (Born Bad).
She does have a sense of religion by being raised in the Catholic
Church, but she is no saint, not in her own opinion. She believes that looks over the earth, but is not sure exactly
what He is. This is important because
God is one of the strongest forces in most people's lives so it must be addressed
in hers. She said that Darius made it
simple when he pointed to a cloud and said it was God (Darius and the
Clouds). She didn't quite understand
what he meant at the time, but she considered it wise enough--she normally
considered Darius mostly a fool. This
goes to show that she has no concrete idea of what God is yet, she is still
learning. Aside from beliefs about God
there are many superstitions that the people in her culture believe in,
too. Marin who is infatuated with boys
says that the number of white flecks on your finger nails represents the number
of boys thinking of you (Marin).
Considering that thes flecks on your fingernails really suggest
malnutrition and considering the way Marin is with boys, in her case, she may
not be very far off. Esperanza's people
believe that superstitions of being born in the Chinese year of the horse as we
learn from the story about her great-grandmother's life experience (My Name). Supposedly, the dog crying and the yellow bird
that flew in through an open window forecasted the death of Lucy and Rachel's
baby sister. Elenita has some
superstitions that she claims are cures.
She believes rubbing a cold egg across your face will get rid of a
headache, spinning a chicken's foot tied with red string above your head three
times will help you get over an old romance and to keep bad spirits away you
have to sleep next to a holy candle for seven days and spit on the eighth.
(Elenita, Cards. Palm, Water). These
sound completely ridiculous to me, but it is something to believe in and that's
what people need. People like to hear
these kinds of things, and they especially expect it from a witch. Considering
the culture in which Esperanza is raised is necessary to observe just how rigid
her people hold to her