Compare chapter 7 from Jane Eyre with the extract Essay Example

books are claimed to be new. However, as soon as little man gets his copy, he realizes it is dirty and asks for another one. Miss Crocker becomes enraged and refuses to give him a new book. Shortly after, little man throws his book on the floor in frustration. He discovers a chart inside the book indicating that it is actually 11 years old and was given to their class after all the white schools had finished using them.

One reason for his action of throwing the book on the floor was witnessing the reference to black people as 'nigra'. Mrs. Croaker's indifference towards racism is evident as she informs his mother, who also works at the school. Surprisingly, Mrs. Logan is not astonished by the reaction of the little man and she takes the initiative to hide the chart by pasting some paper on it, fully aware that she could face consequences for her actions. Both novels feature two main characters - 'Jane Eyre' and Cassie Logan - who share similar traits.

Initially, I am going to depict the character of 'Jane Eyre'. In my opinion, Jane's character in 'Jane Eyre' is extremely compassionate and thoughtful. I assert this based on the novel's statement, "many a time I have shared between two claimants the precious morsel of brown bread". This implies that she must possess great kindness as she willingly divides her meager portion of bread with others. Additionally, she refers to the bread as 'precious', evoking a sense of sadness as it highlights her desperate need for sustenance. Nevertheless, Jane selflessly shares her bread to prevent the other girls from experiencing hunger.

Jane's initial months at

Lowood were distressing and uncomfortable. She describes this period as feeling never-ending. Additionally, Jane refrains from defending herself when she is humiliated by Mr Brocklehurst in front of the class and called a liar, as she understands that it would be impolite to do so. Despite enduring such humiliation, Jane remains silent and accepts standing on a stool without uttering a single word in self-defense against Mr Brocklehurst.

Cassie Logan shows her lack of racism by accompanying Jeremy on the way to school. "He had walked with us as far as the crossroads in the morning." In a society where white supremacy prevails, most black children would not interact with white children. However, Cassie is unique. She defends others if she believes they are right. "Look, Miz Croaker, see what it says... no one else defended little man except Cassie, not only because he's her brother but also because the book contained a racist remark that applied to all black people."

The characters Jane and Cassie share similarities in their lives, both of which are fairly sad. One similarity is the challenging nature of their school experiences. For instance, Jane Eyre's school does not provide adequate meals for the students, resulting in a "scanty supply of food." Similarly, Cassie's school relies on predominantly white schools to provide resources, like books, which are often in poor condition.

The similarity between Jane and Cassie is how they are both treated by others. Cassie, along with the entire black community, experiences disrespect due to her color. Similarly, Jane lacks respect because of fabricated stories spread by her aunt and Mr. Brocklehurst. Despite these shared experiences, it is important to note that

Jane Eyre and Cassie Logan are still distinct characters.

Jane and Cassie are different in a few ways. Firstly, Jane is a white girl while Cassie is a black girl. Additionally, they attend completely different types of schools, with Cassie going to a regular day school and Jane attending a boarding school. Another aspect that sets them apart is their family dynamics; Jane lacks supportive relatives while Cassie has a loving and amicable mother. Personally, I prefer Jane's character over Cassie's because of her resilience in facing challenges, like when Mr Brocklehurst humiliates her for accidentally breaking a slate.

Jane observed that it was an accident when she saw Mr. Brocklehurst, the strict headmaster of Lowood boarding school, stating that the girl's hair must be completely cut off. Despite the girl having naturally curly red hair, Mr. Brocklehurst still expected it to be altered. Jane also forms a negative opinion of him based on her description of him as a cold and humorless "piece of architecture," indicating his lack of empathy. As the church representative, it is likely that Mr. Brocklehurst refers to Jane as "evil" while humiliating her.

Mr. Brocklehurst appears to lack genuine concern for the well-being of the girls and mistreats them. He also shows a reluctance to spend money, as demonstrated by serving the hungry girls a basic meal of bread and cheese. His statement that raising these girls should not involve providing luxury or idle habits further highlights his disregard for their overall welfare.

Miss Crocker, Cassie's teacher, shares similarities with Mr Brocklehurst but is not as cruel as him. She also has a gentle side and welcomes the fourth graders to

her class by saying, 'To all you fourth graders, it's good to have you in my class'. However, Miss Crocker can be bossy at times, as evident from her statement to the class, 'we shall work work work...'. Furthermore, she displays acceptance of racism by coldly stating to little man that 'that's what you are', after he discovers that the books given to his school were old and only provided because the white schools were done with them.

I believe that Miss Crocker lacks understanding and genuine concern for the students. Her statement to Cassie, 'all right Cassie, she sighed, turning to me, come and get yours,' indicates her indifference towards Cassie's feelings and her lack of empathy. Moreover, when Cassie and little man stood up for their rights, instead of supporting them, Miss Crocker chose to cane them. If Miss Crocker truly cared about the students, she would not have punished them for standing up for what they believed in. Mr Brocklehurst and Miss Crocker share similarities and differences in their attitudes towards the students.

I believe that Mr Brocklehurst and Miss Temple share similarities in their strictness. Miss Crocker mentioned that she had whipped both Cassie and little man with her hickory stick because they refused to keep their books. Her speech suggests that she took pride in caning the children, illustrating her cruelty and strictness. Furthermore, she suggested that Cassie should stand on the stool for an additional half hour and that no one should speak to her for the rest of the day.

This is a quote from Mr Brocklehurst about Jane, which demonstrates his indifference to her humiliation and showcases his strict

nature by instructing others not to speak to her. Unlike Mr Brocklehurst, Miss Crocker does not frequently quote from the bible. It can be inferred that Mr Brocklehurst quotes extensively from the bible due to his role as a representative of the church that owns Lowood, as he mentions the sufferings of primitive Christians. While Miss Crocker accepts racism, as evidenced by her cold statement "that's what you are," it remains unclear if Mr Brocklehurst shares this view or not. Another difference between the two characters is that Mr Brocklehurst is a head teacher while Miss Temple is not a head mistress. It is speculated that if Miss Temple held such a position, she would behave similarly to Mr Brocklehurst and shout at Cassie. In my opinion, both characters are equally notable for their similarities and differences.

Miss Temple, Jane's teacher, is a highly optimistic individual who always strives to make the best of every situation. She refers to the girls as "stalwart soldiers," encouraging them during their cold winter journey back from church. This phrase is meant to inspire resilience as stalwart means never giving up. Additionally, Miss Temple handles Mr Brocklehurst without arguing, stating, "your directions shall be attended to sir." However, she also defends herself when necessary. This demonstrates that she is not intimidated by Mr Brocklehurst. As an example, she mentions that the breakfast was so poorly prepared that the pupils couldn't eat it.

However, Miss Temple displays restraint in her actions, "its Julia Severn..." This quote suggests that she supports the girls and recognizes when Mr Brocklehurst is being unjust. Furthermore, Miss Temple appears to have more vivacity compared to the other

teachers, particularly Mr Brocklehurst. Another character, Mrs Logan, Cassie's mother, also works at the school. Although not extensively mentioned in this chapter, the small glimpses we get of her indicate that she is superior to Mrs Croaker.

Cassie mentions that she has learned that punishment is less severe when she tells her mother the whole truth about something, specifically referring to Mrs Logan. Mrs Logan's character is sympathetic and does not tolerate racism. This is evident in the way she hides charts in books so that the children who might be hurt by them do not see. Cassie describes a moment when Mrs Logan opened her desk drawer and took out some paper. The attitudes of both Miss Temple and Mrs Logan are similar in their caring and understanding nature towards the students they interact with.

Miss Temple shows her care and compassion through her support for Julia Severn and her efforts to uplift the girls' spirits during their chilly journey back to Lowood. As described by Cassie, Mrs Logan displays her care by implementing less severe punishments. However, the distinction between the two characters lies in Miss Temple's inclination to listen to Mr Brocklehurst while not always agreeing with him, whereas Mrs Logan listens to Mrs Croaker but takes action to rectify her mistakes. The most evident contrast is that Miss Temple is childless, whereas Mrs Logan is a mother.

Overall, I find both characters in these novels to be effective in the way they navigate the challenges in their lives and the kind-hearted nature they possess. When comparing specific chapters, I come across numerous poignant moments. In "Jane Eyre," one such moment is when Miss Temple

reassures Jane after she accidentally breaks a slate, saying "don't be afraid, Jane I saw it was an accident you shall not be punished." This scene stands out to me because even though Miss Temple tries to comfort Jane, she is aware that she might still face punishment due to her aunt's influence on Mr. Brocklehurst.

This section evokes sympathy for Jane as Miss Temple is unaware of Jane's situation with Mr. Brocklehurst. The mention of "the evil one" as a servant and agent for Jane adds to the anger towards Mr. Brocklehurst, who unjustly scolds Jane as if she had committed a serious offense. The quote effectively showcases Jane's humiliation over something as minor as breaking a slate, highlighting Mr. Brocklehurst's penny-pinching nature as he chooses to berate Jane rather than simply replace the slate.

'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry' left a deep impact on me. One particular moment that touched me was when Cassie confronted Miss Crocker about the discarded books. Cassie exclaimed, "See Miz Croaker, see what it says? They give us these books when they don't want 'em no more." It was disheartening to witness Miss Crocker's indifference towards the fact that the school was given old books, leftovers from white schools. It saddened me to realize that Miss Crocker simply accepted the racism towards black people. Additionally, I felt great sorrow when Miss Crocker reacted dismissively to Cassie's observation about the racial label 'nigra' assigned to her community.'

Miss Crocker's response to the situation was "that's what you are." This comment left me feeling shocked and dismayed, especially considering that Miss Crocker herself is black. It felt like a betrayal of

her own culture. Upon reading chapter 7 of "Jane Eyre" and chapter 1 of "Roll of thunder hear my cry," I found myself preferring "Jane Eyre." There is something intriguing about Jane Eyre's character that captured my interest. In fact, while reading this novel, I was compelled to continue reading and discover more about the story.