How does Charlotte Bronte create sympathy for Jane Eyre in the Opening Chapters Essay Example

heterogeneous thing."

Incapacity, in propensities... Despite the narrative being in the first person [viewed as from Jane], Jane appears to possess some level of comprehension for the cruel treatment she endures. However, this sentiment is largely overridden: The criticism of my reliance had turned into a vague chant in my ear; extremely distressing and overwhelming, yet only partially comprehensible. This is a technique employed by Charlotte Bronte to diminish any empathy towards Mrs.

Bronte firmly establishes Jane as the oppressed protagonist in the story by emphasizing her victimhood in contrast to Reed. This is evident when Jane envisions her deceased uncle returning to punish those who have wronged her. Jane's inability to fit in with the Reed family plays a significant role in her predicament. She feels like a discord at Gateshead Hall and struggles to connect with Mrs. Reed, her children, and their chosen vassalage. Jane is frustrated by her inability to understand her own actions and motivations.

The text suggests that Jane is unable to please others and wonders why she always fails to win anyone's favor. Her fear of the Red Room is evident, likely due to her uncle's death. She strongly resists going there, going as far as to kick and scream, which is uncharacteristic of her. This evokes sympathy from the reader, as it appears she is being punished excessively for a minor offense. The Red Room, being a dark and foreboding place where a family member died, serves as the first Gothic element in the story. Despite Jane Eyre being primarily a romantic novel, particularly in later chapters when Jane is older, the opening chapters still carry a strong Gothic tone.

This is seen through various Gothic elements such as the presence of ghosts and phantoms, the color red, and the portrayal of rainy moors in romantic Gothic settings. These Gothic components foreshadow future Gothic locations and themes in the plot. It is likely that the inclusion of Gothic elements in Jane Eyre reflects the influence of Victorian society during Charlotte Bronte's time.

Gothicism had a profound impact on various aspects of the arts, poetics, architecture, and design during the 19th century. Perhaps this is why Bronte decided to incorporate numerous Gothic elements into the novel. Jane herself acknowledges that this was "a new thing for me." It is the first time she asserts her rights as an individual, and she faces further punishment for this act of defiance. Jane's attempts to achieve equality in her world only seem to intensify the punishment and animosity she faces.

Despite Jane's apparent maturity for her young age of 10/11, she occasionally loses control and acts irrationally. One such incident occurs when she has an outburst at John Reed, resulting in her punishment of confinement in the Red Room. This event suggests that Jane will allow her situation to deteriorate, leading to inevitable consequences: being sent to the "poor house". The Red Room holds symbolic significance for Jane and her surroundings, representing fear, oppression, and isolation. The predominant red color of the room, although possibly exaggerated in Jane's imagination, is associated with danger and fear. While mahogany furniture and Victorian decor commonly feature the color red, the idea of a vividly red room is implausible.

Mr. Reed passed away nine years ago in this very room. It is also where he lay

in his final resting place, and from here, his coffin was carried by the undertaker's men. Ever since that day, a somber sense of sanctity has shielded it from frequent visitation. The demise of her uncle in the red room appears to cast a shadow of death and gloom upon its inhabitants. This ambiance is intensified by the mirrors within the room, potentially reflecting the profound crimson hues and projecting a crimson image into Jane's vivid imagination.

One reason why Jane is confined in the red room, rather than another room, is its isolated position within the house, which isolates Jane as well. The red-room is a seldom-used spare chamber, perhaps even never slept in... Through the initial two chapters of the novel, young Jane Eyre undergoes multiple transformations; the narrative begins with Jane in a stoic state of mind, as expected of respectable women and refined ladies during the Victorian era. Jane displays minimal emotion when she admits being "humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed." However, as the chapter progresses, it becomes evident that she finds alternative forms of escapism beyond this emotional disposition. Jane's captivation with nature and, particularly important for the opening chapters: birds, is shown through her reading of "Bewick's History of British Birds."

Jane relates to birds when she reads about "death-white realms" and "solitary rocks and promontories" inhabited by sea-fowl. This connection is significant as Jane is highly perceptive herself, noticing minute details in her surroundings that others would typically overlook or dismiss, similar to the birds observing their surroundings from a distance. Charlotte Bronte emphasizes this by using a surplus of descriptive

words and adverbs in the initial chapters, such as "leafless shrubbery"...

The cold winter wind and somber clouds were described in a single sentence in the opening paragraph of the novel. It was not the only fantasy of Jane's, as she had a singular notion that if Mr. Reed were still alive, he would have treated her kindly. This was a fantasy of Mr. Reed's presence.

Reed cannot treat her well because she suffers under his widow. She cannot fulfill her fantasy of birds under the care of Mrs. Reed and her servants. Birds rely on handouts, which Jane is unable to provide for herself as a child dependent on Mrs. Reed. However, as the chapter progresses, Jane's mood transforms into an intense passion against John Reed and his followers who oppress her. These emotions overpower her fear, and she receives him in a frenzied manner.

The text suggests that the protagonist is behaving impulsively and demonstrating immaturity. The narrator acknowledges this lack of ability to maintain a completely resigned and stoic attitude due to the retrospective nature of the novel. The protagonist's impulsive actions persist until she is confined in the red room ["They went, shutting the door, and locking it behind them"], which remains mysterious to her limited understanding and imperfect emotions.

Whereupon she seems to return to her stoical self, however, she retains an emotively superstitious mood for the rest of the chapter. Superstition was with me at that moment: but it was not yet her time for complete victory. In the latter part of the second chapter, Jane sees a light, at which point superstition does seem to claim victory over Jane; she calls out

for help, seemingly hysterical to Ms. Abbot and Mrs. Reed. As a result, she is left in her solitude, to endure fear and complete her sentence.

Bessie and Abbot retreated, causing Mrs. Reed to become impatient with my frantic anguish and wild sobs. She then abruptly pushed me back and locked me in... Jane, our heroine, faints as a result of her torment, concluding the scene with unconsciousness.