The Theme of Isolation in the Gateshead section of Jane Eyre Essay Example

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Despite it being a very grand and splendid room, it was probably the coldest and loneliest rooms in the house - 'the spell that kept it so lonely in spite of its grandeur. ' This definitely reflects the mood of isolation, because out of all the rooms in the Gateshead manor, Jane was put in the most isolated. Jane is an involved narrator ie. the book was written in the first person. I think that this style makes you feel empathy for Jane, and enables you to relate to her in the story as you witness events through her eyes.

This technique is effective in the way that you become totally involved in the story, because you know only her thoughts and feelings. Therefore, her hopes and fears also become yours and consequently this enhances the feeling of solitude that she endures. The other characters involved in the book play a very important role in contributing to this theme of isolation. An example of which is when Mrs Reed shows her great dislike for Jane and demonstrates this by locking her in the red room - 'the red room was a square chamber, very seldom slept in, I might say never.

Despite Jane's pleas to be released and her obvious terror, Mrs Reed ignores her. An act, which shows total indifference to her feelings of fear and confirms Mrs Reed's inability to love her. Moreover, even though Mrs Reed was responsible for Jane's subsequent fit, she does not send for a proper doctor but requests the apothecary to come and attend Jane - 'an apothecary, sometimes called in by Mrs Reed when the servants were ailing:

for herself and the children she employed a physician.

This underlines Jane's inferior position in the Reed household. To further highlight Jane's seclusion, Mrs Reed proceeds to exclude her from all forms of enjoyment while still expecting her to remain a happy and loving child. Subsequently, Jane is further reminded of her loveless position within in the family when on leaving Gateshead for Lowood School she is instructed not to disturb her cousin by her aunt because they are not concerned or interested in her departure. - 'Will you go bid Missis good-bye?

No Bessie. ' Furthermore, Mrs Reed simply believes that Jane is a naughty, deceitful girl and she expresses this opinion when Mr Brocklehurst (from Lowood school) comes to talk to Jane about attending the school. Mrs Reed immediately blackens Jane's reputation and creates an unfavourable first impression of her. Jane now felt that Mrs Reed 'was obliterating hope from the new phase of existence which she destined me to enter' and challenges her. This frightens Mrs Reed and she begins to be civilised with Jane.

Jane who is still angry simply says to her - 'Send me to school soon, Mrs Reed, for I hate to live here. ' This demonstrates Jane's hatred for Gateshead hall and its inhabitants and just how awful her existence there was. John, Georgiana and Eliza Reed do not show any affection towards Jane because they are very much influenced by their mother. They believe she is socially below them and that she is not fit to associate with them. John is constantly tormenting, provoking and bullying Jane in order to get her into trouble, 'he struck me suddenly and

strongly.

Moreover, on occasions, he is extremely violent towards her, which shows his detestation of Jane and her presence in the house, which makes life Jane's life miserable - 'he ran headlong at me, I felt him grasp my hair and my shoulder. ' Miss Abbot is another character whose attitude to Jane is mean and belittling and contributes to the decline in her morale and heightens her feeling of being unloved and excluded - 'such an ill-conditioned child, who always looked as if she were watching everybody, and scheming plots under hand. '

The only reason why Jane does not feel 'total' isolation is due to the affection shown to her by Bessie, particularly when she supports Jane in the red-room incidence. Moreover, when Jane is recovering from her fit, Bessie attempts to cheer her up, by bringing her her favourite plate (a brightly decorated one with detailed and beautiful pictures of exotic birds on) and a little tart as a treat. At the beginning of the book, Bessie seems very sharp with Jane, and seems similar to the rest of the family, - 'my heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie.

However, these actions along with those in later parts of the novel show that Bessie does care for Jane although she is probably the only one who does. As that one gesture with the plate shows that, she does not want Jane to feel miserable and secluded unlike the other members of the family. When Mr Lloyd returns to visit Jane for a second time, she expresses to him her loneliness and isolation in the Reed household. So severe is her feeling of seclusion that

she would rather attend an unknown school completely alone than stay where was.

Therefore, it becomes clear that isolation is a major recurring theme throughout Jane Eyre of which there are two main types. There is physical isolation, this meaning that Jane is physically excluded. An important example is at the very start of the book when Mrs Reed and her children are clustered around the fire and Jane, because she is not a happy and contented child, is expelled from the group. The image of the fire does not only portray actual warmth, but it is a symbol of family love.

Jane has not been allowed to be a part of this, as the rest of the family does not want her. Also, Mrs Reed proceeds to isolate Jane even more after she recovers from her fit by making her sleep in a closet away from the others. Furthermore, she was condemned to eating meals alone and had to remain in the nursery at all times, while her cousins spent most of their time in the drawing room causing her to feel once again physically isolated. In addition, her cousins were requested to speak to Jane as little as possible, as she was not fit to associate with them.

At Christmas time, she was denied the normal family privilege of receiving presents or attending parties unlike the other children - 'From every enjoyment I was excluded of course. ' The next type of isolation that Jane endured was emotional isolation ie. that she was bullied and unloved by the rest of the family. Jane is frequently bullied by her older cousin, John Reed - 'He bullied and

punished me; not two or three times in a week, nor once or twice in a day, but continually.

She is constantly belittled by him and in the introduction; Jane even explains how she feels physically inferior to her cousins. John and others in the house, constantly remind her that she is not really a part of the family and they could toss her out whenever they like - 'You are a dependant, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not live here with gentlemen's children like us. ' Finally, there is a psychological isolation which Jane endures, brought on by the above aspects of isolation. This unstable state leaves Jane feeling sad, angry, bitter and depressed.

Therefore, she cries a lot, quietly to herself, she feels a great hatred for the rest of her family and develops a morbid imagination. Her anger and frustration is often shown throughout the Gateshead section of the narrative as she has violent outbursts and is constantly in conflict with John Reed - 'I instantly turned against him, roused by the same ire and desperate revolt which had stirred my corruption before... I had burst his nose. ' Jane is not always to blame for the arguments yet nobody comes to her defence, stressing her remoteness within the family.

Jane's morbid imagination is shown when she chooses a book to read in the breakfast room. This book is 'Bewick's History of British Birds. ' In the introduction, there are many disturbing pictures of isolation and loneliness - 'The black horned thing seated aloof on a rock, surveying a distant crowd surrounding a gallows.

' In the day this book was written, these pictures would be ones of great terror and fear to children of her age. Nevertheless, Jane feels drawn to these pictures as she feels she can relate to the meaning portrayed by them.

Jane is a very miserable and bitter little girl because living at Gateshead has had a detrimental effect on her disposition. Also, she seems to be very mature for her age and I think this has also been forced upon her in that, she has learnt to ignore the insults - 'accustomed to John Reed's insults, I never had an idea of replying to them. ' Jane appears to be an unloving child, yet she shows some affection towards Bessie - 'when thus gentle, Bessie seemed to me the best, prettiest, kindest thing in the world.

Furthermore, Bessie is not the only thing that she shows a liking to, Jane owns a doll and she explains how she found great pleasure in imagining that the shabby little image had feelings and that it could love her in return. She, like many little children nowadays, believed that when she was fairly happy, lay warm and safe in her bed the doll was also happy - 'I contrived to find pleasure in loving and cherishing a faded graven image, shabby as a miniature scarecrow. '

In conclusion, the theme of isolation and loneliness in this novel is on going, however, after the red room incident things seem to gradually become worse for Jane and she is slowly but surely being completely cut-off from the rest of the family, seeing only Bessie. Jane's personality has been moulded on this

lifestyle of loneliness and she has had to grow up very quickly, as she is subject to constant insults and being told that she is not loved. I think that this has made Jane a very cold person who is depressed and as she is not loved herself, she is unable to love anyone in return, which will slowly increase her isolation within society.