Animal imagery in Jane Eyre

Examine how Bronte uses animal imagery in Jane Eyre to convey a sense of character. Show how your understanding of Jane Eyre has been illuminated by your reading of Wide Sargasso Sea

In the novel ‘Jane Eyre’ written by Charlotte Bronte, there is evident use of bird imagery to convey a sense of Jane and Rochester’s characters. The side text of this, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ by Jean Rhys, builds on the use of animal imagery, particularly in Rhys’s description of animals which allude to Antoinette, such as Coco the parrot who “grew very bad tempered” after Mr Mason “clipped his wings”. Rochester does the same to Antoinette in this novel by taking away her identity and it becomes clear that she succumbs to her own “bad temper” at Rochester’s similar treatment; she is even reduced to the description “you poor creature” by Grace Poole after her delusional attack on her brother, of which she has no recollection. However, she takes back control over her own life and destiny at the end of the story when she dreams that she jumps from the building and the “wind caught my hair and it streamed out like wings”. Rhys uses this simile to reveal that Rochester can’t trap her in the end.

  

Most of the animal imagery in ‘Jane Eyre’ is focused on: the feeling and the actuality of being genuinely ‘trapped’ or ‘caged’. Jane’s character is mostly portrayed through the use of bird imagery, which depicts her as being a very caring and independent woman. At the start of the novel, it is clear by the fact that Jane, being excluded from the conversation with the Reeds, which leads her to wonder off to a window seat to read ‘Bewick’s History of British Birds’, feels very lonely indeed. She is not accepted in any way, and therefore she uses the illustrations in this book to escape from the ‘cage’, which is for her Gateshead.

Before we are introduced to Jane’s experiences at Lowood School, there is significant bird imagery. “My vacant attention soon found livelier attraction in the spectacle of a little hungry robin, which came and chirruped on the twigs of the leafless cherry-tree…” This imagery could possibly act as a foreshadowing on the poor nutrition which Jane will have to endure whilst at Lowood. However it also shows that Jane is indeed a very loving and generous child, most unlike what Mrs Reed makes her out to be. It is at this moment which Jane very much wants her freedom- “…desire for liberty is evident when Jane is at Lowood discussing the need for a routine other than the one she has existed in for the past eight years. Jane declares, ‘I desired liberty; for liberty I gasped; for liberty I uttered a prayer’”. ¹

The next use of evident bird imagery is between Rochester and Jane. At the start of Jane’s stay at Thornfield, he makes an observation about her having “…at intervals, the glance of a curious sort of bird through the close-set bars of a cage: a vivid, restless, resolute captive is there; were it but free, it would soar cloud-high” Rochester is trying to understand what Jane’s’ personality really is like since she is always holding back on herself due to the discipline in Lowood.

However, Rochester soon finds out that “Whatever I do with its cage, I cannot get at it, the savage, beautiful creature! If I tear, if I rend the slight prison, my outrage will only let the captive loose”. This confession of his love for her, and the use of words such as ‘savage’, ‘tear’ and ‘outrage’ are only further proof of his devotion and passionate love for Jane, even though they also show that he is indeed aggressive and very much possessive over her. It is the fact that she can actually resist this outburst of emotion from his part that shows that she is so much more in control of herself than he is of him.

He understands that if he so much as tries to ‘capture’ Jane that she will eventually ‘fly’ away from him (just as she does when he tries to marry her). Her spirits are not those which Bertha has accepted in her life- to be captured without any dignity. Jane is not willing to be captured by Rochester, even though it is very clear to the reader that she would very much stay with him because of her love for him. “Jane lives as a voluntary ‘captive’ at Thornfield by being a governess, but also maintains her freedom from Rochester.” ²

A good link to this point is that even though she runs away from Rochester, she still chooses to come back to him; she is no longer a ‘prisoner’ due to the sudden appearance of her fortune and she feels like she can go back to Thornfield without being looked down on as a poor girl and prisoner to his wishes.

Even though we know that her love for Rochester is indeed true and very much alive, the moment which she finds out of the existence of Bertha, she flees from Thornfield Hall to the Rivers family, where she eventually discovers her true self.
For a long time after finding out Rochester’s ‘dark secret’, she feels unable to do anything because of the pain that has been automatically caused by running away from him, and the love which they both felt for one another.

“Impotent as a bird with both wings broken” describes how much pain she actually is going through by being far from him. This imagery of a flightless bird is a very good link between both novels. In ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ Antoinette has a parrot called Coco. The drastic fire which is started by the villagers’ ends up killing Coco. “He made an effort to fly down but his clipped wings failed him and he fell screeching. He was all on fire” This horrible and gruesome visual imagery really shows how bad the little creature suffered- this imagery of Coco falling to his death within the fire can also be a foreshadowing of Bertha’s own death. Adding on to this pain, comes the fact that people used to believe that it was very unlucky to kill a parrot, and therefore this only adds to the families poor reputation. This agony and pain at not being able to fly, is exactly what Jane feels at being separated from Rochester.

After the return of Jane to Thornfield, the reader realizes how much Rochester is now going to have to depend on her rather than the other way round like it was at the start of the novel. With her new-found independence, follows the responsibility and the willingness of helping him get better and be able to live just as he used to. Unlike her, he finds it hard to admit out loud that he is going to need her more than ever before, “The water stood in my eyes to hear his avowal of dependence: just as if a royal eagle chained to a perch, should be forced to entreat a sparrow to become its purveyor”.

Describing him as a royal eagle not only shows his grandeur but also acts as a clear reminder of the separation between these two classes; whilst he has always been wealthy from birth, Jane has seemed to evolve throughout the novel from ‘robin’, ‘dove’ and now ‘sparrow’. The word ‘chained’ is very important in this imagery, showing that he is indeed unable to do many things by himself since becoming blind by the fire at Thornfield Hall.
Jane’s likeness to a ‘sparrow’ sheds light on her true nature; sparrows are known for their boldness and often are a symbol for humanity, this is evident by her brave attitude on leaving Thornfield without any money or anything to eat, and then at her courage at coming back and deciding to help him.  

This description of Rochester as a ‘royal eagle chained to a perch’ can also be linked to Bertha’s description of being a ‘beast’ caged in Thornfield. Whilst he seems to have been ‘chained’ accidentally due to his blindness, he is chained as if he was something precious; Bertha on the contrary, has been caged for everyone’s safety. Rochester does seem to be untroubled by having caged Bertha, but he feels compelled to allow Jane to be free, even though he would rather have her for himself. This freedom granted to Jane can be linked to the scene of a moth being burnt by a candle in ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’. Rochester is extremely careful with this “beautiful creature” and after having admired and awed at the “intricate pattern on the wings” it allows it to fly away instead of trapping it; unlike how he traps Bertha, even though she is described as being “the boast of Spanish Town”.

It is of no surprise that the most prevalent use imagery by Bronte is connected to birds. Through the use of bird imagery she is able to portray very exactly and in extreme detail the personalities and characteristics of each of her main characters. By describing Rochester as a royal eagle she does not only evoke a visual image of his majestic air, but also of the fact that he is considered to be a predator bird which adds to his dark character.
Rochester at one point addresses Jane as a dove which according to Bewick is “…a beautiful bird, willing to be an attendant to man and dependent on his bounty.” ³ He also says that doves ‘live as rather voluntary captives, or transient guests. Than as permanent inhabitants’ ”. ⁴ On the other hand, likening Jane to a sparrow not only shows her as a brave and independent person, but it is also said that they are very crafty and are able to know when someone is trying to trap them; however in many cases Jane is entrapped without noticing.

Bibliography

Anonymous, “Bird Imagery in Jane Eyre”   http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=23110

Tricia Mason “Bertha' in Charlotte Bronte’s 'Jane Eyre' and Jean Rhys’s 'Wide Sargasso Sea' - Comparison and Analysis”  http://trish-m.hubpages.com/hub/Bertha-in-Jane-Eyre-and-Wide-Sargasso-Sea

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/

The Ecology of Jane Eyre http://www.collegetermpapers.com/TermPapers/Book_Reports/The_Ecology_of_Jane_Eyre.shtml

Richard Juplit “The Personification of Oppression through a Doppelgänger Double”  http://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/eyre.doppelganger.html

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/bronte.html#reviews

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/61brnt18.html

http://www.postcolonialweb.org/caribbean/dominica/rhys/index.html

Hey guys

I seem to have stumbled upon this blog yet again.

It has been 8 whole years since I first created this page, mostly in order to complete and submit work for my English Literature A-Level. 

Since then, I have finished my BA in Classical Literature and Italian at the University of Leeds. As a graduate, I was wondering whether it would be worth sharing here some of the work which I have had to undertake for my course...

It would seem that there are still a lot of people who access this blog every month, especially related to my posts on Kurt Vonnegut. So let me know if you guys want me to post some more content from my past years - either from A-Level or even from my days at university. 

Good luck to everyone with their on going studies during this time of crisis, 

xoxoxoxo 

*Hardiness101*

Hardiness101

  
• A/S/L
 → 87, male, England

 • Relationship status:
 → Widowed
  (I have just suffered a painful blow with the death of my beloved Emma. I cannot eat. I cannot sleep. Even breathing seems hard without her here. Sometimes even the eyes I once trusted deceit me with sights of her at the end of the street)

  •Occupation:

→ English novelist and poet
 ( secret cyclist and moustache champion)

• Interests:
→ Theatre, writing, books, sightseeing, politics, religion, reading, going on walks by myself

•Aspirations/Goals:
→ To become the greatest English novelist and poet of my time
→ To stop seeing Emma everywhere
→ To stop thinking about Emma
→ To stop dreaming about Emma
→ To stop writing about Emma

• Achievements:
→Learnt (by myself) French, Latin and German at the age of 8
→Was an apprentice of architectural drawing of John Hicks
→Finally bought a bicycle
→Learnt to ride a bicycle
→Wrote poetry about Emma

• Favourites:
→Emma
→ Bicycles (ROVER COBB BIKE)
→ Moustaches
→ Books
→ Emma
→ Long walks
→ Apples

• What I’m looking for:
→ For someone who will not only remind me of my Emma but who could possibly make themselves exactly like Emma so that I could get on with my life. 

 why do i always feel like everyone who comes on this blog just copies my stuff?   ;D 

1st cw draft

It's not always clear how it's possible to love someone who you have never met before in your life, least of all how you can be in love with an idea of how a specific person may be. Now all of this would, I presume, revolve around a person who you actually know in one way or another, even though you might not know them at all.
This probably doesn't make any sense right now, but I will try to enlighten you in the words which I have left.

I never knew my sister, nonetheless, I have always loved her. I was barely 1 year of age when she died.
Being as young as I was, I still recall feeling the pain which followed her sudden and tragic death.
She was only 13 when she first disappeared. She left without a trace; we were made to believe that she had been kidnapped by someone at first, but then my mother received the strangest of letters depicting my sisters well-being and her great happiness at having left our home. My mother and father did not give up search for my sister- little did they know that she was long lost to us. It has always been unclear to me what actually took place after that. The next thing I remember is that she was pronounced dead by the police.
My mother and father grieved for the loss of their most beloved daughter, and my brothers, which were a couple of years older, for their loving sister. 

It was hard being the youngest during that most difficult time. I was very much lonesome and left to fend for myself for the next years because my mother could not bare to pay much attention to me. By the age of 6, I understood things which no child should. Many times, I saw my mother look down at me with guilt, rage, disappointment, despair filled eyes and all I did only seemed to aggravate those feelings she had towards me. My mother was too proud to admit to me that I reminded her of my sister. She always tried to hide this from me, but it was impossible; all those feelings were plain on her face just like a stamp on a white envelope.
I couldn't blame her. I could never hold her responsible for making me feel like a waste of space; like I was a stone on her path, stopping her from ever moving forwards or backwards. 

So, I started to hate the sister which I never met. I started to hate her for having left and for getting herself killed.I didn't understand- I couldn't understand how she could have been so selfish to not think beforehand of the consequences of what her decisions would bring about. I felt betrayed. I was revolted. I could not bare to hear her name be mentioned in a conversation, or to walk by that mahogany desk my father kept in the library, who's surface was covered with pictures of her.
At the age of 10 I was sent off to a boarding school somewhere in the middle of the English country side. As time went by ,I finally forgave my sister for all the things which happened as a consequence of her death. I stopped hating her the day I found a letter, addressed to me, in what was once one of my favorite fairy tale books as a child. It was from her. She knew she was going to die- so she left. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing wildly for a couple of hours after having read this. I loved her, and I had always loved her despite the rage I had once felt. I had forgiven her completely for what had happened. Now all that was left for me to do, was to finally forgive myself for having never understood her actions. For judging her without actually ever getting to know her before.  For being unjust towards my beloved sister- but most of all, for being too proud to realize her true intentions. 

I never did know my sister at all, which is most unfortunate. Despite all, I gained a never ending love, respect and admiration for her. I knew who I was- and I was never my sister- because I imagined my sister being so much generous than me, so much better. I sat many nights just imagining how she would be, and whilst I was dreaming I didn't realize what was so obvious to everyone else. I loved her. 


[I know you will read this Mr. Babcock- this is indeed my first idea for this piece of coursework, but after having read this I'm not quite sure if it is on the right tracks. I feel like it is missing a lot of, perhaps, thought process behind it (even though I already have some points down for what I could possibly write in my commentary for this piece of writing). Compared to the examples which you gave us in class, I feel like it is very plain and poor. Either way, I do hope you somehow enjoy it. I am starting to work on some other ideas which I will gladly show you next Thursday. Thank you :)] 

Netherfields' Advert

It is my greatest pleasure to address every young man of a good stature that Netherfield Hall has been vacant for far too long.
The house is splendid both inside and out and contains many rooms which were fit for royalty. The main attraction of the inside being the immense space to be used for a ball, which I'm sure would be of the up-most interest to the new master of this gracious hall.

Not to mention the friendly and honest neighbors. Myself and my Mr. Bennett reside not far off, just at Thornfield with our 5 beautiful- and very much single- daughters. They are a most pleasant sight to wonder upon; especially my eldest, Jane, which is considered to be the fairest of all of the young girls in this area.
My daughters and I would be delighted to see such a good-hearted man take permanent residence in such a majestic home, and would be very happy to introduce the new comers to the good people at Meryton. 

I can humbly say that it is not any ordinary man that could ever be a good master for such a perfect home, and I am most certain that there must be such a young man of good fortune and class which would not only be a great master to this most wonderful house, but indeed bring life to the surrounding towns. 

'The Whole Story' about Candles !!!

Fire as you may know has been around for thousands of years since the beginning of everything. From the fiery pits of hell to the centre of our Sun, fire has always fascinated the society who has been able to experience it. It wasn't until the late 100 A.D’s that society desired to be able to control fire in some other way than torches. In the days before the invention of the candle, people known as ‘lighters’ were responsible for lighting various torches throughout the big cities. Of course this was no easy job since many torches were in some odd places far off reach. Lighters started to complain that their job was much more tiring than any other in the whole city and so the professions started to degrade and disappear.

It wasn't until Apollo Vulcan, a young apprentice of a blacksmith decided that his job prospect was not going to be a lighter like his father, so he invented an earlier model of a candle. Basically he took a sheep’s stomach and filled it with wool which he then lit. This weird mix of substances actually caused the fat within the sheep's stomach to ignite and to keep the wool lit for up to 3 days without exhaustion. This was a messy invention to say the least. Apollo tried to introduce this method to various cities in the Roman Empire, however lords and ladies did not want to have a sheep’s stomach serving as a chandelier in the middle of their dining room. Not to talk about the smell! Let’s just say that this wasn't the best way to tame fire. Torches were continued to use through the ages until the 15^th century.

Humphrey Blackwell, an experienced doctor who had fame for being able to cure anything in the 15^th century London city was inspired by one of the many mentally ill patients which he tried to help. Of course in these ages, the causes behind mental illnesses were not entirely known to man, but he thought that by talking and trying to interact with them and ‘treat’ them in some way he could alleviate some of their illness. John Fleetwood, a patient of Dr. Blackwell once had a dream where he could take some berries, crush them together with rum and create a liquid which would serve as a light. Dr. Blackwell unsure of the patients’ sanity decided to test this theory. He and his close friend Robert Seymour, a young scientist apprentice decided to try all of the possible berry combinations with this. It was unfortunately in vain, as all of the ingredients that were mixed together seemed to be unable to create or even attempt to combust.  Seeing that there was no possible mixture that could work both men gave up on this ‘ridiculous and absurd dream’.  Later on that same year, John Fleetwood was found dead in his room. By his side a liquid was burning and a note was next to it.

When Dr. Blackwell found this it simply read “I did it.” This strange liquid contained little berries which were still intact inside of the rum which seemed to stick together and create a layer of wax that was able to ignite. These berries had come from the deep jungles of Asia where they were known as fire eating berries due to their ability of making one’s tongue seem on fire. This was certainly the discovery of the century.

Along the years, this fire eating berry candle was introduced to the rest of the world, taking on a lot of fame amongst both peasants since it was easy to make, and kings and queens. In the 16^Th century, Galileo found out that by adding to this mixture other berries such as strawberries and flowers, such as lavender and camomile's, he could make an essence candle. From then on, scientists and many other people began to realise how easy candle making could be, and the profession was born.

It wasn’t only after Leonardo Da Vinci found out how to make somewhat a waxy substance, much like the one still used today that candle making took on full force. Candles were everywhere during the 16^Th and the 17^Th century. Somehow though, candles seemed to become unpopular between the highest classes since most peasants also owned them and obviously the higher class wasn't going to tolerate such thing so they invented rumours about candle makers and myths about candles serving a darker purpose and soon enough they were buried beneath lies.

Up and mostly through the 19^Th century they were eventually re-born again and through all of the 20^Th century they regained their fame and now came in all shapes and forms. So here it is, from the lighters in the early Roman days, to the famous Leonardo Da Vinci who actually painted Mona Lisa by ‘candle light’, the true story of how candles were created. Well, at least that’s what I believe in. So next time you think you know everything about anything, don’t go and watch ‘The Whole Story’ videos, just ask me!!