Essay on how Bronte presents friendships in Jane Eyre
0 purchase
Course
English
Institution
AQA
A word document which contains an essay on friendship in Jane Eyre. I draw mainly on her friendship with Helen Burns but one of the final paragraphs is on her relationship with Bessie and Miss Temple. A Level student from West Midlands .
Explore how Bronte presents a friendship between female characters.
Bronte presents Jane Eyre as a solitary figure, alienated from her family
as an orphan, then cruelly sent away to a charity boarding school,
Lowood. There, Jane meets and makes an impactful friendship with Helen
Burns. Jane is still a child, aged ten or eleven, and Helen is a couple of
years older than her. Jane is drawn to her quietness and matureness as
she sits and reads alone. This intimate and significant relationship would
disappear almost as quickly as it arrived through tragic circumstances,
but the powerful impact it has on Jane would ring loudly with her for the
rest of the novel.
One aspect of Jane and Helen’s relationship is their shared love for
reading. The reader learns about Jane’s interest in reading right at the
beginning of the novel and learns that she uses it as a form of escapism
from her harsh life with the Reeds, or whenever she is banished to the
red room. The reader first meets Helen Burns as she is reading; “I saw a
girl sitting on a stone bench near; she was bent over a book, on the
perusal of which she seemed to be intent: from where I stood I could see
the title – it was Rasselas,” (p41). From thenceforth, Jane is drawn to
Helen, noticing her when she is being picked on by Miss Scatcherd in
class. Jane notes that “her occupation touched a chord of sympathy
somewhere; for I too liked reading” (p41). The use of the word ‘chord’
suggests a form of harmony- Jane and Helen are harmonious in attributes
and interests. The effect on the reader is they too may experience
sympathy for Jane. This is the first time in the novel where Jane is finding
common ground with someone and perhaps she feels a little surprised. In
the mid-1800s, there was a surge in the interest in reading, and the
connotation that the protagonist was so deeply attached to reading
would have interested her readers greatly.
Bronte also emphasis’ the differences between Jane and Helen. The
reader is introduced to Helen as quiet and alone whereas Jane is clearly
very vocal with her emotions and always speaks her mind. When she first
meets Helen, she constantly interrupts her; “again I ventured to disturb
her” (p41), with Helen responding “You ask rather too many questions”
(p43). Helen is reserved and mature and does not seem to worry when
Miss Scatcherd whips her; “‘Miss Scatcherd, is so cruel to you?’ ‘Cruel?
Not at all! She is severe: she dislikes my faults’” (p46). Jane is shocked by
the fact that Helen does not seem to care and states that if she were in
Helen’s place she would “‘break it [the rod] under her nose’” (p46).
However, Jane does recognise Helen’s maturity a little later; “Helen Burns
considered things by a light invisible to my eyes”. The many dialogues
between Jane and Helen involve Biblical references and imagery from
Helen and harsh and ‘masculine’ language from Jane- she does not speak
in ‘ladylike’ terms, listing violent actions she would happily carry out (like
breaking the rod). The use of Biblical language perhaps foreshadows
Helen’s fate. It also represents her purity and connects to her name,
‘Burns’. The word ‘burns’ coincides with the imagery of fire and torches
and even the Holy Spirit (Pentecost). The effect on the reader is that they
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller marthag558. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.