Progress on Jane Eyre, Part 2

 So far, a major theme of Jane Eyre has been abuse and the reactions to and the processing of it.

It's interesting to see Jane go from just weathering it (her encounter with John Reed at the beginning), thinking of self-harm (starving herself after being shut up in the red room) to actively resisting her abusers (fighting and intimidating John Reed, rebuking Mrs. Reed before going to Lowood). She realizes that her "faults" are both exaggerated (or entirely imaginary) and not a valid justification for her abuse. She externalizes her abuse.

In contrast, Helen Burns is more passive and assumes that she deserves Miss Scatcherd's horrible treatment and the awful conditions of the Lowood Institution. She takes the excuses her abusers give her and internalizes them, believing them and even advocating for her own mistreatment. 

It's pretty obvious (especially with that introduction - damn) which side Brontë takes, but it's also a reflection of society at the time that she felt like she had to make this point. From my own research, Helen's rationalization of abuse and acceptance of "character flaws" was very much expected and encouraged. It was seen as a sign of humility and moral character to accept poor treatment, especially if inflicted on your by your "betters". After all, bad things only happen to bad people, right? ("The poor deserve to be poor" was a common sentiment.)

It'll be interesting to see how these two characters' perspectives change (or if they do at all). So far, I've been really engaged with the character drama and Jane's personal development.

A passage from Jane Eyre on abuse and forgiveness

"'...with Miss Temple you are good?'

'Yes, in a passive way; I make no effort; I follow as inclination guides me. There is no merit in such goodness.' (1)

'A great deal; you are good to those you are good to you. It is all I ever desire to be. If people are always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way; they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should - so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again.' (2)

'You will change your mind, I hope, when you grow older: as yet you are but a little untaught girl.'

'But I feel this, Helen: I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly. It is as natural as that I should love those who show me affection, or submit to punishment when I feel it is deserved.' (3)

'Heathens and savage tribes hold that doctrine; but Christians and civilised nations disown it.' (4)

[...]

'It is not violence that best overcomes hate - nor vengeance that most certainly heals injury.'

[...]

'Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you.'

'Then I should love Mrs Reed, which I cannot do: I should bless her son John, which is impossible.'

[...]

'Well, is not Mrs Reed a hard-hearted, bad woman?'

'She has been unkind to you, no doubt, because, you see, she dislikes your cast of character... but how minutely you remember all she has done and said to you! What a singularly deep impression her injustice seems to have made on your heart! No ill-usage so brands its record on my feelings. Would you not be happier if you tried to forget her severity, together with the passionate emotions it excited? Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. We are, and must be, one and all, burdened with faults in this world: but the time will soon come when, I trust, we shall put them off in putting off our corruptible bodies; when debasement  and sin will fall from us with this cumbrous frame of flesh, and only the spark of the spirit will remain - the impalpable principle of life and thought, pure as when it left the Creator to inspire the creature; whence it came it will return, perhaps again to be communicated to some being higher than man - perhaps to pass through gradations of glory, from the pale human soul to brighten to the seraph! Surely it will never, on the contrary, be suffered to degenerate from man to fiend? No, I cannot believe that: I hold another creed, which no one ever taught me, and which I seldom mention, but in which I delight, and to which I cling, for it extends hope to all; it makes eternity a rest - a might home, not a terror and an abyss. Besides, with this creed, I can so clearly distinguish between the criminal and his crime, I can so sincerely forgive the first while I abhor the last; with this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation never too deeply disgusts me, injustice never crushes me too low; I live in calm, looking to the end.'" (5)

 

(1) - Doesn't all goodness have merit?
(2) - Jane may be, in her opposition to evil, advocating abuse to fight abuse. Is it self-defense or is it evil unto evil?
(3) - In my research, this is a remarkable statement for the time, especially by a female author (who was publishing under another name, to be fair).
(4) - Christians are to "turn the other cheek" but aren't expected to not commit violence and hate in the first place?
(5) - Helen is playing the long game here, trading temporal and unjust punishment for eternal grace. She's also saying that she believes that her abusers can be forgiven by herself and by God in the end. (Thanks, Stevie Davies, for your notes in my edition!) That last sentence is kind of eerie though. Foreshadowing?

Dracula Acquired!

 Got my grubby little hands on Dracula. I know Halloween is tomorrow, but it's still seasonal, sort of. I've tried to read it in the past (even owned a copy for some reason) but never got very far. Lately, I've had success with a lot of books I've dumped in the past, so who knows? I'll probably read it after Eyre.

Progress on Jane Eyre, Part 2.5

 Mr. Rochester is sassy. Mr. Rochester is an asshole. Mr. Rochester is a sassy asshole. Mr. Rochester is a sasshole.

(Serious post to come later.)