Sunday, May 31, 2020
Surrogate Mother Figures in Jane Eyre - Literature Essay Samples
Janeââ¬â¢s marginal status as an orphan is partially obviated by various parental figures that appear throughout the novel. For example, Bessie and Miss Temple play very maternal roles and take Jane under their wings when she is wrongfully accused. However, while Miss Temple was incredibly important to Jane during her time at Lowood, she becomes lost to Jane after her marriage to a clergyman. Only Bessie, the housemaid at Gateswood, manages to sustain an ongoing relationship to Jane. Despite her minor role in the novel, Bessie is all the more important because she was the first mother figure for the beleaguered Jane. She is the only model of female kindness seen by Jane as a child. Jane is enormously grateful for her attention ââ¬â and the reader suspects that Janeââ¬â¢s fate might be very different without it. The reader first encounters Bessie when she and her foil Miss Abbot are called upon to respond to Janeââ¬â¢s outburst against John. The difference in language and tone between Miss Abbot and Bessie is immediately evident. Whereas Miss Abbot is quick to condemn Jane for being ââ¬Å"an underhanded little thingâ⬠and remind her to repent lest ââ¬Å"something bad might be permitted to come down the chimneyâ⬠(10), Bessie is more even-handed. At the outset, Bessie grants Janeââ¬â¢s plea not to be tied up in exchange for a promise to stay still. During this exchange, Bessie looks at Jane and tries to realistically assess the situation. Janeââ¬â¢s awareness that Bessie is assessing the situation rather than blinding prejudging her is evidence in her remark ââ¬Å"and when she had ascertained that I was really subsiding, she loosened her hold of meâ⬠(10). Although this assessment seems trivial, it is the very first time in the novel that someone tries to see Jane for who she is. All of the other figures in Janeââ¬â¢s life seemed to automatically condemn her without seeing her for who she was. Unlike the other char acters, Bessie acts on the basis of knowledge and compassion rather than prejudgment. There is also a very distinct difference between how Abbott and Bessie address Jane. As noted supra, Abbot is quick to criticize Jane. Her remarks are calculated to sting. In comparison, Bessie warns Jane that the poorhouse will be the logical outcome of her actions. While Janeââ¬â¢s situation may be enormously unfair, Bessieââ¬â¢s remarks are calculated to protect Jane by reminding her of harsh consequences of her behavior. It is important to note that Bessie is not being critical ââ¬â she refrains from criticism. Unlike Abbot, she uses ââ¬Å"no harsh voiceâ⬠and speaks in positive terms reminding Jane to be ââ¬Å"useful and pleasantâ⬠. Thus, without opposing the Reeds or Abbot, Bessie establishes herself as Janeââ¬â¢s protector in the household. Bessieââ¬â¢s role as protector is firmly established after Janeââ¬â¢s hysterical episode in the red room. Bessie responds as she did before ââ¬â by assessing the situation and asking questions. Unlike Abbot who harshly prejudges without any knowledge, Bessie asks, ââ¬Å"Miss Eyre, are you ill?â⬠This assessment continues later when Mr. Lloyd attends to Jane. Bessie variously asks, ââ¬Å"Do you feel as if you should sleep?â⬠and, ââ¬Å"would you like to drink or could you eat something?â⬠The only people to give Jane the freedom to assert individual answers are Bessie and Mr. Lloyd. Bessieââ¬â¢s kindness goes straight to Janeââ¬â¢s heart. She notes that when she awoke in the nursery, she was aware that someone was ââ¬Å"lifting me up and supporting me in a sitting posture, and that more tenderly than I had ever been raised or upheld before (15). Bessieââ¬â¢s kindness continued throughout Janeââ¬â¢s recuperation. Unlike Mrs. Reed who was almost entirely out of the picture, Bessie brings Jane food from the kitchen on a specially painted plate that captur ed Janeââ¬â¢s imagination and sweetly sings songs about the fate of ââ¬Å"the poor orphan childâ⬠(17-18). Although relatively powerless, Bessie acts as a good mother would, taking all steps possible to make sure that Jane is removed from Gateswood. The reader suspects that Bessie may have provided additional information to Mr. Lloyd about Janeââ¬â¢s marginal status in the household when she invited him to walk into the breakfast room with her before he conferred with Mrs. Reed about Janeââ¬â¢s condition. After providing the initial encouragement that Jane be sent to school, it is Bessie who finds Jane and makes sure her face is scrubbed and her dirty pinafore removed before her interview with the headmaster of Lowood, Mr. Brocklehurst. At every step of the way, the reader sees Bessie aiding the process by which Jane finally leaves. It is important to note that Bessieââ¬â¢s maternal acts are not limited to kindness. There are several instances in which Bessi e scolds Jane ââ¬â and in one of the few lighthearted moments of Janeââ¬â¢s childhood, Jane teases Bessie for this scolding. However, every instance of such scolding is marked by Bessieââ¬â¢s knowledge of Janeââ¬â¢s character and her situation in the world. Bessie hopes that Jane will learn to be more accommodating to the world ââ¬â and in return be better treated. Unlike the harshness from Miss Abbot and Mrs. Reed, Bessieââ¬â¢s scolding is motivated by a desire to help Jane. Bessieââ¬â¢s last maternal act during Janeââ¬â¢s time at Gateshead is to prepare Jane to leave and say goodbye. Here, Bessie seems determined that Janeââ¬â¢s last days be marked by the affection that was so entirely missing there. In a tender exchange, the day before Janeââ¬â¢s leave-taking, Bessie provides her last assistance saying, ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ll ask cook to bake you a little cake, and then you shall help me to look over your drawers; for I am soon to pack your tr unk. Missis intends you to leave Gateshead in a day or two, and you shall choose what toys you would like to take with youâ⬠(33). Bessie uses this occasion to assure Jane that ââ¬Å"I believe I am fonder of you than of all the others.â⬠(33). When Jane actually leave the next day, Bessie comes to Jane at 5:00 AM. Finding Jane already dressed and washed, Bessie makes breakfast. The two leave Gateshead in the dark and traverse the gravel road to the porterââ¬â¢s. Having assured Jane that she is first in her heart, like a good mother, she pushes Jane into the world and into the hands of the coachman. In each of the aforementioned exchanges, Bessie has consistently been the only one to show kindness to Jane and to attempt to better her place in the world. It is this kindness that allows Jane to move forward in the world and under the wing of her next mother surrogate. Miss Temple. Bessie appears two more times in the novel. These appearances bear examination bec ause they coincide with major transitional periods in Janeââ¬â¢s life and speak to the long-term relationship between Jane and Bessie. The first time Bessie reappears is just before Jane leaves Lowood. This also coincides with the permanent loss of Miss Temple, Janeââ¬â¢s other mother figure. Without Miss Temple, Lowood has become a hollow place in the world for Jane ââ¬â who has elected to venture beyond its bounds and place herself in private service. This was a frightening and dangerous step for Jane to make as she entered into a world that offered virtually no protection. It is at just this time that Bessie reports that ââ¬Å"I thought Iââ¬â¢d just set off, and get a look at you before you were quote out of my reachâ⬠(77). The seemingly coincidental appearance of Bessie at this auspicious time suggests that Bessie continues to look after Jane. During Bessieââ¬â¢s visit, we learn she has married Robert Leaven, the Gateshead coachman. However, unlike Miss Temple, marriage is not an obstacle to her relationship to Jane. Indeed, insofar as Bessie named her first daughter after Jane, the marriage has the effect of deepening her bond to Jane. The second time Bessie appears in the novel is also a transitional period. Once again, we see Jane on the threshold of a major life change ââ¬â only this one even less certain. Jane anticipates a change in her situation because Mr. Rochester is soon to marry. However, just as soon as she returns from Gateswood, his wedding plans undergo drastic changes ââ¬â and ultimately leave Jane completely bereft and alone in the world once again. Bessieââ¬â¢s husband acts as a messenger to summon Jane back to Gateshead. Using Robert Leaven as an intermediary cements the idea that Bessieââ¬â¢s marriage has not severed the relationship between Jane and Bessie. He appears at Thornfield to tell Jane that John Reed has suicided and that Mrs. Reed is summoning her back to Gateshead. Immediat ely after her return, Brontà « curiously refers to Bessie in this passage as ââ¬Å"Mrs. Leavenâ⬠. This reference occurs only once and is immediately followed by a sentence in which Jane kisses her old protector and calls her ââ¬Å"Bessieâ⬠. It appears that Bronte was trying to emphasize that even though Bessieââ¬â¢s status had changed, her relationship to Jane remained the same. In this transitional period back at Gateshead, the reader sees Jane with a startling new maturity. Gone is her anger at Mrs. Reed and her daughters. In its stead is a competence and acceptance of the situation. Jane deals with Eliza, Georgina and Mrs. Reed practically, confidently and with much insight. However, Janeââ¬â¢s behavior with Bessie remains unchanged. She lets herself be taken care of, saying ââ¬Å"I was glad to accept her hospitality; and I submitted to be relieved of my traveling garb just as passively as I used to let her undress me when a childâ⬠(193). Bessie continues to dote on Jane, serving her tea and toast, and learning about Janeââ¬â¢s new world. In conclusion, although Jane is an adrift in the world as an orphan, she is not altogether without strong mother surrogates. Although Bessie is a very minor figure in the novel, she plays a significant role as Janeââ¬â¢s primary protector at Gateshead. She continues to appear at transitional points in the novel which emphasizes her continued relationship to Jane. Even despite Janeââ¬â¢s growing maturity, Bessie remains the one person who provides nurturing and sustenance. Works CitedBrontà «, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 2001.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.