Jane Eyre sees male domance
Beauty is generally classified into two main categories: physical and mental. In the Charlotte Bronte's Jane Erye, the protagonist rejects by choice and submission, her own physical beauty in favor of her mental intelligence and humility. Her choice becomes her greatest benefit by allowing her to win the hand of the man of her desires, a man who has the values Jane herself believes in. She values her knowledge and thinking before any of her physical appearances because of her desire as a child to read, the lessons she is taught and the reinforcements of the idea appearing in her adulthood. During the course of the novel shelives at five homes. In each of these places, the idea of inner beauty conquering exterior appearance becomes a lesson, and in her last home she gains her reward, a man who loves her solely for her mind. She reads against her cousins wishes as a child at Gateshead, learns to value her intelligence as a child at the Lowood Institution, her mind and humility win the heart of Mr.Rochester at Thornfield Manor, she earns St. John's marriage proposal at Marsh's End, and in the end she wins her prize of Mr. Rochester's hand in marriage at Ferndean Manor. Jane Erye spent the beginning of her childhood at her Aunt'
St. John instead decides that he wishes to marry Jane because: "he thought I should make a suitable missionary's wife" (pg.468). She rejects his offer because he cannot give her the love and simpatico that she desires from a husband, like Rochester can give her. Yet, she finds it flattering that such an intelligent, moral man would ask for her hand in marriage. This experience again instills in her the idea that virtuous inner morality conquers physical splendor. belief that mental beauty surpasses physical beauty. He could not have wanted a more visually appealing woman, yet he does not want her. Instead, he seeks a woman with inner splendor. Throughout Jane's life, she maintains the opinion that mental refinement overcomes physical impressions. She learned her ideas as a child at Gateshead and Lowood, and the lesson repeats itself several times during the course of her life. All of her endeavors allow her to be the person of intelligence and morality that she desperately wants as a child, and this allows her to live a gifted life. In the end, she marries a man who desires her only for her mind, which fulfills one of her dreams, and her own inner beauty emanates as the sole reason why she won the hand in marriage of such a moral man.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Lowood Institution, Jane Erye, Yes Sir, Ingram Jane, Lowood Thornfield, Rochester Rochester, St John, Rochester Ferndean, Rochester Jane, Gateshead Lowood, st john, hand marriage, physical beauty, inner beauty, exterior appearance, miss olivier, win heart, win heart rochester, thornfield manor, ferndean manor, child gateshead, fails win heart,
Approximate Word count = 1892
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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