“Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes” Hugh Prather. Life can be both brilliant and torture, sometimes at the same time, and we must learn to roll with the punches. In the graphic novel version of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane learns how to deal with her tragic life but also to love and forgive. The character Jane Eyre goes through changes in her life at every flip or a page. The common underlying message declares that not everything in life is handed to you, that instead one must reach and strive to reach greatness.
Shown in the novel through the dark undertones and seasonal environment shifts, that life is not all sunshine, in fact there rarely is sunlight drawn, and when there is, Jane has worked her hardest to make this event occur. Jane through the novel becomes a dynamic character as she evolved from the young malnourished child into an independent and loving woman. Throughout section one of Jane Eyre there is an overall mood or tone of hostility and sorrow. Jane Eyre is characterized as a bitter child which helps to show the overall theme of abuse throughout this section.
Jane’s bitter attitude directly relates to the abuse relayed in the first section as she is only bitter to the people in her life who treat her as inferior. From the treatment she endured, Jane had a very hostile living environment in which she would fight with her aunt and cousins and lived in sorrow because of the isolation she felt. A prime example of the hostile environment in which Jane lived is when she got into fights with John. Even though Jane endured John hitting her, she fought back with her words calling him a “wicked and cruel boy! … like a murderer, a slave-driver” (page 11).
In essence, Jane’s words reveal a lot about her character like how resentful she is to the family and with her biting words, it parallels both the bitter mood and hostile tone. Jane’s own attitude and actions parallel the hostile environment and bitter moods relating into the abusive theme because the abuse and mistreatment is caused by all the anger and resentment running through the house. In the quote it actually blatantly shows anger and resentment upon being abused, and Jane’s words only feed into the hate. Her bitter words pile onto the anger and hatred and feed into the theme that abusive behavior is learned and developed.
The first section of Jane Eyre was shrouded in darkness and despair shown through the endless cycle of hate leading to abuse, and how hard it can be to see the light in these dark times. Section 2 of the novel Jane Eyre begins with Jane leaving for school and even though the environment seems gloomy, there is an underlying hopeful tone. Jane is now becoming a kinder girl especially upon her meeting her friend Helen. Jane is beginning to feel what it is like to be accepted and starts to open up to people portraying the overall theme that even a small act of kindness can breed hope.
The softer look of this section and the increments of literal light shining through assists in how the small things like friendship can bring happiness and hope of a better day. While most examples of the friendship Jane is shown is through Helen, such as when Helen teaches Jane to take things with a grain of salt and respect people, there are others at the school that give hope to not only Jane, but other students as well. Ms. Temple is in charge of the school and she is the golden light of hope to almost everyone, with this first being shown when she reassures Jane that “[w]e shall think you what you prove to be …
Continue to act as a good girl, and you will satisfy us” (page 33). In other words, Ms. Temple is showing Jane motherly love in that she trusts Jane and will believe her first above any accusations. Through this quote it is gained that Jane is becoming a respectable and kind young lady as Miss Temple informs her to continue to act as a good girl. With the help of Helen and her small acts of kindness and teachings, Jane has already grown more into a more hopeful and caring person.
The tone of the particular quote is hopeful in itself as it is showing that it is better to look toward the future, live in the present, and forgive the past. The second section of Jane Eyre was about new beginnings and showing that even the most cynical person can become hopeful through the loving acts of others. Section 3 of Jane Eyre is all about Jane beginning to find happiness and love in people once again and while the moods tend to be loving and hopeful, the undertones in the chapters are mysterious, secretive, and ominous.
Jane starts to become open to people, giving away her past experiences and talking her feelings through with Mr. Rochester. Her feelings towards Mr. Rochester open up as well making way into the main theme of section 3, love or infatuation (? ), and how one shouldn’t lose themselves to their love. Jane was filled with hope of the idea that she could finally have a family and someone to love but everything was snatched away from her in an instant.
There was a dark past revealed and the mysteries of the manor and secrets Mr. Rochester held close came to light, Jane was once again betrayed and lost to loneliness. Jane gave in to the sweet talks told to her to capture her heart so she left, and as Jane ran away for her freedom, she “thought of [Mr. Rochester] now, in his room, hoping [Jane] would come to say [she] would be his]” (page 91). In this thought of Jane’s it can be observed that she has been consumed by her love and longing for Mr. Rochester but still strives for her independence.
This quote portrays the loving and hoping mood thinking even for a second that there might still be a chance for her to turn back, and also shows the darker tones because Jane is in the dark and loneliness again and realizes she can never truly be happy with Rochester. Jane herself fell into love and let down her walls, losing herself and everything she had built up all for a man, only to have it backfire. Overall, Section 3 was about how love and life is not all happiness and to truly love, one must love and support theirself above anyone else.
