Reading Journal 1

Grant Wengeler
Dr. Torgenson 
ENGL 436
1/15/2020
Jane Eyre was far more a far more enjoyable read than I expected it to be. Within my own mind I immediately drew connections between Jane’s character and that of Winston in 1984. Two very different characters to be sure, but they both share the spirit of a downtrodden individual who rages against their oppressors. In the beginning of the book I didn’t expect Jane to be ten years old due to the intricate diction Charlotte Bronte used. I definitely pictured Jane as a pre-educated young lady. Alas, I was ripe with preconceptions about this book which mostly turned out to be untrue.
I’m vaguely familiar with some Victorian literature outside of this work, although not enough to really affect my perspective on this novel as a stand-alone work. I have no prior experience with Bronte specifically, so the experience of Jane Eyre was entirely new to me. 
Many themes stick out in my mind when looking back at the reading. FIrst and foremost which comes to mind is the theme of rebellion. Any character whom is separated from the general society by virtue of their birth is a rebel archetype. Second, besides identity, there is also a suppression of individual thought and behavior. There is a christian standard being pushed onto Jane in the novel. This standard includes a large degree of intolerance for any differing ideology, and is prevalent throughout most of the book. 
The plot included many examples of conflict. The strongest conflict was, of course, Jane versus society and its expectations. Before she could stand up to society Jane had an internal conflict with herself which led to her own self-empowerment. Before being rescued by her apparent cousins, Jane spends time starving in the wilderness in a brutal conflict between herself and nature. 
Personally, I have a lot of questions about the realism of the plot. I’m willing to accept that there is some system of magic realism, such as when Jane hears Rochester’s voice calling her telepathically. However, I became somewhat lost at the idea that the people who found her just happened to be her cousins. Certainly, there were far less people in the world then than there are now, but still. The entire situation strikes me as a fourth wall break of some fashion. The amazing degree of coincidence in this novel reveals the author’s existence to the reader and ruins a small degree of immersion. 
After becoming more aware of Bronte’s life I began to see more and more parallels between the author and the Jane. I believe that the suffering Jane was exposed to is connected to suffering Bronte experienced in her own life, and the purpose of this work is to expose such suffering to the world. It stands to reason that through exposure and awareness the world may begin to correct itself, but I could never attribute this outcome to authorial intent. 




Works Cited

Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism 2nd ed Edited by Beth Newman: Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2014. Print.

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