*Passion versus Judgement* in Jane Eyre
Jane Sorenson '95 (English 73, Brown University, 1994)
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{draw:frame} rontë describes Jane's thoughts in terms of nature imagery the night Rochester's bed was set on fire. After he thanks Jane for saving his life and she is about to leave, she notes a "strange energy in his voice" and a "strange fire in his look" (133) and still holds her hand. Mr. Rochester finally relaxes his fingers, lets her go, and leaves not only Jane but the reader thinking that perhaps he has fallen in love with her. The diction and picturesque images in this passage paints a picture of Jane's inner struggle between passion and judgment. Brontë uses "billows", "unquiet", and "counteracting" to emphasize the struggle within Jane. On the other hand, words like 'surges", "wild", and "freshening" create a feeling of freedom and joy which seems to be repressed by this other "counteracting" force. Jane's "freshening gale" created by delirium and passion blows in the opposite direction of the "counteracting breeze" of judgment and sense. Thus, these images along with the diction, paint a picture of an inner battle between judgment and passion.
ngel or Vampire — the Portrayal of Women's Morality and Sensuality in Jane Eyre
Debra G. Waller, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
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{draw:frame} or the middle classes, the years preceding the publication of Jane Eyre were a time of turbulence and change from which the family provided a haven of stability and security. At the centre of the family stood the "Angel at the hearth" — a Madonna-like wife and mother from whom all morality sprang. Not everyone agreed but the conception was supported by mainstream political and religious beliefs, and girls were taught that they should aspire "not [to] self will, and government by...