AboutJaneEyre
LoveversusAutonomy
JaneEyreisverymuchthestoryofaquesttobeloved.Janesearches,notjustforromanticlove,butalsoforasenseofbeingvalued,ofbelonging.ThusJanesaystoHelenBurns:“togainsomerealaffectionfromyou,orMissTemple,oranyotherwhomItrulylove,Iwouldwillinglysubmittohavetheboneofmyarmbroken,ortoletabulltossme,ortostandbehindakickinghorse,andletitdashitshoofatmychest”(Chapter8).Yet,overthecourseofthebook,Janemustlearnhowtogainlovewithoutsacrificingandharmingherselfintheprocess.
HerfearoflosingherautonomymotivatesherrefusalofRochester’smarriageproposal.Janebelievesthat“marrying”RochesterwhileheremainslegallytiedtoBerthawouldmeanrenderingherselfamistressandsacrificingherownintegrityforthesakeofemotionalgratification.Ontheotherhand,herlifeatMoorHousetestsherintheoppositemanner.There,sheenjoyseconomicindependenceandengagesinworthwhileandusefulwork,teachingthepoor;yetshelacksemotionalsustenance.AlthoughSt.Johnproposesmarriage,offeringherapartnershipbuiltaroundacommonpurpose,Janeknowstheirmarriagewouldremainloveless.
Nonetheless,theeventsofJane’sstayatMoorHousearenecessarytestsofJane’sautonomy.Onlyafterprovingherself-sufficiencytoherselfcanshemarryRochesterandnotbeasymmetricallydependentuponhimasher“master.”Themarriagecanbeonebetweenequals.AsJanesays:“Iammyhusband’slifeasfullyasheismine....Tobetogetherisforustobeatonceasfreeasinsolitude,asgayasincompany....Wearepreciselysuitedincharacter—perfectconcordistheresult”(Chapter38).
JaneEyre—ABeautifulSoul(简爱)
JaneEyre,isapoorbutaspiring,smallinbodybuthugeinsoul,obscurebutself-respectinggirl.Afterweclosethecoversofthebook,afterhavingalongjourneyofthespirit,JaneEyre,amarvelousfigure,hasleftussomuchtorecallandtothink:
Werememberhergoodness:forsomeonewholostarmsandblindedineyes,forsomeonewhodespisedherforherordinariness,andevenforsomeonewhohadhurtherdeeplyinthepast.
Werememberherpursuitofjustice.It’slikeacompanionwiththegoodness.Butstill,avirtuouspersonshouldpromotethegoodnessononesideandmustcheckthebadnessontheotherside.
Werememberherself-respectandtheclearsituationonequality.Inheropinion,everyoneisthesameattheGod’sfeet.Thoughtherearedifferencesinstatus、inpropertyandalsoinappearance,butallthehumanbeingareequalinpersonality.
Wealsorememberherstrivingforlife,hertoughnessandherconfidence…
Whenwethinkofthisgirl,whatshegaveuswasnotaprettyfaceoratranscendenttemperamentthatmakeusadmiredeeply,butahugecharmofherpersonality.
Herstorymakesusthinkingaboutlifeandwelearnmuchfromherexperience,atleast,thatisafreshnewrecognitionoftherealbeauty.
Learntoloveandcare(雾都孤儿)
HereIamsittingonacouchalone,thinkingaboutwhatIhavejustfinishedreadingwithtearsofsadnessfillingmyeyesandfireofindignationfillingmyheart,whichrevivedmyexhaustedsoulthathasalreadybeencoveredbythecrueltyandtheselfishnessofthesecularworldforalongtime.ItistrulywhatIfeltafterreadingOliverTwist,writtenbytheprominentBritishauthorCharlesDi