It was years ago when I stumbled upon this online article entitled ‘Strangers on a Bus’ (http://opinion.inquirer.net/13339/str...), by which two stranIt was years ago when I stumbled upon this online article entitled ‘Strangers on a Bus’ (http://opinion.inquirer.net/13339/str...), by which two strangers begun their story because of the Jane Eyre. This book by Charlotte Bronte was also one of Buzzfeed’s 22 Books You Pretend You’ve Read But Actually Haven’t (and I’m pretty guilty of that). Though I partly have an idea what the premise of the story is or who is Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester is, I bravely battled my fear of classics and opened the book.
Reading Jane Eyre was accidental. My readings for this year (as my new year’s resolution) would be to strictly read classics and eradicate my phobia of it. I started the year with Gabriel Garcia-Marquez’ Love in the Time of Cholera and Anton Chekhov’s The Duel. And the third supposedly was of Edith Warton, but failing to have a love for her novel, I dropped it down and randomly picked Bronte’s Jane Eyre.
The first pages were a triumphant feat as her narrative easily won my heart. Her narrative style seem to spell that of a musical poetry. Vividly described, Bronte perfectly portrays the emotion, the background, the drama, and the profoundness of the story. Although quite being verbose, her prose is basked in the richness of being delicately well-picked. Characters spoke well of their thoughts, of their accounts, of their ideologies—that they felt real and relatable. The Victorian era was described well-enough to give us the context of the prevailing atmosphere during that time with such creativity. The reading is quite fluid, as there were some abrupt transition due to some old English texts that cannot be deciphered contextually without consulting the dictionary. And the instances where French language was used without any reference or footnote for its translation.
The first part of the novel which focuses on Eyre’s tenancy on Gateshead under Mrs. Reeds were melancholic. It contained what is modernly called as “the feels”. Everyone reading the account of little Jane would surely be demised with a state of grief and forlorn. Hers was a sad story of a real and raw societal behaviour—that blood would not surely cement a peaceful treaty among its members, as Jane was made to felt an outcast amongst her aunt and cousins. As a child of ten-years old then, Jane amused me with her firmness in standing for her rights—as even to her right to be loved and be well-taken cared of. Her use of words were quite unusual for me since at that age, hers was fierce and has depth. That scene where she faced Mrs. Reeds before her departure to Lowood Institution astounded me.
The second part involves her advent to the charitable institution where she was made to study. Although quite full of grim experiences, there she met Ms. Temple and Helen Burns. They would go on to be my well-loved characters aside from Jane. Especially Helen Burns with her profound wisdom. I have learned a lot from Helen though it is quite sad that in the course of the whole novel, she only had a short stint. She would go on to finished her study in that institution and teach for two years.
Then came her Thornfield days where he met Mr. Rochester. This I will leave blank so as not to spoil the essence of reading the story as it is.
To add, Jane Eyre engages her reader and summons them into her world—of her thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Her narration invokes a state of interiority wherein the reader plunges into the very faculty of Jane and explore her sensations as Jane would experience it herself. This immersion to the life and story of Jane Eyre puts us into the right perspective of judging her actions and decisions. Classic as the story is considered and classified, the interiority effect disarmed the millennial gap making us feel that Jane Eyre existed in our time—so contemporary that we can feel her and relate to her story.
Also, the story is what I could call as ‘balanced’. There was no biased in the story telling. It was no shortcut. The characters were made to express their desire and thoughts, as well as their background, thus making us able to understand where they are coming from when they speak and make decisions. As a coming of age novel, or bildungsroman, we saw Jane Eyre from her childhood up until to her marriage to Mr. Rochester. The story made us saw what Jane was and what she had become. Of how she had transformed to be what she was at the end of the story. She was not certainly a flat character so as with everyone. Their evolution and transformations simply implies Bronte’s inquisitive writing and heartfelt rendition of her beloved characters.
If Garcia-Marquez perfected his romantic phraseology for Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza, Bronte is at the same pedestal. The Victorian setting and the prevailing use of English language made it more exquisite, more emotionally appealing, and more heartfelt (for me). Especially when Jane would pronounce of her love for Mr. Rochester. It might be hard to pull a man’s string of being in the state of ‘kilig’ but Bronte proved to be a master of it. Her use of Jane Eyre calling Mr. Rochester as Master/Sir even though mutual relationship has been established showed a feministic way of submission sans being degraded—an appealing kind of submission as a wife would to her husband. It didn’t felt awkward or eerie. It was a perfect blend and a soothing way of establishing Jane and Eyre’s conjugation.
And compared to other feminine characters, Bronte’s Jane Eyre is a gnarly rad lass. Independent and strong-willed, capable and determined, Jane proves to be a character of character. Her life isn’t monotonous nor dependent to a person, she is hardworking and persevering, which made me love her, and dreamt that even in today’s world there exist a Jane Eyre. That enclosed in that character is also a person whose heart is so full of love. She proved to me also one thing: that she can give what she don’t have. Deprived of familial love, she was able to shed more than what she could give to Mr. Rochester. She loved him even though, at first, Mr. Rochester was not that lovable person to start with.
The story speak of so many themes that one may deduce to produce a discussion. In totality, Jane Eyre’s life is something that’s worth sharing to the coming generations. Definitely giving this a five-star. As a reader who happens to fear classic, Jane Eyre proved to me that her story, like wine, seems to give a better taste after some time. And my yearly pilgrimage starting this next year is to read Jane Eyre ‘annually’ as part of the books that changed my perspective, as well as my life. Infinitely, Jane Eyre is tirelessly timeless....more
Ernest Genesis
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Books:
coming-of-age
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