Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Explain how the character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and moral values.
In the story of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, alienation of the main character and other girls is used by the author to reveal what society thinks and believes. Jane is a new student at her school and is very shy and doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of her classmates. She and others were alienated by Mr. Brocklehurst, who was the principle of the school, when he showed up to the classroom to talk to Ms. Temple.
When Mr. Bocklehurst walked into the classroom he stood next to the teacher, Ms. Temple and spoke quietly to her. After speaking to Ms. Temple for some time he had surveyed the classroom and his eyes fell on a girl named Julia. He looked shocked and called her out in front of everyone by proclaiming, "Miss Temple, Miss Temple, what--WHAT is that girl with curled hair? Red hair, ma'am, curled--curled all over?" He had pointed his cane at her and shook it with disgust. After learning of Julia's name he fussed about her hair and why it was curly, stating it was defining every principle at the school and was not what he wanted her and every other girl to look like. This alludes to what society values because Mr. Bocklehurst said that the hair must be cut off because it would take to long to mess around with in the morning and he stated that he was there to teach the girls how to be proper and to mortify into the girls the lust of the flesh. Society values shamelessness and a women's natural self, and that is why Mr. Bocklehurst got so mad at Julia, it was because he thought she curled her hair on purpose to impress others.
Mr. Bocklehurst also called out Jane in front of her classmates when she dropped her slate. He made her stand upon a stool as everyone started at her and he proclaimed her to be careless and not a true child of God. By making Jane do this he was alienating her from everyone else. As a punishment he told everyone in the class to shun her from activities and to be wary of her presence. The teachers were to do the same and to keep a keen eye on her and to punish her for the simplest of acts. Mr. Bocklehurst went on scrutinizing her and he called her a liar. This example shows that society believes that everyone must strive to be perfect and that every wrong doing must come with a price.
I really liked your analysis of Brocklehurst being the character mainly used to show alienation (partially because it's what I said too...LOL). I liked that you used Julia's hair as an analysis of the societal values surrounding a girl's vanity and how her hair was viewed as a way to attract attention to herself by Brocklehurst, rather than as a natural thing. The idea that her hair makes her vain instead of proper because it would take too long in the mornings is really interesting, because the girls are taught more strictly, so it's crazy to think that hair would cause such a big problem. In terms of Jane, do you think that breaking a slate is something big enough to call Jane "not a child of God"? Why do you think that Brocklehurst is so adiment about punishing her for such a small thing? I know we haven't read the book, but do you think that there is there something else going on, or has she done something before? I really liked this post!
ReplyDeleteYour blog post is very good because it critically analyzes an issue in society that might have been missed without an thoughtful reading of the text. For instance, you stated that everyone in society must strive to be perfect and failing to do this comes with a price. This is accurate because the principle punishes Julia for not complying with his extremely irrational rules that are aimed at creating a perfect society. In conclusion, I really liked your blog post and your thoughtful analysis of the problems that this principle created by trying to make a perfect society.
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ReplyDeleteI initially appreciated your post because you give some context to what is happening in the story you read, which helps the reader as you justify your response to the given question. I also appreciate your post because you include multiple perspectives. You develop the emotional connection with Julia, but also counter that point of view with Mr.Blockehurst's perspective of the situation. I think your last paragraph tied in well with the summary that you gave about Julia and why this shows significant analysis on societal values. The only thing I would add would be a few quotes from the story in your last paragraph to help explain your thought process. :)
ReplyDeleteI THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD A GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF ANALYZING THE AUTHORS MESSAGE OF THE TEXT AND HOW THE MAIN CHARACTERS HAD AN INFLUENCE ON THE OVERALL PLOT. I KNOW YOU HAD A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT DUE TO THE SUMMARY OF THE TEXT IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH. I WOULD TRY TO SHORTEN THE SUMMARY PART OF YOUR RESPONSE AND FOCUS MORE ON EXPLAINING THE AFFECT THE TEXT HAD ON YOU AS A READER AND HOW YOUR ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT INFLUENCED YOUR STANCE TOWARDS THE READING. OVERALL A GREAT JOB AND THOUGHT YOU HAD A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT.
ReplyDeleteYour comments were very compelling! Your commentary about Mr. Brocklehurst and his strategies for alienating Julia for her red hair had a large impact on me because people in general make fun of people with red hair and choose to alienate someone due to their unique looking hair color- which is not something significant enough to alienate someone for! Also Ms Temple being indifferent to Mr Brocklehurst's comments shows gender roles which are also present in the Canterbury Tales.
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