Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre Dress Rehearsal- Act 1, Hessle Theatre Company, taken by John Drury

"Such is the imperfect nature of man! Such spots are there on the disc of the clearest planet; and eyes like Miss Scatcherd's can only see those minute defects, and are blind to the full brightness of the orb," (Bronte 62).

               

                By focusing on remedying the imperfect nature of man, the teachers of Lowood at the command of Mr. Brocklehurst spend all their days picking apart the sinful actions of their students. Trying to punish for imperfection, they are forever focused on the bad, however minuscule, and the miss the value of the individual. The central idea Bronte is trying to communicate in this passage is that cruel treatment, even when justified by religion, can be extensively damaging for individuals. The injustsice of Brocklehurst's treatment of the girls is seen in the extremity of their conditions and punishments, the disparity between the girls’ conditions and the conditions of Brocklehurst's wife and daughters, and Brocklehurst's lack of forgiveness.

                "I have a Master to serve whose kingdom is not of this world: my mission is to mortify in these girls the lusts of the flesh; to teach them to clothe themselves with shame-facedness and sobriety," (Bronte 59). Brocklehurst's aim is righteous upon initial inspection. However, the way in which he goes about this involves cruel and vicious tactics. Bronte recounts the awful treatment of the girls in the first few paragraphs. They are given minimal clothes to shield from the cold, barely enough food to survive, and are punished cruelly. These methods are meant to starve the body but feed the soul, but they instead result in the starvation of these girls physically and emotionally, and probably the rejection of any God who would allow such treatment.

                The true hypocrisy of Brocklehurst's mentality is exposed when his wife and daughters are introduced. While Brocklehurst is explaining to Miss Temple the shameful extravagance of the girls braided hair, Brocklehust's family interrupts. Three ladies walk in, wearing expensive curls, embroidered gowns, and rare furs. By introducing this situational irony, Bronte is able to comment on the hypocrisy of Brocklehurst and the horrible disparity between religious idealism and the true actions of many practitioners. The stark contrast between these two conditions reaffirms the horror of the conditions in Lowood.

                Though Brocklehurst claims to follow the tenants of Christianity, his practices are directly opposed to the purpose of Christianity. His lack of forgiveness towards Jane or any of the students shows his ignorance in true Biblical mercy. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--" (Ephesians 2:8). In the fundamental Christianity by which I have been raised, it is essential that this verse is realised in everyday life. Brocklehurst's attempt to reprimand and fix the girls in order for them to achieve salvation is in direct opposition with this verse. As he strives to right all their wrongs, with no forgiveness, he misses that grace and salvation come from Christ alone.

                Brocklehurst and Lowood's teachers are forever focused on the imperfection of Jane and her peers. Instead of depending on the salvation offered by the grace of God, they strive to earn salvation for the girls by making them live righteously. Bronte points out the horror of Brocklehurst's treatment, which seems to be justified by Christianity. Focusing on the sins of man will forever focus attention on what is wrong, without recognizing and utilizing all the things that are right. 

Works Cited

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London: J. M. Dent & sons Limited, 1908. Print.

Drury, John. "Jane Eyre Dress Rehearsal- Act 1." Hessle Theatre Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2014. <http://www.hessletheatre.co.uk/Productions/JaneEyre2011/JaneEyreDressRehearsalAct1.htm>.