Chapter 4

Jane Eyre is a Bildungsroman novel as it follows the maturity of Jane from early childhood till over a decade later, Chapter 4 is an important step in Jane's journey as it shows a progression in maturity but also a close in a chapter of Jane's life; it is in chapter 4 that Jane finally becomes relived of Gateshead's residency and sent to Lowood school for the orphaned and the poor and finally given the chance to live independently, without the oppression of the Reeds. From the beginning of the chapter it is evident that things have changed at Gateshead since Jane attacked John Reed, he and his siblings no longer physically abuse her as she has become excluded from their presence; Jane becomes Bessie's helper around the house and naturally becomes closer to her because of it. After a visit from "the black pillar" that is Mr Brocklehurst, Jane learns that she will soon be leaving "in a day or two". After Mrs Reed attempts to extend Jane's suffering to Lowood (by asking Mr Brocklehurst to keep an eye on her) Jane vents all of the anger upon Mrs Reed that has been kept inside her for years: she illustrates the hate she has for each of her children, Georgiana's lies, Eliza's vanity and John's Gluttony, as well as her hatred for Mrs Reed herself. Jane Describes how after this "her soul expanded" and relishes in being "the winner of the field" as she describes the verbal battle with Mrs Reed as a "triumph". The Chapter ends with Bessie noting Jane's new found confidence admiring how "you've got quite a new way of talking", the pair then walk back to the house embraced as the chapter closes to give the impression of a Bright future for Jane.

Charlotte uses the adult retrospective voice of an older Jane to analyse her own, younger Jane's, thoughts. The narrator states how she finds comfort in loving one of her dolls "i doted on this little toy" as "human beings must love something" However, an older Jane then speaks out and marks how strange an idea this was, as if retrospectively she realises this was just childlike behaviour " it puzzles me now to remember with what absurdity i doted on this little toy"

Charlotte uses childlike language to help describe meeting Mr Brocklehurst from a child's perspective, she describes Mr Brocklehurst with a "grim  face at the top, like a carved mask" also "two inquisitive-looking grey eyes which twinkled under a pair or brushy brows" which almost parallels a description of the wolf in Red Riding Hood; this helps us imagine the character as a child would but also shows how Jane is making links between her descriptions of people to the children’s books she would of read. This shows her Childlike imagination.

 

Mr Brocklehurst's speech regarding Lowood school in comparison to his own daughters could be criticized from a Marxist perspective. It is obvious that Mr Brocklehurst attempts to lead the school under the same morals that would be exhibited in the Bible, however instead of adopting the Christian beliefs of equality; Mr Brocklehurst uses religion for authority and twists the words to justify how he makes the children at the school live as plain, poor individuals. It is obvious that instead of using the money funded for the school on the pupils he uses this wealth to keep his own family in good standing; the pupils at Lowood are 'plain' while his daughters have lavish curls and 'silk frocks'. This shows how the upper class reap off of the money intended for the lower classes, by Brocklehurst using the money for his own needs he is oppressing the lower class (his pupils) instead of aiming to use the money equally.