Relationship Between Jane And Rochester example essay topic

1,345 words
In the two stories, Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper, the main characters are faced with various encounters with authority. Jane and the Narrator are the central characters that are faced with these authority figures, and an external as well as an internal relationship is developed with the figures that have power over them. These two women also display a unique use of authority to benefit themselves at various points in the stories. Jane and the Narrator are first alike in the way that they outwardly express their feelings about the situations they are in by the use of actions and words. This open, verbal communication with these figures in their lives is a common trait between them, but what differs is that Jane's communication is positive (she gets her feelings in the open and is understood) and the Narrator never gets listened to.

The second similarity between Jane and the Narrator is the inner attitude that they feel about the figures of authority. This attitude is present in both characters as the reader sees their inner thoughts and feelings as well as the words and actions that take place when the authority figures are not around. The last criterion that is common to both Jane and the Narrator is that each woman gains a power of authority near the end of their story. What differs between the two is how they go about possessing the authority, and how they use it when they finally have it. The end result is made up of similarities between the two women's characteristics, but differences in the way that they use those characteristics in their lives.

The novel Jane Eyre is about a young girl who goes through her life struggling with various life issues. Jane encounters people that treat her with little respect, the feeling of being trapped in situations that she is not happy in, and learning how to grow up as a poor girl who has to make all of her own decisions without any help. A significant starting point in the novel Jane Eyre is at her arrival at Thornfield, and her meeting with Mr. Rochester. At that estate Jane is employed as the governess of a small child named Adele. At this point in Jane's life, she is learning what it is like to be a paid subordinate under a master. This proves to be a good learning experience for Jane, and as the character of Rochester goes on to shape her life as she stays there, Jane learns and grows along with her feelings.

At first, the relationship between Jane and Rochester is professional, but as the two grow to learn more about each other and talk more, they find that their feelings have changed into love. At the time of the wedding proposal, Jane has gone through huge changes in her stance. She began as a paid subordinate just as the rest of the people living in the house were, but after the proposal, she was faced with the responsibilities of becoming a rich wife. When the wedding day was upon them, Jane found out that she was a victim of Rochester's deceit. She could not marry him because he was already married to a lunatic who he kept locked in the attic of Thornfield hall. Jane realized that she could not live with him any longer, and she set out to find a new way of life.

As she did so, she realized that she could never forget Rochester and her love for him. Since Jane was financially secured by a large inheritance, and her independence was strong, she realized that she was capable of going back to him. When she finally found him, she saw a crippled man. As the result of a fire that he was in, he lost his sight and part of his limb.

This state of affairs was fortunate for their relationship, though, because Jane now felt that her love could be even stronger for him because their roles were able to be equal. This equality and love was strong enough between them to bond them together in marriage. This relationship ended up being positive, which was very unlike the Narrator and her husband in The yellow Wallpaper. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the main character is a mentally disturbed patient that has been moved to controlled living conditions by her husband John and his sister Jennie.

The residence that she is staying in is an old mansion that is very secluded, and she is taken care of by John, who is a doctor. The story is shown to the reader through a series of journal entries that she is not supposed to be writing because of her declining health. In her first entries, the author reflects her mood and how the setting that she is in is affecting her health. As the entries progress through time, the reader can see how disconnected the narrator is becoming from her ordinary thoughts that she previously recorded. She begins an infatuation with the room that she is in, mainly with the paper that is on the walls. This eventually turns into a large drawn out episode, and the ides of discovering what is "inside" of the wallpaper is the only topic that she writes about.

Not only does her writing style change along with her mental state, but so does her outlook on the people that are there to help her. The narrator becomes more secretive and mistrusting of the authoritative figures in her life, and believes that they will try to stop her from discovering what the truth is about the wallpaper. She sneaks around to carry out her plan to get at what is in the paper, and ends up taking over the room with her own force. The end result is her mental breakdown, and the astonishment of the people around her. Both Jane and the Narrator have male figures in their lives, to whom they are very close, but who also serve as authority figures toward them. During their stay with these men, Jane and the Narrator outwardly and openly discuss their relationships with them.

The first interaction that Jane has with Mr. Rochester, and their next few meetings after that one are mainly on a dutiful level more than a personal level. Rochester exposes his authoritative side to Jane, and did so by asking questions about her life and where she has been. Jane reacts very professionally toward him, and gives him the answers that he desires, being very careful to only tell him as little as possible, and only what she believes that he wants to hear. This is very similar to the relationship that the Narrator and John have with each other. In her first entries the Narrator tells the reader that because John is her loving husband as well as her doctor, she does what he tells her to do, and takes her medicine and rests as he has prescribed.

In the beginning of her entries, she is very thoughtful about what he is dong for her, and always agrees that he knows what is best for her. Through the rest of the two stories, the relationships begin to change. The women begin to take a very different approach with the authoritative figures in their lives, and become increasingly different. Jane is able to communicate openly and honestly with Rochester, but that is not true for the Narrator. She feels that John does not understand her at all, and must simply abide by his wishes so that he " ll leave her alone. Jane begins to grow more comfortable talking with Rochester, and eventually admits to herself that her feelings for him have grown deeper and more serious.