Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Essay

Though Blanche, from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, thinks that opposites attract and thus that she will marry Rochester, Bronte has different ideas about foils. Near the end of the novel Jane marries Rochester effectively quieting Blanche’s ideas. However, Bronte does use foils in the novel for a different reason. She uses characters will opposite personalities to reveal more about them, and to keep the reader from overlooking many of the major characters’ traits. For instance, without Blanche, who is a foil of Jane, one may have thought Jane a simple and plain governess and nothing more. Similarly, without St. John the reader could have missed Rochester’s passionate side, or with no Mrs. Reed how supportive Miss Temple really is. Using foils, Bronte reveals more about the personalities of the major characters, and keeps the reader from overlooking many traits. One can see that Jane and Blanche are opposites from before they even meet. While Jane is rather plain and unattractive on the outside, Blanche is described as beautiful with, â€Å"the noble bust, the sloping shoulders, the graceful neck, the dark eyes and black ringlets† (183) Even Jane cannot deny that Blanche is beautiful. In addition, Blanche grows up in a rich noble family while Jane is an orphan who was sent to a lowly boarding school. The opposites do not stop at their looks and backgrounds, for even Jane and Blanche’s personalities are completely different. Jane is an independent, passionate, and respectful young woman, although she often seems very practical and rational. Blanche flaunts herself, gossips, talks about marriage, and can be very rude as shown when she says â€Å"she (Jane) looks too stupid for any game of the sort† (194). While Jane was in the room, Blanche speaks loudly and rudely of her without a second thought. In addition, Blanche only wants Rochester as her husband for his money, and for the title of a wife. She likes the fact that he is not handsome because as a result, she will receive all of the attention. Jane loves Rochester for his personality, and thinks to herself, â€Å"gratitude and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire† (155). Jane does not mind his physical features because she finds him interesting, caring, and the fact that he makes her happy. As foils, Blanche elicits Jane’s noble characteristics, while at the same time making Jane seem more interesting. Instead of seeing a simple governess, the reader realizes Jane’s passion and interesting qualities. Blanche’s outer beauty also helps the reader see the beauty within Jane though her physique is plain. In the novel, St. John brings out many characteristics in Rochester. They seem to be the two sides of Jane, her practical and rational side versus her passionate and emotional side. St. John seems to be powerful and dangerous. Jane feels he wants to marry her because it would be practical, and as he says goodbye to her she notes that â€Å"his look was not, indeed, that of a lover beholding his mistress, but it was that of a pastor recalling his wandering sheep: (454-455). St. John does not love Jane, and he does not try to act so. Unlike Rochester he lacks passion. In contrast to St. John, Rochester really loves Jane and expresses himself when she talks of leaving, â€Å"my deep love, my wild woe, my frantic prayer, all are nothing to you? †¦You leave me here in anguish† (344). The severe intensity of Rochester’s words shows just how much he really loves Jane. In addition, St. John is very self-denying. He takes and feels what he thinks the Lord would want to him to take or feel. He does not want to give love to anyone except his God. Rochester is much different as he succumbs to temptation and love. He has many other personality traits as well, although some are not originally apparent. After Jane saves Rochester from the fire in his room Rochester says, â€Å"If you are not warm enough, you may take my cloak† (159). Rochester can also by very caring and thoughtful, although these traits are much less obvious. They are made clearer through contrast to St. John who lacks empathy and is very harsh and cold. These foils also help the reader understand more about Jane. After being courted by both of them, she chooses Rochester. This symbolizes her choice of emotion and passion over principles and rationality. A less obvious pair of characters who are foils as well is Miss Temple and Mrs. Reed. Not only are they opposites of each other, but they also bring out different sides of Jane herself. When around the uncaring and rude Mrs. Reed, Jane feels angry and suppressed. She finally lets out her anger in a memorable scene after she learns she is going to school, â€Å"If anyone asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick, and that you treated me with miserable cruelty† (34). Because Mrs. Reed, is mean herself, she brings out the bad side of Jane. Miss Temple brings out a much different personality in Jane. Around Miss Temple, Jane is calm and more caring as a result of Miss Temple’s influence. Mrs.  Reed was a hateful and unforgiving person as shown when talking to Jane on her dying bed, â€Å"she (Jane) did not die: but I said she did—I wish she had died! † (249). Even as she dies, Mrs. Reed hates Jane, although Jane did not do anything wrong. Miss Temple believes in forgiveness, and she even helps Jane clear her tarnished reputation. Miss Temple teaches Jane about life as well as schoolwork and is very generous. Mrs. Reed, a horrible mother figure for Jane, helps the reader realize that Miss Temple is more of a inspiration and maternal figure than at first apparent. After Miss Temple marries and Jane becomes unhappy, Jane has a realization as a result of Miss Temple’s motherly influence, â€Å"I remembered that the real world was wide, and that a varied field of hopes and fears†¦ awaited those to who had the courage to go forth† (87). Instead of just being a schoolteacher, Miss Temple helps Jane through her life unlike Mrs. Reed who was supposed to treat Jane as her own child. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the author uses many foils to highlight certain traits in the major characters. She also uses the opposites to help one see personality traits that are not as obvious to the reader. Without these foils, many characters would have seemed different and less interesting. Without Mrs. Reed, Miss Temple would have just seemed like a nice schoolteacher. If St. John had been missing, Rochester would not have seemed very nice or caring at all. Finally, without Blanche, Jane would have seemed much less interesting, and her noble characteristics would have been diminished. The opposites are used to reveal more about the major characters, and to keep the reader from overlooking important personality traits.