浅析《简爱》中女主人公的性格特征

xxxxxxxxxxx学院毕业设计（论文）题目：浅析《简爱》中女主人公的性格特征（英文）：A Brief Analysis of the Heroine’s Personalityin Jane Eyre系别：外语系专业：英语姓名：XXX学号：XXXXXXXX指导教师：XXXXXXXXX日期：2013年5 月A Brief Analysis of the Heroine’s Personality in Jane EyreABSTRACTAs a representative work of early British female literature, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre has vividly shaped a female image who, in order to gain justice, equality, human dignity and independence, dared to fight against poor life, social discrimination and male chauvinism. She deeply attracted people’s eyes and shocked their hearts. In this work, the writer’s description of Jane Eyre’s spirit of never surrendering to the fate and pursuing the freedom, equality and independence had presented a girl who has the distinctive characteristic, even has become an independent and confident woman from a shy, plain-looking and small girl. Thanks to Jane Erye’s charming characteristics, the work has become very popular from that time until now. This paper will reveal Jane’s individual beauty in front of the readers through the analysis of Jane Eyre who was striving for freedom, pursuing true love and blending sense and emotion.In conclusion, we state that Jane Eyre is a unique woman who has various distinctive characteristics.Key Words: Jane Eyre; personality; confidence; freedom; inferiority浅析《简爱》中女主人公的性格特征摘要作为一部英国早期女性文学的代表作，夏洛蒂·勃朗特的《简爱》形象而生动地塑造了一位敢于为正义、平等、人格尊严独立而与生活困境、社会歧视及男权主义进行坚决斗争的女性形象。

在这部作品中,作者对主人公简爱不屈服命运,追求独立自由精神的描述,在读者面前呈现了一个从自卑、不美、矮小的女孩成长为一个自强、自立、自信的女性。

这部作品会这么受欢迎是因为简爱的个性魅力,本文通过分析简爱在追求自由、真爱以及理智与情感的交融，将简爱的人格美展现在读者的面前。

总的来说,简爱是一名具有与众不同的性格的女性。

关键词：简爱；性格特征；自信；自由；自卑ContentsI. Introduction (1)II. Jane Eyre’s sense of inferiority (1)2.1 Her sense of inferiority in poor appearance (2)2.2 Her sense of inferiority in dependence (2)2.3 Her sense of inferiority in love (3)III. Jane Eyre’s self-reliance and self-confidence (4)3.1 Her self-reliance and self-confidence in life (4)3.1.1 In Gateshead (5)3.1.2 In Lowood Orphanage (5)3.1.3 In Thornfield (6)3.1.4 After leaving Thornfield (7)3.2 Her strength in sentiment (7)IV. Jane Eyre’s pursuit of freedom, equality and independence (8)4.1 Her pursuit in life (8)4.2 Her pursuit in love (9)V. Conclusion (10)Bibliography (12)Acknowledgments (13)A Brief Analysis of the Heroine’s Personality in Jane EyreI. IntroductionJane Eyre is a popular novel which has been encouraging countless females to grow up and as well as a precious heritage in the history of literature. It is one with the author’s autobiographical works, and uses the first person so that the heroine can pour out her own emotions and ideals, love and friendship. Therefore, it has gracious artistic charm. It has shaped a female image who always took an independent, positive attitude to strive for equality in life, society, love and religion. This image is different from any previous one of the characters in literary works. She is humble, thin and small, and not beautiful, but she has self-esteem and independent personality and always tries to get rid of discrimination and oppression in the patriarchal society. This is one of Charlotte Bronte’s pioneering works. Poor family mistress Jane with the strong pursuit of feminism and equality dedicated herself to defending her independent human rights and true love. Her extraordinary temperament and rich emotion have conquered thousands of readers’hearts and inspired countless women to find their own position in the society and realized their own independent personality. Because of this, Jane Eyre had made a miracle breakthrough in the novel history, and Jane Eyre became one of the British literary history’s most glorious female image.This article analyses Jane Eyre’s various characteristics through reading her independent personality growth story. In her characteristics, self-esteem and self-respect occupy absolutely dominant position, but the author thinks, all her self-esteem, self-respect, are from her inferiority. Inferiority promoted her to constantly strive to forge ahead, enrich and improve herself, to make her pursue independent personality and social identity. Jane Eyre can not become a confident female without inferiority. Whether it was in Gateshead or in Lowood Orphanage, her every progress was from dissatisfaction with her situation and instinct resistance to the surroundings. In Thornfield, she met Mr. Rochester, but she still could not get rid of the shadow of inferiority when facing her love. She once fled but later lived with Mr. Rochester only when they two were equal in status. At that time, she realized her distinctive characteristics, her own value of life and confidence as well as her true self, and finally found the road to happiness.II. Jane Eyre’s sense of inferiorityJane Eyre feels inferior, and she never gets rid of the unfortunate psychological barriers. Why is Jane Eyre’s inferiority complex called the eternal shadow? Because it went beyond the normal limits, and became part of her personality so it kept bothering her. There are many reasons such as the poor appearance, dependence in economy and so on.浅析《简爱》中女主人公的性格特征2.1 Her sense of inferiority in poor appearanceThe value orientation of beauty is women’s capital has been there and has not changed. Females without a gorgeous appearance will feel inferior at heart. So the poor performance was her first inferiority. She could not change the arrangement of nature of her humble, delicate features, therefore, she was always very sensitive to it. Jane Eyre felt distressed from childhood. She was tormented by inferiority when she was treated cruelly by her aunt in the red-room. Georgina was bad-temper, mean, malicious, truculent, unreasonable and always seeking a quarrel, but everybody indulged her because of her red cheeks and golden curls. It seemed that each person will like her for the beautiful looks, therefore all faults will be forgiven. (夏洛蒂·勃朗特P7)Jane Eyre thought if she had Georgina’s looks, she would not be treated like that. Therefore, with an ordinary appearance, what a psychological burden for the lonely and autistic Jane Eyre it is. In her deep thoughts, she believed that only the people who have a good appearance can win respect and appreciation. She thought if she was a clever and cheerful, carefree, beautiful and lively child, even if she also depended on others, with no relatives, Mrs. Reed would be a little more satisfied with her, and less tolerant of her. She would be treated by her children in a friendly way and servants would not treat her as a scapegoat in the children’s room. (夏洛蒂·勃朗特, P8) From all of these, we can know that the appearance inferiority occupied Jane Eyre’s heart.2.2 Her sense of inferiority in dependenceJane Eyre lost her parents in childhood so she was an orphan. In the big social environment, she was a poor ant in need of sympathy. She could not enjoy family happiness like other children. In the process of her growing up, her inferiority given by the society was not written directly but was reflected through different situations. She also pursued independence. People often pursue the ideal of self-worth which can not be achieved temporarily in the real life, however, this proves the cause of Jane Eyre’s inferiority. So she was eager to be confident, get rid of inferiority, and win confidence.As an orphan, she lived dependently on Mrs. Reed. Jane Eyre could bear others with cold eyes and scolding anytime.You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear cloths at our mama’s expense. Now, I’ll teach you to rummage my bookshelves: for they are mine; all the house belongs to me, or will do in a few years. Go and stand by the door, out of the way of mirror and the windows.(Charlotte Bronte P5)A Brief Analysis of the Heroine’s Personality in Jane EyreJohn often bullied and punished her, the servants did not like to offend him by taking her side against him, and Mrs. Reed was blind and deaf on the matter. In this family, she was alone, and she’s a child and had to rely on the Reid family for upbringing, so she had no alternatives but to endure. Her inferiority was fully portrayed in the oppressive environment. Living with her aunt’s family, without love, concern or affection for a long time in an unhealthy family environment led to Jane Eyre’ inferiority complex. What’s more, she also thought that she was a foreign person, and she respected her own personality, and did not want to integrate into their living area. Because of the cruel treatment in the Mrs. Reed’s family, Jane Eyre realized the fact that she lived in an unfair society. She had no finery and delicious food, even no relatives’care and love. Especially when she faced the brutal, unreasonable and unsympathic threat from John, she felt more and more frightened and hopeless. So finally she said “you are like a murderer- you are like a slave driver- you are like the Roman emperors!”(Charlotte Bronte P6) Jane Eyre suffered a lot in such an environment during her childhood, and as a dependant she would always feel inferiority.2.3 Her sense of inferiority in loveBesides the sense of inferiority in poor appearance and dependence, she also felt inferiority in her love. After leaving the Gateshead, Jane Eyre was sent to Lowood orphanage. She lived with a strong will, constantly fulfilled herself and became a teacher in the school. She was invited to be a tutor in the Thornfield.When she just arrived in Thornfield, she lived in harmony with others, but she was only a tutor and not as rich as a servant, because the social status of teachers was very low at that time. In her deep thought, such subconscious inferiority was in there and she might also feel it, but she did not take it as really a kind of inferiority but as a simple personality. Mr. Rochester had aristocratic temperament, property and social status. Jane Eyre was a tutor, so as an employee, she live on mercy from others and endure the discrimination of others. The inferiority is recessively, however, it may become obvious under the stimulation of the external environment. Thanks to the social status and property, Jane Eyre said to herself: ‘you,’I said, ‘a favourite with Mr. Rochester? You gifted with the power of pleasing him? You of importance to him in any way? Go! Your folly sickens me. And you have derived pleasure from occasional tokens of preference- equivocal tokens shown by a gentleman of family and a man of the world to a dependant and a novice. How dare you? Poor stupid dupe! Could not even self-interest make you wiser? You repeated to yourself this morning the brief scene of last night? Cover your face and be ashamed! He said something in praise of your eyes, did he? Blind puppy! Open their bleared lids and look on your own accursed浅析《简爱》中女主人公的性格特征senselessness!’(Charlotte Bronte P94)Jane Eyre thought only the woman like Miss Ingram who was beautiful could attract Mr. Rochester’s eyes. Inferiority had always occupied an important factor in Jane’s process of looking for love, and later in front of St. John, Jane’s inferiority of appearance was completely exposed. Her first reaction was examining St. John’ physical beauty when he asked to marry her. She even said to his sister directly, St. John was a handsome man but she was only a poor woman, they never match.III. Jane Eyre’s self-reliance and self-confidenceJane Eyre’s living in an orphaned environment, depending on others, growing up under different treatment with peers, such as aunt’s cold shoulder, cousin’s contempt, cousin’s insults and beatings was heartless trampling of her dignity. But because of all of these, Jane Eyre cultivated her unique personality like self-esteem, self-reliance and self-confidence. She did not lose confidence when faced with the misfortune but fought stubbornly against the constantly difficulty and frustration. She even did not lose the pure character. She was not gorgeous, however, she was kindhearted, simple, pure and noble. In addition, she had profound self-knowledge. She knew that, she must have her own mind. Without the good appearance, she must become self-reliant, self-independent and self-confidence without the privileged life and high social status, she must have strongly self-esteem or some unique characteristics.3.1 Her self-reliance and self-confidence in lifeJane Eyre realized that females’ freedom and independence was based on independent economy so she required strict economic independence and freedom all of her life. In the childhood, she was an orphan, and had no ability to bring up herself so she must sojourn with her uncle. She was often insulted by her aunt’s family members after her uncle died. Therefore, the misfortune reminded her: she can not live relying on others. She worked very hard in the boarding school and finally she became a teacher thanks to her superior talent. At that time, she could live on herself. When she fell in love with Mr. Rochester, she still sticked to her own independent status in economy. She declared to him that she wouldn’t want any of his property, because she thought that if she could help him to increase a little property which would be an admit for her ability.She rejected Mr. Rochester’s requirement who asked her to give up the job so as to keep his company. She had the self-reliance and self-confidence in her life. She can always keep independence whenever she met various difficulties. EvenA Brief Analysis of the Heroine’s Personality in Jane Eyrewhen she came back to Mr. Rochester house, she still kept her own economic ability and took care of Mr. Rochester. She left a strong image for the world.3.1.1 In GatesheadJane Eyre always suffered humiliation and indifference after her uncle’s death, especially from her cousin John. Though he was very young, he had already known that a son would inherit his father’s property. He swaggered around and declared that the family belonged to him. He ruthlessly excluded Jane Eyre who was a dependant. Jane Eyre never feared her cousin’s behavior but resisted by escaping and refusing to eat. When she was sent into the red house, she was afraid of the dark house but she did not surrender to her aunt. When Mr. Brocklehurst asked her how to avoid going to the hell, she deliberated a moment and answered she must keep in good health, and not die. When Mrs. Reed decided to send her away and told Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane had not quite the character and disposition she could acknowledge and wished him to admit Jane into Lowood school, she would be glad if the superintendent and teachers were requested to keep a strict eye on Jane, and above all, to guard against her worst fault, a tendency to deceit. Jane Eyre thought she had been trodden on severely, and must turn when she heard Mrs. Reed’s words. So she gathered her energies and launched them in this blunt sentence “‘ I am not deceitful: if I were, I should say I love you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed; and this book about the liar, you may give your daughter, Georgiana, for it is she who tell lies, and not I.’”(Charlotte Bronte P20-22) She had the confidence that she could live very well and become self-reliant after leaving her aunt so she dared to shout at Mrs. Reed.‘If any one 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.’‘I shall remember how you thrust me back- roughly and violently thrust me back - into the red-room, and locked me up there, to my dying day. All that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me - knocked me down for nothing. I will tell anybody who asks me questions, this exact tale. People think you are a good woman, but you are bad, hard-hearted. You are deceitful!’(Charlotte Bronte P22)She never lost the confidence when she met the difficulties in Gateshead. In contrast, she would dare to resist the unfair treatment and make herself more confident and self-reliant. 3.1.2 In Lowood OrphanageJane Eyre became more and more mature in Lowood orphanage, she still needed to revolt against the bad environment and the unfair treatment, but she was more quiet compared浅析《简爱》中女主人公的性格特征to her behavior in Gateshead. The Lowood orphanage seems to be a charitable place on the surface but actually it is a hell. All of the orphans suffered hunger, physical punishment and religious destruction. Jane Eyre saw with the eyes but hated in her heart when the female teacher beated Helen with a whip. She thought that if she hit her with that whip, she would grab it from her hands and break it. She did not like other children who always said nothing just to bear the humiliation, and she dared to protect herself when faced with the unfair treatment. The Orphanage intended to change children into obedient lambs. She said to Helen that, “Everyone should fight back with the people who beat us under the unreasonable situation, and they won’t do it again.”In the boarding school, Lowood, Jane got acquainted with two people who influenced her greatly. One was Helen who believed in Christian faithfully. Helen’s mind was full of virtue, kindness, tolerance and bearing. She adhered to that tolerance could take her into the highest, further spiritual world. Jane had tried to follow her but she failed. She couldn’t follow her purely spirit. It just showed Jane’s rebellion and self-reliance which pursued equality, freedom, independence and human dignity. Therefore, contrasted with Helen’s character, Jane’s self-reliance and rebellious were showed completely. The other person was the teacher, Miss Temple, from whom Jane really got care and happiness she had never before. Jane began to learn how to love and care about others, and how to be independent by studying hard from Miss Temple. On the other hand, Temple also made Jane confident and courageous, when she was misunderstood by Brokehurst, and was announced by Temple she was not lying, Jane believed that she would be accepted and she would learn as much as she could, and finally she could make as many friends as possible. Even when most of the people got the disease and died she did not give up, but facing with strong confidence. She thought she had already prepared to change her life into another new period.3.1.3 In ThornfieldJane Eyre had changed a lot through living in the Lowood for eight years, but her characteristics such as self-reliance, self-confidence and so on still accompanied with her. When Jane Eyre arrived in the Thornfield, although she was just a tutor, she did not feel ashamed when faced the Mr. Rochester or anybody. She believed that she could keep her life by herself and needn’t depend on others, which made her more confident and self-reliant. Especially when she fell in love with Mr. Rochester, she always struggled with herself in heart. Because she felt oppressed with his love that opposed to independence and self-reliance which she had consistently adhered to. Buying clothes with him completely revealed hisA Brief Analysis of the Heroine’s Personality in Jane Eyreoppression and enslavement of Jane Eyre. She felt he wanted to use something which can be gained by money such as necklace, bracelet and ring to control her. He not only loved Jane but also wanted to use his own money to make Jane became a pretty and precious accessory on his side.However, Jane Eyre never accepted such love because it betrayed her mind that she always tried to get rid of inferiority complex in her life. She knew she could devote herself to Mr. Rochester but she still controlled herself and reminded herself that she must control her soul. When she decided to marry Mr. Rochester, she was very happy but in the meantime, she still kept a clear mind, besides protected her own reputation, and she also protected her own self-reliance. She rejected her fiance’s luxurious presents and reminded him that she was poor and not beautiful so she must keep on teaching. Her behavior revealed that she was afraid to become men’s toy. If we want to analyze Jane’s activities in Thornfield, we have to inevitably mention a ball held in Thornfield, which is not only a climax of the novel but the cream of the whole novel. It reflected Jane’s strength of moral quality and spirit, which took readers into a spiritual world. And also, Jane did not feel self-abased. She was self-confident and self-reliant in spirit. She was dissatisfied with arranged social disciplines because she had a strong rebellious spirit in her character.3.1.4 After leaving ThornfieldWhen Jane Eyre left Mr. Rochester, she had no idea where she could go. She was out of breath when she came to her cousin’s town. St. John rescued her and helped her to find a job as a tutor. Although she was in trouble, she also kept an optimistic attitude towards life.I must not forget that these coarsely-clad little peasants are of flesh and blood as good as the scions of gentlest genealogy; and that the germs of native excellence, refinement, intelligence, kind feeling, are as likely to exist in their hearts as in those of the best-born. My duty will be to develop these germs: surely I shall find some happiness in discharging that office. Much enjoyment I do not expect in the life opening before me: yet it will, doubtless, if I regulate my mind, and exert my powers as I ought, yield me enough to live on from day to day.( Charlotte Bronte P200)She did not surrender to the difficulties but faced them with great courage. She knew that if she left Thornfield there would be a lot of predictable obstacles, but she still chose her way, because she believed she could overcome it with the optimistic mind.3.2 Her strength in sentimentShakespear said that the process of pursuing true love is never easy. As for everybody, love is the best thing because it depends on ourselves instead of power, position or wealth. In浅析《简爱》中女主人公的性格特征many people’s life, they always hope that they will have a meaningful and romantic love and the love can last forever. It can be said that life itself belongs to love, and that the true lover’s hearts are linked together. There was a large distance between their social positions, but Jane was never ashamed of it instead she was brave to pursue it. In her heart, everyone is equal in front of love, so her attitude towards love was very constant and nothing could change it.Although there were many obstacles, Jane Eyre never gave up their love. On the one hand, Mr. Rochester had a high social status, much money and possessed a lot of estates but Jane had nothing and she was no more than a tutor. Everybody thought Jane and Mr. Rochester were no match. However, Jane was never ashamed of it because she believed that if it was true love, nothing could stop it. On the other hand, in Jane’s life, she only had a few friends and she had little acquaintance of man. Mr. Rochester was much older than Jane Eyre, but she never minded it. She did not care about other’s thoughts because she found the resonance in their ideologies. When Jane Eyre found Mr. Rochester had a lunatic wife, she rejected his request to be another lover. Because she thought that though she was poor, humble and ordinary, she also had the soul and heart like others. She thought she just used the heart to communicate with him. Even if they died they stood fairly in front of God. She insisted on fairness in her life so she spared no efforts to chase it.On the whole that, in the process of pursuing the true love, Jane Eyre always kept her attitude and strength and was never afraid of the obstacles.IV. Jane Eyre’s pursuit of freedom, equality and independence In Jane Eyre’s whole life, she never stopped pursuing freedom, equality and independence not only in life but also in her love. She had tried to change her situation by resistance, but failed in the end, so she became aware that if she wanted to get rid of unfair position, she must not depend on others. Just because she must live in her aunt’s house, she can’t get rid of Mrs. Reed’s bound in spirit. Jane Eyre had an independent personality, and had the courage to express her true feelings, and dared to resist the oppression. Her spirit of pursuing freedom, equality and freedom was appreciated by most of women in that period as well as in 21th century.4.1 Her pursuit in lifeJane Eyre seemed to be pale, thin and weak. She was like a piece of dust. Nobody paid attention to her. It seemed that she might disappear anytime and nobody would know. However, Jane Eyre was a brave soldier who dared to face up to all kinds of injustice and fought against them. When she was a little girl, she revolted against her aunt with the severeA Brief Analysis of the Heroine’s Personality in Jane Eyrewords and never surrendered to the unfair things. She yelled to her aunt that she would tell anybody who asked her question, people thought her aunt was a good woman, but she was bad, hard-hearted. She was deceitful! Jane suffered various treatments in Gateshead and Lowood. She tried to be a good girl but only ended in failure. Jane Eyre fought not only for just treatment, but also for equality, especially for the equality in economy, but she did not regard money as the only goal. She gave most of wealth to her cousins when she knew she would have a large heritage. She still maintained her life with working. It was obvious that the author spared no efforts to make heroine become independent in economy. In my opinion, the author had known that if women wanted to be independent, free and equal, they must be independent in economy firstly. She had also known that if women depended on others in economy, there would be no real rights of freedom, equality and independence in marriage and politics.When she knew Mr. Rochester has a wife she left Thordfield without hesitation. Although she loved Rochester deeply, she knew that if she still stayed there, she would not happy because she could not persuade herself to give up her own pursue in life. She nearly starved to death but it did not change her mind. She kept her life with teaching. When she found the job she moved out her cousin’s house and lived independent in a small house. Because she thought only lived independently could she gain the freedom and equality.4.2 Her pursuit in loveAs everybody knew, Jane Eyre was deeply in love with Mr. Rochester. Learning that Mr. Rochester had a wife still living, Jane was thunderstruck. Whether to stay with him as a mistress or to leave her lover to retain her dignity and independence was a big problem. For hours she remained alone in her room, though Mr. Rochester told her the whole story and asked for her forgiveness. She indicated her resolution by action eventually. She almost starved to death, making all the costs to maintain human dignity. She had a deep love upon Rochester, but she couldn’t accept if she became a mistress. Though she lost much by her leaving, she received herself, human dignity and freedom.She told him that “do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?- a machine without feelings? And can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!- I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom conventionalities,。