Jane Eyre Project By: Noah Smoot

Prompt The British novelist Fay Weldon offers this observation about happy endings. “The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from their readers are the writers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean mere fortunate events—a marriage or a last minute rescue from death--but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at death.” In Jane Eyre describe and discuss that kind of ending Weldon describes. In a well written essay identify the “spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation evident in the ending and explain its significance in the work as a whole.

Literal Meaning Spiritual reassessment is a questioning of ones faith in their religion. Moral reconciliation occurs when a character comes to terms with a moral dilemma. In short, Weldon argues a true happy ending shows a character discovering their true religious beliefs or morals

Religious Reassessment When Mrs. Reed is on her deathbed Jane visits her despite claiming as a child she and Mrs. Reed were of “no relation” and vowing “never to come see [her]”. Jane has forgiven Mrs. Reed which she learned to do from her time with Helen who believes in forgiving all those who have wronged her.

Moral reconciliation When Jane decided to leave Rochester it was because her “conscience held passion by the throat”. Even though Jane wanted to stay, deep down in her heart she knew her morals dictated she had to go. Jane comes to terms with her morals and sacrifices her happiness to save her dignity.

Relation to Jane Eyre Throughout the novel characters such as Mr. Brocklehurst, St. John, and Helen each show Jane their extreme forms of Christianity. Their ideas help Jane define her own religious values and way to worship God. These influences contribute to the religious reassessment at the end of Jane Eyre

Pivotal Moments Jane returns to Rochester and says she is here to stay. She tells him to forget marriage, she just wants to be with him. This scene is the religious reassessment at the end of Jane Eyre. Jane has learned from the extreme forms of Christianity practiced by Mr. Brocklehurst, St. John, and Helen and found religious values she agrees with. Now that Jane has found her own way to worship she is free to live a happy life with Rochester.

Pivotal Moments cont. After losing his home, arm, and sight Rochester realizes this is a punishment from God for trying to marry Jane. If Jane had married him or even lived with him while he was married to Bertha, Jane’s reputation would have been ruined. Realizing his mistake, Rochester begins praying. This is Rochester’s own religious reassessment. Rochester was never very religious but he still finds his own way to worship God.

First Person The first Person POV is essential to Jane Eyre because we get to look at her motivations and internal struggles. Understanding her motives and struggles is critical to understanding how her moral and religious beliefs change over time. Without a first person perspective the reader can’t know how jane develops as a character

Setting The Victorian England setting gives context to why Jane struggles with her religious values. During this time period there were nonconformists (Protestants not following the Church of England) everywhere. Jane symbolizes a nonconformist struggling to find their own beliefs.

Flat Characters Helen, Mr. Brocklehurst, and St. John are all flat characters. All three of them have taken Christian values too far in their own way and are caricatures of aspects of Christianity. By examining their interpretations of Christianity, Jane is able to find her own religious beliefs.

Janes Exile When Jane left Thornfield she essentially exiled herself from the place where she was loved and happy. She misses her family at Thornfield and worries about them but knows she can never go back. While she is in exile she meets St. John whose borderline self- righteous Christianity helps Jane find her own religious values.

Citations “Nonconformist”. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 1998 Web. 6 Jan. 2018 “Moral Reconciliation in Wuthering Heights” Study.com. Study.com Web. 6 Jan. 2018