Saturday, April 18, 2009

Favorite words from "Jane Eyre"

I am rereading Bronte's Jane Eyre for my British Novels class. It is one of my favorite books, and p. 356 is one of my favorite pages.

The two novels I have read thus far (of my long, many-paged, 11-book list) have similar themes of a staunchly religious woman holding to her faith in the face of extreme temptation. I wonder how often this theme will recur? (The other book I read was Sir Walter Scott's The Heart of Midlothian, in which a sister refuses to lie to protect her sister yet walks all the way to England to gain an audience with the queen and secure a pardon. Jane Eyre goes into far more personal narrative about the heroine's inner process and struggles, whereas Midlothian centers on the historical narrative.)
...While he spoke my very Conscience and Reason turned traitors against me, and charged me with crime in resisting him. They spoke almost as loud as Feeling: and that clamoured wildly. 'Oh, comply!' it said. 'Think of his misery; think of his danger ~ look at his state when left alone; remember his headlong nature; consider the recklessness following on despair ~ soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?

Still indomitable was the reply ~ 'I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad ~ as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth ~ so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane ~ quite insane with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot.

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for enjoying my story Mindy. Although I have never heard you speak, I get the distinct feeling that you are mispronouncing my name. It is ever so properly pronounced "EYE-REE"

    Thank you my dear,
    Jane

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  3. Mindy, Jane Eyre is my all-time favorite novel! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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  4. Isn't it wonderful, Meredith? I simply love it. Have you ever read Scott's "The Heart of Midlothian"? If you haven't, it is well worth it. You would appreciate so many of its characters and themes.

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