Jane Eyre Worldviews Essay

A worldview is the foundation one uses to determine what is right and wrong in every aspect of life. Charlotte Brontë and Thomas Hardy are two nineteenth century, British authors who write on the suffering women face during the social class revolution in Britain. The main characters in their books, Jane and Tess, respectively, face similar tribulations, but end up with infinitely distinct outcomes in their lives because of their authors’ vastly different worldviews. Using James Sire’s A Universe Next Door, as a key to understanding worldviews, and analyzing Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles makes the authors’ worldviews well defined. Comparing Brontë’s and Hardy’s worldviews explains why the stories of Jane and Tess
She clearly states this in her preface when she says, “Appearance should not be mistaken for truth . . . the world redeeming creed of Christ,” (xxiv). Brontë reveals several core beliefs of Christian theism through Jane’s struggles. These unique factors distinguish her worldview from Hardy’s. Brontë uses her worldview to show that even when suffering is rampant in life, there is still a road to everlasting peace. Brontë believes that reality and life revolve around God and knowing Him. Sire defines the Christian God as “triune, transcendent and immanent, omniscient, sovereign, and good,” (28). Brontë uncovers this God throughout her novel. Jane comes to know this God through experiences with Christian models Brontë uses in her story. Brontë relates the people Jane meets to some of the major flaws she sees in
Brocklehurst. Mr. Brocklehurst is the overseer of the school where Jane goes to learn. Brontë uses Mr. Brocklehurst to represent Christian hypocrisy. Mr. Brocklehurst claims to “bring up these girls not accustom[ing] them to habits of luxury and indulgence,” but Brontë points out later how his wife and daughters “ought to have come a little sooner to have heard his lecture on dress, for they were splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs,” (63,65). Hypocrisy is the most irritating flaw Brontë notices in Christians. Next is Helen Burns. Helen is Jane’s best friend at Lowood, the school where they both study. Brontë uses Helen to show her disapproval of quiet, meek, enduring, and tolerant Christians. One of the teachers at Lowoord mercilessly scrutinizes Helen for her slightest imperfections. Helen believes though that “life appears to be too short to . . . register wrongs. We are . . . burdened with faults in this world: but the time will soon come when we shall put them off,” (58). Brontë finds passivity harmful to true, passionate