Jane Eyre is a novel written by English author Charlotte Bronte. The novel was originally published in London, England, in 1847. Jane Eyre is about Jane Eliot who faces many adversities throughout her life. Jane learns to develop into the person that she wants to be because of the encouragement and leadership she receives from others. Jane first encounters Miss Temple, Jane’s instructor at Lowood School, who serves as an important figure in Jane’s life.
Jane begins her adulthood at the Gateshead estate where she is influenced by Helen Burns and Mrs. Reed. That influence eventually leads Jane to Thornfield Hall, where Jane meets Grace Poole, Adele Varens, Mr. Rochester and Jane receives encouragement from St John Rivers which ultimately helps Jane find peace within herself (Crane). Miss Temple has a huge impact on Jane Eyre throughout the novel; Miss Temple teaches Jane valuable lessons about life and leadership that help Jane grow into her own sense of self worth (Dalke).
For example, Miss Temple gives Jane the important responsibility of taking care of Helen Burns at Lowood. Jane excelled in her duties and received immense satisfaction from taking care of another human being (Bronte). Jane takes Miss Temple’s advice about caring for others to heart, Jane decides that she wants to become a teacher which provides Jane with the opportunity to continue making an impact on other individuals lives (Dalke). Jane also learns how to be a leader among the students at Lowood through Miss Temple’s example.
Jane becomes attached to Helen Burns during Jane’s stay at Lowood; Jane strikes up conversations with Helen every day, Jane shares her secrets with Helen and they even read together as a way of escape from their impoverished conditions (Bronte). Unfortunately, Jane’s friendship with Helen ends abruptly when Jane brings dinner for Helen and Miss Temple finds out (Bronte). Jane is punished for breaking the rules of Lowood by not eating dinner. Jane had to watch as Helen ate all of Jane’s food and dozed off into a deep sleep; Jane decided that she was going to steal another dinner later on (Bronte).
Unfortunately, Jane was caught stealing her second dinner and after sharing some harsh words with Jane, Miss Temple walked away from Jane leaving Jane crying in the middle of the night at Lowood (Dalke). Miss Temple became aware of what had happened between Jane and Miss Scatcherd. Miss Temple came to talk to Jane about her actions and Jane began to cry as she explained how badly Jane felt for disobeying Miss Scatcherd and what Jane had done to try and rectify the situation (Dalke).
Jane said: “I am very sorry: but indeed I would not have eaten any supper if I had thought that by doing so, I should lose the chance of getting you something. ” Miss Temple responded with: “It is too late now Jane…” (Bronte). Jane was allowed to stay at Lowood until her graduation; Jane grew into a responsible young woman that was capable of taking care of herself (Dalke). Jane Eyre goes on to become a governess after leaving Lowood; Jane becomes close friends with her student, Adele Varens (Bronte). Jane experiences many adversities at Thornfield Hall; Jane becomes close to the owner of Thornfield Hall, Mr. Rochester (Dalke).
Jane is forced to leave Thornfield Hall because Mr. Rochester’s insane wife threatens Jane’s safety (the insane woman had burned down a building due to her temper) (Bronte). Jane leaves Thornfield Hall thinking that she will never see Mr. Rochester again but Jane ends up running into him three years later in Ferndean where Jane is now working as a governess for St John Rivers and his two sisters, Diana and Mary Rivers (St John Rivers is also Jane’s cousin who lives in India)(Bronte).
Jane and Mr. Rochester are married after Jane almost dies saving the life of her cousin St John Rivers (who also loves Jane) from a fire that takes place at Ferndean Manor (Bronte). Jane is able to spend the rest of her days with Mr. Rochester, Jane’s best friend, after enduring many hardships throughout Jane Eyre (Dalke). Miss Temple has an influential impact on Jane Eyre throughout Jane’s life; Miss Temple teaches Jane valuable lessons about life and leadership that help Jane grow into her own sense of self-worth.
For example, Miss Temple gives invaluable guidance on how to care for others which helps Jane make an impact on individuals’ lives later on in Jane Eyre. Jane’s relationship with Helen illustrates Jane’s relationship with Miss Temple, Jane develops trusting relationships that Jane can confide in when Jane is struggling to find out who she is (Bronte). Jane Eyre is able to overcome her struggles at Lowood and Thornfield Hall because of the valuable lessons about life and leadership that Jane learns from Miss Temple.
“Miss Temple” Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is widely considered one of the first feminist novels, due to Jane’s personal development into an independent woman. Jane’s struggle for domination over her own life begins at Gateshead with the Reeds, but later continues with other forces. Jane meets Miss Temple at Lowood School shortly after being sent there by Mr. Reed who hopes Jane will suffer a similar fate as his own daughter, Jane’s cousin, who died of consumption at Lowood years prior.
Jane enjoys the influence Miss Temple has on her students during her time as a teacher at Lowood and constantly praises Miss Temple throughout “Jane Eyre” because she constantly reminds Jane to think for herself and value intelligence over riches through example in addition to her moral instruction. Jane’s admiration for Miss Temple is so great that she makes a deliberate attempt to become a teacher herself at the end of the novel. Jane proves her devotion to Miss Temple when Jane goes back after leaving Thornfield Hall with Mr. Rochester and finds Miss Temple dying from typhus fever caught from a poor family Jane had been teaching, despite Jane having left Lowood months ago without warning or notice of her departure.
“Miss Scatcherd” Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte shows us how Jane’s life could have looked if she hadn’t encountered positive influences like Miss Temple during certain periods of Jane’s life during which she needed guidance the most. Miss Scatcherd is presented as an enemy who uses physical punishment for small student infractions when Jane is at Lowood, Jane’s second “school” after Gateshead.
Jane constantly quarrels with Miss Scatcherd throughout Jane’s time at Lowood and suffers both physical and mental abuse for it. Jane later shows examples of stubbornness throughout her life due to this traumatic experience. Jane Scatcherd is an example of how the type of teacher Jane had at Gateshead affected her development into an independent woman during one of the most impressionable periods of Jane’s life, Lowood school. “Miss Temple” Charlotte Bronte uses characters like Miss Temple to present Jane Eyre as a character who works towards independence through positive influence instead of a rebellious individual relying only on herself.
