At Gateshead it's obvious that Jane isn't anyone's favorite person; we know that Mrs. Reed despises Jane and Miss Abbot has no love for her, Bessie is the only one who shows her any kind of love. Still, those are all adults, why do the children, her own cousins, despise her? Eliza, Georgiana and Jack all show her nothing but hate. Jack even goes so far as to regularly assault her. You would think that, all of them being children, they would at least bond over something but that's simply not the case.
Personally, I think they hate her because it's what everyone else at the house does. Children are far more impressionable than adults and they would naturally follow the example that has been set by their aunt. Even with that reasoning, some of the hate she gets from her siblings, especially Jack, suggests something a little deeper. It's possible that Jane wronged the children before the events of the novel but there's no way to be sure.
What are your thoughts?
I agree with answer. I think that the cousins hate Jane Eyre so bad is because the cousins can push Jane around and hurt here without any punishment. After a while, the cousins probably gained the idea of superiority and didn't think twice about Jane's feelings. Aunt Reed did nothing to stop this idea from blossoming and may have encourage it in some ways, so the cousins continued to harass her.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with this answer. Children often choose to believe whatever higher power/figure believes or says. The cousins simply see Mrs. Reed's attitude towards her and follow the trend. They think the way an adult figure treats Jane is ultimately the correct way she should be treated. I also think it's partly that they see Jane as an outsider and even possibly as a threat to their family.
ReplyDelete