Discuss the Theme of Isolation in the Gateshead Section.
Jane is a very isolated and unloved child and this will be looked at throughout my essay. The novel of Jane Eyre is entirely written in the first person narrative this allows us to understand what Jane thinks and feel's, her private thoughts, how she reacts to certain events where she is dealt with unfairly and my essay will focus on several incidents which occurred.
The opening of the book immediately presents the mood of hopelessness and misery through the use of pathetic fallacy, for example:.
"The cold wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and rain so penetrating." .
These descriptions of the weather give the impression of sadness. The descriptions are sombre and penetrating, giving a miserable and unwelcoming scene, which is a reflection of Jane's situation.
Jane has a completely different life to the Reed children; Jane is not accepted as one of the Reed children, she is not even acknowledged as one of the servants of the house, this is one way in which she is isolated. Mrs Reed shows that Jane is not classed as a child along with Eliza, John and Georgiana, when they are all surrounding Mrs Reed at the fireside, Mrs Reed "dispensed" Jane from joining the group." Mrs Reeds" children are said to be "happy, little children" however Jane is said to be "a deceitful child." This shows us that Jane is judged and not given a chance to prove she can be just as perfect as the other children.
Jane leaves the drawing room where her aunt and cousins were sat and enters a breakfast room, attached to the drawing room; here she finds herself a book "taking care it should be one stored with pictures." Jane went and sat in the window seat pulling the curtains a fraction from being closed, this is showing that she wants to be alone, and she "fears nothing but interruption." The pictures she was studying were all lonely landscapes with no people in them, for example:.
