Jane Eyre Personal Response Quotes

In Jane’s younger years her person to person interactions were almost always the same as her train of thought; the few times that they did not line up were when she felt uncomfortable with the person or people she is interacting with. The book begins with Jane’s interactions with her older cousin John Reed; “My terror had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded. ‘Wicked cruel boy!’ I said. ‘You are like a murderer – you are like a slave driver – you are like the Roman emperors!’” (13). Jane’s actions at this point are the same as her thoughts, in the moment she yells at John not caring about the consequences of her response to John’s cruel actions, she has become so comfortable with being attacked like this that she finds no need to respond with caution but instead feels every right to throw insults at her …show more content…
During her last moments with the Reeds Jane becomes bold and begins to consciously speak her thoughts to Mrs.Reed knowing that punishment isn’t going to be inflicted upon her: “Speak I must: I had been trodden on severely, and must turn... ‘I am not deceitful: If I were I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you’” (43-44). She mainly speaks her thoughts to Mrs. Reed by spitting the words that she used to describe Jane back at her making Mrs. Reed realize the flaws in what she said about Jane, This is a complete display at how comfortable Jane is at clearly expressing her emotions towards Mrs. Reed growing up. Then quite a bit later there is a rare moment where Jane’s actions and thoughts are different to a large degree: “mounted aloft: I, who had said I could not bear the shame of standing on my natural feet in the middle of the room, was now exposed to the general view on a pedestal of infamy”