Many psychoanalytic theories may be applied to Charlotte Bronte’s, Jane Eyre. Evidence of psychology cannot only be found in Bronte’s characters, and throughout her entire novel. Psychology can be applicable to Jane Eyre, through Bronte’s childhood, and also using psychoanalytic theories surrounding literature.
Charlotte Bronte wrote in a way that reflected her own life. She was not normally healthy as a child which heavily influenced her writing. Tragedy was a large part of Bronte’s life, specifically her childhood, and her family life was more than a little tumultuous. When discussing Charlotte’s childhood, Lucile Dooley says, “There is evidence enough that she was essentially neurotic- in the sense of nervous instability-that while not morbid …show more content…
Bronte was also heavily influenced by her family. Patrick Bronte, Charlotte’s father , came from a peasant Irish family. He graduated from Cambridge University and later became a clegyman in the Church of England. Patrick Bronte lived to be more than eighty years old, but was not considered healthy during his children’s lifetime, despite his own longevity. He suffered from a condition previously called hypochondria, but is now referred to as nervous dyspepsia. Patrick was very similar to Charlotte, he suffered from both strong will and depression,. Charlotte’s mother, Maria Branwell, died of cancer following the birth of her sixth child. The two oldest children, Maria and Elizabeth, died at eleven and twelve years old due to pulmonary tuberculosis.Charlotte Bronte herself was the third of the six children and throughout her entire life suffered from hysteria and nervous instability. Emily and Anne, the youngest of the six children died of tuberculosis at the ages of twenty-nine and twenty-eight. Branwell, the only son of Patrick and Maria Bronte, took after his father in older sister Charlotte in tempermant, which led him to the path of delinquency, and eventually he died of tuberculosis as …show more content…
Ribot paid particular attention to the physical element of mental life, ignoring all spiritual or nonmaterial factors in man. He is most well known for his theories and beliefs on character temperament in literature. This theory can be heavily applied to Jane Eyre. “his [Ribot’s] classification by excluding from the catalogue of "true characters" the amorphous, or characterless; and the unstable, or vacillating”(Ashmun, 519). He then indicates "four degrees, of increasing definiteness and diminishing generality." In the first degree Ribot makes “two great groups of characters: i. The Active. 2. The Sensitive. After this twofold division, he is forced to admit the necessity for a third, which shall include those characters that are low both in feeling and in the impulses to action. This gives us: 3. The Apathetic,” (Ashmun, 520). “The active,” says Ribot, have as their dominant characteristic a natural and continual tendency towards action. Their life is directed mostly outwards. They are optimists, because they feel strong enough to struggle with obstacles, and overcome them, and take pleasure in the struggle.” Examples of active characters are all the heroes of the great epics, and all men who are, “makers of history,” (Ribot). In his character study, Théodule-Armand Ribot is adamant that active characters are predominately male because, “a woman's nature is too
Charlotte Bronte wrote in a way that reflected her own life. She was not normally healthy as a child which heavily influenced her writing. Tragedy was a large part of Bronte’s life, specifically her childhood, and her family life was more than a little tumultuous. When discussing Charlotte’s childhood, Lucile Dooley says, “There is evidence enough that she was essentially neurotic- in the sense of nervous instability-that while not morbid …show more content…
Bronte was also heavily influenced by her family. Patrick Bronte, Charlotte’s father , came from a peasant Irish family. He graduated from Cambridge University and later became a clegyman in the Church of England. Patrick Bronte lived to be more than eighty years old, but was not considered healthy during his children’s lifetime, despite his own longevity. He suffered from a condition previously called hypochondria, but is now referred to as nervous dyspepsia. Patrick was very similar to Charlotte, he suffered from both strong will and depression,. Charlotte’s mother, Maria Branwell, died of cancer following the birth of her sixth child. The two oldest children, Maria and Elizabeth, died at eleven and twelve years old due to pulmonary tuberculosis.Charlotte Bronte herself was the third of the six children and throughout her entire life suffered from hysteria and nervous instability. Emily and Anne, the youngest of the six children died of tuberculosis at the ages of twenty-nine and twenty-eight. Branwell, the only son of Patrick and Maria Bronte, took after his father in older sister Charlotte in tempermant, which led him to the path of delinquency, and eventually he died of tuberculosis as …show more content…
Ribot paid particular attention to the physical element of mental life, ignoring all spiritual or nonmaterial factors in man. He is most well known for his theories and beliefs on character temperament in literature. This theory can be heavily applied to Jane Eyre. “his [Ribot’s] classification by excluding from the catalogue of "true characters" the amorphous, or characterless; and the unstable, or vacillating”(Ashmun, 519). He then indicates "four degrees, of increasing definiteness and diminishing generality." In the first degree Ribot makes “two great groups of characters: i. The Active. 2. The Sensitive. After this twofold division, he is forced to admit the necessity for a third, which shall include those characters that are low both in feeling and in the impulses to action. This gives us: 3. The Apathetic,” (Ashmun, 520). “The active,” says Ribot, have as their dominant characteristic a natural and continual tendency towards action. Their life is directed mostly outwards. They are optimists, because they feel strong enough to struggle with obstacles, and overcome them, and take pleasure in the struggle.” Examples of active characters are all the heroes of the great epics, and all men who are, “makers of history,” (Ribot). In his character study, Théodule-Armand Ribot is adamant that active characters are predominately male because, “a woman's nature is too