How Is Jane Presented in the First Five Chapters of Jane Eyre?

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The description of the ten-year-old heroine as “a picture of passion” at the beginning of Jane Eyre is fitting in several instances throughout the first five chapters. Neglected by her Aunt Reed during the first ten years of her life, and treated extremely harshly by her supposed “benefactress”, Jane is unable to assert herself and often acts in defiance to the injustices placed upon her. She is a fiery and passionate character, due to the way she often does not think of consequences before she speaks or acts, bringing her far more trouble than reward. Bronte uses a combination of powerful language, imagery and symbolism to present the complex character of Jane in a vivid and memorable way. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Jane Eyre is continually portrayed by Bronte as a defiant young girl, whose strong feelings often forsake the reason and rational thinking that her unusual maturity suggests she is capable of. When provoked, she easily gives in to impulsive behaviour and harsh language. It is this portrayal of Jane by Bronte that makes her such a vivid and arresting character in the eyes of the reader. Bronte repeatedly describes Jane and her emotions using reference to slavery, revolution and battle. This not only reflects the hardships she has endured and her struggles so overcome these, but it also makes reference to Jane’s strong spirit and suggests how it has been imprisoned and repressed by her cruel treatment, and incites sympathy. Jane is likened to a “rebel slave” tasting for the first time “un-hoped for liberty”. However, even at these early stages we begin to see Jane change and mature, and she seems to learn how to balance her passion with reason and care. In the scene involving Jane’s outburst at Mrs Reed, “vengeance” is compared to “aromatic wine” which although appears to be pleasant, in reality is “metallic and corroding” “poison”. So

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