Jane Eyre and Orientalism
The quality of Orientalism in Jane Eyre is that of the exotic, wild and impassioned element that lurks both within the mysterious character of Mr. Rochester and his imprisoned/insane wife in the attic. The "oriental" character is viewed as something that is foreign, in need of order, restraint and reason and yet which attracts the characters (including both Mr. Rochester and the missionary St. John, who wants to go abroad to preach the Bible) albeit for different reasons; the former seeks to lose himself, the latter seeks to find/redeem those who are lost. Yet the effects of the "oriental" on the spirits and moods of the two extremes represented by Rochester and St. John are similar: each becomes a kind of representation of death -- Rochester is trapped by a former, erotic love, now cut off from romantic love due to the laws of God and Church (expressed by Jane in her refusal to wed a man already wed); and St. John is cut off from romantic love (to Jane) because of his commitment to a kind of crusade within his own mind to preach in the East. Still, there is also the scene of the "gypsy" -- who is really Rochester disguised but which also represents a distinct character of the Oriental current that runs through the book, in the sense that it is at once mysterious, forbidding, yet alluring and even reflective of who the characters really are. After all, it is Rochester pretending to by the gypsy that allows him to penetrate some ways into Jane's consciousness, hitherto cut off from him. This paper will discuss the complex ways in which Orientalism features in Jane Eyre and how it holds both a cautionary meaning within the context of the novel and an allegory for the deep mystery that runs through the heart of nature, life and passion.
The fact that Jane, for instance, refuses St. John's request to go to the East with him and instead gives herself to the passionate voice calling her back to Thornfield suggests that even Jane -- the voice of reason and order for Rochester -- is...
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