Narration and Conversation in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

Introduction: Language and Jane's Development

Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre explores the value of language and equates it to the development of Jane's character as she matures. Jane encounters many different individuals in her life, but the ones that serve her best are the ones that challenge her intellectually. It is through narrative that Jane is allowed to grow, and through this growth she understands the importance of language and communication. From her encounters with Bessie, Mr. Lloyd, Mary Ann Wilson, Mr. Rochester, and everyone in between, Jane learns the importance of stimulating conversation. While Jane is the dominant narrator, she delights in letting other characters share in the task of commenting on the life and times of Jane Eyre. As the narrator, Jane measures her relationships with other characters by narrative exchange, and she makes sure the reader is fully aware of her thoughts, emotions, and the constraints put upon her as her life unfolds before us.

First-Person Narration and Emotional Commitment

Brontë's narrative style sets out to include and exalt the act of communication between individuals. Because our narrator is so compelled by words, it is only fitting that she tells the story in first-person narrative, which allows her to express herself and be heard — two things she needs almost more than anything else. It is through discourse that experience becomes significant, at least in Jane's eyes. Knies claims that the first-person narrative also achieves a "center of consciousness" (Kaplan), which becomes significant in that the narrator is constantly evolving.

Perhaps one of the most compelling examples of Brontë's ability to draw the reader into the novel with powerful descriptive technique can be seen in the first chapter, when Jane experiences the anger of John Reed. The flying book, the fall, the book striking her head, and the blood are all results of John's anger — but more interesting is Jane's response to him, which up until this point had been "habitually obedient" (Brontë 4). She calls him a "wicked and cruel boy" (5) who is like a "murderer" (5). He reacts like an angry child, pulling her hair and screaming for attention. Knies agrees that Brontë's narrative style captures us with emotion and excitement. He writes, "The opening chapter does a masterful job of getting the story going, giving us enough of the basic situation to make the action meaningful... At the end of the chapter we are drawn forcibly into the story as those four sets of hands are laid on Jane — and, in effect, on us, for we have already been compelled to make an emotional commitment" (Knies). With this scene, we feel compelled to read more to discover the fate of this young girl and the significance that the narrative brings to the completion of the story.

Jane as Narrator and the Conversational Standard

Jane, as a narrator, makes sure that we are aware of her thoughts, emotions, and the constraints put upon her as her life unfolds before us. The success of this technique lies in the fact that Jane establishes a relationship with us from the first pages of the novel. Kaplan observes:

"The story Jane tells is not simply the story of her movement from victim to agent, orphan girl to familied heiress, governess to wife; it is also the story of her own longing to talk, to find someone to credit her version of her life, to sympathize with her trials and listen as a friend. It is, ultimately, the story of the growth of a writer, someone who can extend the gesture... to an unknown and unpredictable other (the reader)." (Kaplan)

The general idea is that Jane receives as much in writing the novel as we do in reading it, and thus the relationship begins. This type of give-and-take relationship sets the mood for understanding the complexity of Jane's desire for fulfilling discourse. Sternlieb observes that not enough attention is paid to the fact that Jane's "development as a narrator" (Sternlieb 454) occurs "simultaneously with her development as a character" (454), because both are evolving at the same time and share an equal amount of importance in Jane's character. Sternlieb maintains that Jane's "carefully constructed narrative strategy is developed specifically in response to Rochester" (454) but does not wait for his entrance into the novel to "materialize" (454).

This is significant in understanding the dynamic that exists between Jane and Rochester. He may be a man in Victorian England and she may be a woman, but it is clear that they are intellectual equals. In an attempt to establish this intellectual equality, Brontë presents Jane's story from Jane's point of view, as all events are related back to her and through her. As a result, we know her deepest feelings and thoughts. It is important to realize that the novel does not simply employ first-person narration — it relies heavily on the impressions, thoughts, and feelings of the narrator to be completely understood.

Early Relationships and the Value of Discourse

Jane becomes a dependable narrator because she is straightforward regarding her emotions and when relating information about other characters. However, while she is establishing her own character, she is also establishing a foundation for future relationships. Throughout the course of the novel, she evaluates her relationships with other characters by gauging them according to their narrative capability and her ability to converse with them.

One of the first instances where conversation is tremendously necessary to young Jane is seen with Mr. Lloyd. After the incident with John, Mr. Lloyd asks her about the cause of her unhappiness, and she writes: "Fearful, however, of losing this first and only opportunity of relieving my grief by imparting it, I... contrived to frame a meager... true response" (Brontë 20). Here we see how Jane recognizes at an early age the importance of genuine conversation. In addition, she realizes the importance of being heard.

The most significant individuals in Jane's life are those who provide her with enlightened conversation. During her stay at Gateshead, Jane tells us: "Bessie Lee must, I think, have been a girl of good natural capacity, for she was smart in all she did, and had a remarkable knack of narrative" (26), and Jane is captivated by her "most enchanting stories" (38) and sweet songs. The relationship is significant because it affords Jane "gleams of sunshine" (38). Jane admits, "I preferred her to any one else at Gateshead Hall" (26).

While she is at Lowood, Jane develops a fondness for Mary Ann Wilson because she possessed a "turn for narrative" (81) and because she was:

"Witty and original, and partly because she had a manner which set me at my ease... she knew more of the world, and could tell me many things I liked to hear: with her my curiosity found gratification... she liked to inform, I to question; so we got on swimmingly together, deriving much entertainment, if not much improvement, from our mutual intercourse." (81)

This passage allows us to understand one of the most fundamental aspects of Jane's budding character: the nourishing power of discourse between individuals.

Conclusion: Conversation as Jane's Defining Need

Jane needs kind conversation in order to survive, and this is why she and Rochester are bound together. However, we should take careful note that Rochester is not the origin of Jane's craving. Knies observes, "The real triumph of Jane Eyre, as almost every commentator on the book has noted, is, of course, the character of Jane" (Knies 548). We cannot know the characteristics of this person without knowing the most intimate aspects of her deepest longings. Brontë established early that these yearnings included a connection with other human beings on an intellectual level.

From early in her life — when she confided in Mr. Lloyd simply to have a confidant — to the woman who enjoys stimulating conversation with her beloved Rochester, Jane develops into someone who thrives on conversation for stimulation. When she observes that she is "blest beyond what language can express" (Brontë 499), she is indicating that true love is beyond expression and beyond her first love: words. The narrative form of the novel allows us not only to get to know Jane and the individuals she encounters, but also to witness the ways in which Jane develops into an educated, intelligent woman. Those individuals who influenced her along the way become important players because they help Jane evolve. The narrator certainly enjoys her task, but she also delights in allowing those for whom she feels an affinity to emerge and express themselves. In allowing them to present themselves, she expresses her veneration for their eloquence in narration.

Works Cited

Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Scholastic Books, 1962.

Kaplan, Carla. "Girl Talk: 'Jane Eyre' and the Romance of Women's Narration." Novel: A Forum on Fiction. 1996. JSTOR Resource Database.

Knies, Earl A. "The 'I' of Jane Eyre." College English. 1966. National Council of Teachers of English. JSTOR Resource Database.

Sternlieb, Lisa. "Jane Eyre: 'Hazarding Confidences.'" Nineteenth-Century Literature. 1999. JSTOR Resource Database.