Jenny: An Antagonist to Readers

In the novel, Mary’s twin sister Jenny is seen as an antagonist by readers of the novel My Name is Mary Sutter.  Although Jenny is Mary’s twin sister, there is a lack of connection between the two siblings.  Twins are supposed to always be there to support one another and help the other in times of need.  Even in other forms of literature and entertainment, it is a common theme that twins put the other one’s happiness before their own.  The relationship between Mary and Jenny was one that was distant.  The reason why many, including me, believe that Jenny can be an antagonist in the book is because she seems to be a factor in the many conflicts in Mary’s life.  An antagonist, by definition is a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.  She displays her opposition, hostility, and negativity in Mary's life throughout the book. For example, Jenny essentially takes away Mary’s love, Thomas.  The two even show public displays of affection in front of her.  Jenny having a husband and being pretty are two things that Mary does not have, which she envies about her sister Jenny.  During this time in history, the goals of women were to have a nice appearance in order to fit into the social norms of having a husband.  Jenny makes Mary feel bad about herself and who she as a person at times.  On top of this, Jenny passes away when giving birth later on in the book, being one of many family member of Mary who pass away.  With the passing of Jenny, she is one who makes Mary feel lonely and depressed.  Her death causes Mary to rethink the relationship they had, and the sadness of their disconnect, despite them being sisters...twin sisters.  But despite what Mary's sister has done to her, directly and indirectly, Mary has grown and become stronger due to Jenny as a factor of bringing conflicts into her life.

Figurative Claustrophobia

A picture of the beautiful state of Colorado.  However, for Polly, this
place is what she would like to escape from.

Like Polly in “The Liberation”, I too have felt claustrophobic in a certain situation before.  The experience is not that of having fear of being in a confined place as stated in the literal definition.  The claustrophobia that Polly and I have experienced is figurative, in that in a certain situation, we have figuratively felt claustrophobic.  When in her home, Polly felt claustrophobic, as being in her home was frustrating, feeling as if the walls were closing in on her.  She wanted to leave and be liberated from a place that made her mentally feel uncomfortable. 

Just this picture makes me anxious.

I felt a similar way when in my math class last year.  Honors Pre-Calculus is definitely the hardest class I have ever taken in high school, and simply getting a B- was a huge struggle for me.  The subject was difficult, the amount of homework a night was extensive, and the way the teacher explained how he went about problems was difficult for me to understand.  And with “Work to Rule” in place, my teacher stayed after school very infrequently, therefore making getting extra help difficult.  As a result of all of this, I would get very stressed out about the tests, and I would even feel stressed when just entering the classroom.  Whenever I walked in, just like Polly, I felt as if the walls were caving in on me.  That class stressed me out, everything about it.  And walking into the classroom also became something very uncomfortable to me.  My liberation was difficult, as I literally had to wait until June to leave that class: the end of the year.  Over the course of the year, I struggled getting a B-.  Although it was difficult, I knew that I just had to get through that second period class every day, and get by until the end of the year.  After my last test, the moment of liberation was when my math teacher told me that I had received a 79.5 for the semester, which he was rounding up to an 80.  It was one of the happiest moments in my academic career.  I was relieved that everything about that class was behind me, and that one last push was what got me to where I wanted to be.  The stress was now gone.  The place that made me feel mentally uncomfortable and frustrated was now a thing of the past.
 

Now, I am much happier and less stressed from no longer being in that class.  Although I have difficult classes this year as a senior, even taking Honors Calculus, none of them compared to the stress I felt from just being in my Honors Pre-Calculus class.  I am now liberated, and now am a less anxious and a lot more happy.

Creating Mood and Atmosphere

In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, weather is Bronte’s tool to set the tone and mood for foreshadowing positive or negative events.  This technique is exercised throughout the entire novel, alerting the readers of what is to come through the use of atmosphere description.  In the following scene, I, like Charlotte Bronte, set the scene of a story through the use of atmosphere to create the mood.

I was walking. Now I'm running.  The air is as cold as clear ice, however the situation I am in is anything but clear.  I am so lost, running through the mud in the dark woods.  The day is rainy and stormy, and I have yet to see another living thing.  Although they cannot be seen, the noises of hooing of owls and the howling of coyotes are what fill the air.  Scared, I simply keep running until I can find my way out.

The way I even got into this mess, was by wanting to take some pictures of the trees.  The day started out so beautifully, with a nice blue sky and soft wind to rustle the trees.  I was there in the woods alone, to take pictures of the different colored leaves that were all different shades of red, orange, or yellow.  Besides the sound of birds chirping and the sound of the rustling of the trees every now and then, there was complete silence.  It was not an eerie silence, but rather a peaceful silence.  I was not until the birds stopped chirping, the wind started to blow the trees harder, and the sky went from blue to grey in an instant that, that I knew my photo shoot was over and that I needed to head home.  The new mission: to get home, which was in walking distance from where I was.  The problem: It was the first time I had ever entered these woods on my own, so I was not very familiar with it.  It was then that I realized I was lost.

 

So now, I am trying to get home, by myself, in some unfamiliar woods, in the worst weather conditions.  My phone is dead, so the best thing to do is to try to retrace my steps.  I am running, as I am scared, cold, and anxious to get home as soon as I can.  Hopefully someone will find me out here.

Jane Eyre Picture and Quote

My picture that represents Jane Eyre, is a picture of gray stairs going up from left to right.  On the left, there are gray clouds and rain, but as the stairs go up and continue on the right side of the page, the weather gets better.  There is now a blue sky with a great, shining sun instead of a dull sky with dreadful weather.  This represents Jane, as it shows her growth and what she has been through in life.  When she was young, she dealt with much disrespect and not enough love.  She was an orphan who had to take care of herself early on in life, since there was no one else who cared enough to do so at Gateshead.  However, once she is at Lowood, she begins to develop even more as a person, building strength within herself and having a new understanding of others' ideas and perspectives.  She even becomes a teacher at Lowood for a few years, soon wanting a change in pace.  She then becomes a governess at Thornfield, where she develops romantics feelings towards Rochester.  When she runs away to Marsh End, she is able to meet family she never knew she had, inherits money from a relative, and realizes the unconditional love she has for Rochester.  She then goes on to marry him, and even have a child with him, living life very happily.  The stairs in the picture show how Jane's life and character slowly grew and improved. 

 

In Chapter 12, Jane states “It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.”  Jane took action to make her life the way she wanted it to be.  She took advantage of her education, her jobs as a teacher and governess, and the love she deserved, in order to live successfully and happy.

Jane Eyre Onion Peel

At this point in the novel, Jane leaves Thornfield and ends up at Marsh End.  To get to Marsh End however, Jane has had to sleep in the woods and eat cold porridge, living as if in a lower class than what she is in.  When Jane first appears at Marsh End, she is rejected right away by Hannah, one of the servants at the house.  Jane knocks on the door and begs Hannah to let her stay for the night, but Hannah fears that Jane will bring others with her.  Jane is soon let into the home.  Although Jane forgives Hannah for shutting her out in the storm, Jane maintains resentment for her and validates this by saying, "But I do think hardly of you, and I'll tell you why as because you just now made it a species of reproach that I had no 'brass' and no house," (397). Hannah believes that someone without money or a place to live must be a beggar. This judgment irritates Jane who has never had any kind of wealth, but has been able to work and support herself.  In this section, Jane also recognizes the spiritual value of her experience of absolute poverty, which has stripped her of all markings of class.  Jane was judged at first sight by Hannah, who saw her dirty clothes and desperate state of mind, and immediately closes the door on her, not taking anything else into account.  She judges her based on her appearance, which is something that still happens today in the modern world. 

I feel like I can connect this to my own life, since many will judge me when they first meet me as well.  Little did Hannah know, Jane was actually in a higher class than she thought, even though she did not appear to be.  Little do many know, I am actually Hispanic, despite the fact that I look completely Caucasian.  When people first meet me, they see that I appear to be very pale with freckles, speaking English without an accent.  They immediately assume that I am a complete white girl.  When people get to know me, they soon learn that yes, I am white, but I also am very Hispanic.  

 

I say very Hispanic, since I am very in touch with that side of me;  I am a spitting image of my Hispanic mother, I speak fluent Spanish, and I overall relate to those who are Caucasian and Hispanic.  People always judge based on appearance, especially when meeting someone for the first time.  I very much can relate to Jane, who also felt unrightfully judged at a certain moment in time; when Hannah rejected her for appearing poor.

 

The first picture is of a stereotypical Hispanic woman.  The second picture is of my brother and me, two people who many do not assume to be Hispanic, based on our pale complections and based on certain characteristics we have.

Jane Eyre Reading Response

Although Jane is an artistic and passionate girl from the beginning, but was treated unfairly and without love for much of her childhood. Jane begins to find herself through role models, and matures through the years as she goes from Gateshead, to Lowood, and to Thornfield.

In the beginning in Gateshead, Jane is familiar with the feeling of lonliness.  "To that feeling of isolation I was accustomed; it did not oppress me much," (28).  This shows just how mature Jane has become.  By being denied her childhood, she has grown to maturity early.  Jane has grasped what it means to be an adult, alone in the world.  She even goes on to explain what she does on her own.  “I had risen half an hour before her entrance and had washed my face, and put on my clothes by the light of halfmoon setting, whose ray streamed through the narrow window near my crib,” (50) As a ten year old, Jane is already responsible for herself and getting ready by herself. She doesn’t rely on anyone to help her, even when it is simply means getting ready.  

Before even arriving to Lowood, Jane's aunt Ms. Reed tells Mr. brocklehurst, the supervisor of the boadring school, that Jane is a liar.  As a result, Jane fights back and tells Mr. Brocklehurst that what her aunt said about her being a liar wasn’t true.  She showed maturity, since it is a lot of times rare for someone so young to speak up for him/herself, as it can be a scary and intimidating this.  At Lowood, Jane begins to have more of an open mind and is begginning to be positively influenced by role models, such as Helen.  Helen says to Jane, “I make no effort; I follow as inclination guides me.  There is no merit in such goodness...You will change your mind, I hope, when you grow older: as yet you are but a little untaught girl,” (68).  Helen explains and tries to get young Jane to understand that sometimes one must have an open mind to get along with others.  For the next six years, Jane excels in her studies, and after spending two more years at Lowood as a teacher, Jane decides she is ready for a change.  Being a diligent student, a dedicated teacher, and soon wanting change, is a true sign of maturity.  Jane is no longer a child, but rather an adult who seeks to experience and get the most out of what she can during her time at the Lowood Boarding School for orphan girls. 

Now much older than the childish ten-year-old she was, Jane realizes that when she does not let the opinions of others, like Mr. Brocklehurst or Ms. Reed, affect her, there is no oppression to dread.  she realizes that she is bound only by her determination and free will regardless of the authority that she has traditionally been bound to please.  She discovers her own strengths through her experiences in the world and therefore becomes a mature person.  Now as a mature adult taking responsibility for her own actions, Jane wants to reconcile with her aunt, who is on her deathbed.  Although Jane went through a tough childhood being raised by her aunt, she still wants to make up and end on good terms, wanting to thank her for caring her for her the best she could. “I approached my cheek to her lips: she would not touch it. She said I oppressed her by leaning over the bed, and again demanded water. As I laid her down--for I raised her and supported her on my arm while she drank--I covered her ice-cold and clammy hand with mine: the feeble fingers shrank from my touch--the glazing eyes shunned my gaze,” Although her aunt has no interest in essentially making up with Jane, Jane is mature in how she dealt with the situation and with even making the effort to see this aunt who never loved her.

My Home Away from Home

It is where I would go with my peers on school field trips, and where I would spend rainy days with friends and family.  Now, it is where I work on weekends and vacations, teaching young children science through exploration and discovery.  The Museum of Science in Boston, just a fifteen minute drive (without traffic) from my house, is my home away from home. 

As a kid, the Museum of Science was always a place that was educational and fun.  The people in the red coats and red jackets made science look interesting and interactive.  One of my favorite places was the Discovery Center for children ages eight and under.  They had books, a beehive and robins’ nest, and an experiment station where even thought that I was actually a scientist!

Many years later, I began volunteering at the museum, as I knew that it would look good on my college resume.   However, throughout my sophomore year of volunteering, I realized that it was more than just something to put on my college resume.  I had grown to love the children I was around all the time, had grown to love who I worked with, and had also become a better person.  I became someone patient, who listened, and had strengthened social and speaking skills.

I worked my way up to being a Program Assistant in the Discovery Center, where I continue to be around people I enjoy and in an environment I appreciate.  My day fist consists of being in the Suit Cabot Lab, where we do a Forensic Scientists Activity.  Then, I have my lunch right next to the Charles River.  I then spend the rest of the day in the Discovery Center, playing with young kids in the fantasy or physical science areas, or facilitating the experiment station. 

I not only enjoy being around the presence of enthusiastic young children, but also my co-workers.  They are very similar in personality to me: Respectful, nice, reserved, but a little corky at times.  Being surrounded by people who are almost just like me, makes working that much easier and relaxing.

Even the location of the Museum of Science is very comforting to me.  In the Discovery Center, there is a big window that overlooks the glistening Charles River, where Duck Boats constantly reside in the summertime.  The Prudential building and the Citgo sign right next to Fenway are also common sights to see.  Boston is my favorite place to visit, and working in such a unique coastal city with so much to offer and to do, adds to the experience.

Home is a place where you are comfortable and can be yourself.  It is an environment where you feel relaxed and like a part of community. The people I am surrounded by at the museum make me feel like I can be my corky and positive self, and the experience and skills I that I have gained are a result of, in a way, being raised in a fun and educational place.  It is my home away from home, shaping who I am today and being a place I look forward to being in.