Thomas 1

A. Thomas

Mrs. Beard

English IV AP – 5

6 March 2015

Annotated Bibliography

Bloom, Harold. "Bloom on Jane Eyre." In Bloom, Harold, ed. Jane Eyre, Bloom's Guides. New

York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2007. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc.

In this literary file, Bloom analyzes how the punishments Rochester must endure transform him from arrogant and sinful to humble, ultimately leading to the development of his and Jane’s pure, authentic union. This is a reliable source because Bloom discusses Bronte’s treatment of Rochester in light of his knowledge of Bronte’s personal writing motivations, also integrating the viewpoints of other literary critics. Bloom argues that Bronte’s reason for blinding Rochester is solely to make him into a suitable match for Jane, but I assert that his blindness symbolizes his punishment for attempted bigamy, as well as his newly found and supernaturally provided capability to look beyond his selfish desires and value only the spirit and character of his wife. The topic of my paper is to discuss the personal encounters of individual characters with God, and how these experiences lead to peace, or the lack thereof, in their lives.

Bloom’s article will be helpful for my paper because he discusses the necessity of Rochester’s punishment in order to extricate the sin from his and Jane’s relationship and lead them both into a marriage that is sanctified by God.

Knies, Earl A. "Article by Earl A. Knies." The Art of Charlotte Brontë. Earl A. Knies. Ohio

University Press, 1969. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Laurie Thomas 2

Lanzen Harris. Vol. 8. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. 19th Century Literature Criticism

Online.

In this article, Knies illustrates the way religious belief in God is a guiding influence for multiple characters in the novel, comparing and contrasting their personal forms of religion and expostulating how various religious influences are synthesized in Jane’s character in order to create her individual belief in God. This is a reliable source because Knies builds on the arguments of other literary critics, supporting and/or disproving their ideas through his viewpoint on the role of religion in the novel. Furthermore, Knies reveals how the first-person narrative perspective chosen by Bronte contributes to the characters’ religious symbolism, since the characters are interpreted through Jane’s personal lens of religious experience. Knies’s article is relevant to my paper because it provides a chronological description of Jane’s spiritual encounters, exemplifying how she changes and develops with each one. This article also supports my thesis that religious convictions are the driving force for whether an individual ultimately becomes liberated or imprisoned.

Moseley, Merritt. "Jane Eyre and the Hero's Journey." In Bloom, Harold, ed. The Hero's

Journey, Bloom's Literary Themes. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc.

In this literary file, Moseley discusses Jane’s desires for both love and liberty

throughout the novel. Mosely explains why the time period of the novel causes these desires

to conflicting in a woman, as well as how they are ultimately reconciled through her marriage

to Rochester. Moseley reveals how Jane is liberated from crushing oppression and her own

weaknesses by occurrences appearing to come from God. This is a reliable source because

Moseley synthesizes the religious aspects of Jane Eyre with the novel’s historical context,

describing the measure of independence Jane acquires and what sacrifices she must make in Thomas 3

order to achieve freedom from societal and situational oppression. Moseley even goes further

to compare and contrast God as a powerful being versus God as a legalistic set of religious

rules, revealing the effects of each in the lives of the individuals in the novel. Jane and

Rochester both personally encounter the former, a supernatural and all-powerful God, who

leads them to make the necessary sacrifices to allow for a union blessed by Heaven. Their

marriage ultimately combines Jane’s passionate nature and strong religious convictions into

one sanctified earthly love, reconciling her needs for both love and liberty.

Peterson, Linda H. "The Feelings and Claims of Little People : Heroic Missionary Memoirs,

Domestic(ated)." Spiritual Autobiography, and Jane Eyre: An Autobiography. In

Traditions of Victorian Women's Autobiography: The Poetics and Politics of Life

Writing. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999. 80-108. Rpt. in Nineteenth-

Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 112. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 19th

Century Literature Criticism Online.

In this article, Peterson critiques Bronte’s presentation of Jane Eyre as a spiritual autobiography, asserting that Jane gives physical desires preference over spiritual obligations.

This is a reliable source because Peterson utilizes Biblical passages that she believes influence the novel, as well as comparing and contrasting other novels similar to Jane Eyre in order to dissect the structure of the novel. However, Peterson possesses a rigidly narrow definition of what the structure and composition of a spiritual autobiography should be. Peterson supports

Moseley’s interpretation that Jane’s actions stem at least partially from her desire for independence; she also presents Rochester as an initial opposition to Jane’s religious purity who must be humbled through sacrifice of his sight. However, Peterson challenges the authenticity of the religious message in Jane Eyre due to the fact that Jane does not deny her body in order to Thomas 4 obey her spirit. In my paper, I will challenge Peterson’s argument that Bronte depicts human love as more important than religion by arguing that the marriage of Jane and Rochester reconciles Jane’s seemingly contradictory desires to be obedient to heaven and still enjoy passionate love on Earth.

Yuen, Maria. "Two Crises of Decision in Jane Eyre." English Studies 57.3 (June 1976): 215-226.

Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Eds. Jessica Bomarito and Russel

Whitaker. Vol. 155. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 19th Century Literature Criticism Online.

In this article, Yuen asserts that Jane’s religious motivations are driven by her personal experiences, her need for independence, and her desire of a physical love that combines passion and integrity. This is a reliable source because Yuen presents Jane as Bronte’s perception of herself, arguing that Bronte’s own beliefs regarding marriage and independence are manifested through Jane’s thoughts and decisions. Yuen discusses the way Jane overcomes oppression, even oppression disguised as religion, with the help of a present and active God whom she personally encounters. In her outline of Jane’s oppression, Yuen focuses on Brocklehurst and St. John, identifying their religious stances as perversions of true Christianity due to their hypocrisy and lack of compassion. Furthermore, Yuen proves the reason Jane rejects these forms of religion is because she wishes to liberate herself from the oppression she has experienced. Jane is dissatisfied with love without morals, but equally dissatisfied with morals without love. This idea leads to Yuen’s support of my thesis that the union of Jane and Rochester is founded upon both passion for each other and cleanliness before God, effectively liberating Jane and providing harmony between her physical and spiritual needs. Thomas 5