Essay - Jane Eyre's Lessons in Inner Beauty the Notion of Beauty...

Jane Eyre's Lessons in Inner Beauty

The notion of beauty, what it is and whether ***** is an inner or outward quality, has been long debated. For centuries people, and particularly women, have struggled with the concept of their own inner beauty as something as important, if not more ***** than their outward, physical *****. This is no less true in literature. The idea of female inner beauty has *****t always ***** valued. In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, the protagonist, Jane, rejects her ***** outer beauty in favour of nurturing her intellect, her humility ***** those other inner qualities that she herself views as beautiful. She respects her wisdom and philosophy before any of ***** physical attributes, partly because ***** her need as a child to read, partly from the lessons she is taught. The ideas ***** embraces as a child reg*****rding outer beauty are reinforced as they reappear in her adulthood. For the duration of novel, Jane lives ***** five homes. ***** each, the suggestion ***** inner ***** overshadowing exterior appearance becomes a lesson, built upon over time, ***** in her l*****st home she gains her reward, a man who loves her solely for her mind.

***** ***** spends the first part of ***** childhood at her Aunt's house, known as Gateshead, w*****e she struggles ***** become more intelligent through reading. Jane always h***** a burning ***** to learn, despite her cousin's insistence, "You have no business to read our books; you are a dependent" (pg. 42). Jane perseveres. Rather than give up, she requests Gulliver's Travels from the library. Upon its receipt, Jane comments, "This book I had again and again perused with delight" (pg. 53). While her quest for self improvement is met ***** with criticism and opposition from her cousins, Jane continues to have a thirst ***** knowledge. ***** may be treated like an outcast by her family, but she ***** their criticism through self-improvement, reading whenever she possibly c*****.

The next lo*****ation ***** Jane calls ***** is the Lowood Institution. Jane spends the ***** six years ***** her life *****re, *****ing to be an intelligent ***** morally stringent person, while remaining outwardly plain. Here, the lessons in outer and inner ********** lie in the h*****s of Mr. Brocklehurst, who is the *****stitution's main benefactor. When he sees a girl with hair that is naturally curly he proclaims, "My m*****sion is to mortify in *****se girls the lusts of the flesh, to t***** them to clothe *****selves with shamefacedness and sobriety" (pg. 96). ********** young age and Mr. Brocklehurst's strong influence greatly affect her opinion of ***** own physical im*****. She comes to feel that her status in ***** re*****s, as it always will, humble and *****conspicuous as a servant. The only benef***** Jane received at ***** w***** a good education. ********** love for education is as fiery as was ***** desire to read at Gateshead, which ***** demonstrated when Jane explains that she "had the means of an excellent education placed *****in my reach; a