"Each picture told a story; often mysterious to my underdeveloped understanding and imperfect feelings, but always deeply interesting." --Jane Eyre (9)Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay There is something extraordinary and spiritual about the work of Jane Eyre. In her story, Jane's solitary hobby sometimes functions as an outlet for past or present pain and often provides her with an opportunity to deal with unpleasant memories and emotions. Jane's art transcends her isolation by connecting her with other people who see it; he serves as a bridge across the chasm between her desire to be alone and her need for companionship, as demonstrated in key scenes in the novel that include a visualization of her art. This struggle between isolation ("the hidden self") and companionship ("the public self") reinforces the novel's disquiet, for Jane's art is her own, marking her as her own woman. His art provides a way to trace his growth to maturity. The epigraph above is taken from Jane's comments on Bewick's History of British Birds, Jane's first artistic influence at the beginning of the novel, and is spoken by a young girl whose self is also "underdeveloped" . » and “imperfect”. There are five scenes in the novel that define the importance of art to Jane's growth: her three watercolors seen by Rochester at Thornfield, the miniature of Blanche Ingram that precedes their meeting, her unconscious pencil sketch of Rochester during of his return to Gateshead, Rosamund Oliver's pencil drawing. request a portrait from Morton and visit his work in St. John's, which leads to the discovery of his identity near the end of the novel. These scenes occur throughout the novel, giving his art a prominent place in the story, and there are also several references to his unique artistic abilities. When Jane confronts her jealousy of Blanche Ingram, the center of Rochester's affections when Jane first arrives at Thornfield, she immediately decides to paint a portrait of her based on Mrs. Fairfax's verbal description (169). She asserts that “it is madness in all women to allow a secret love to flare up within them,” and decides to reject imagination and resign herself to reason; at this point she decides that she can never be the object of Mr. Rochester's affections (168-9). Jane considers herself her own student, blames herself for abandoning "meaning and resolution" and vows to have them for the moment, after which she falls asleep easily (170). This scene bears an odd resemblance to the first time Jane decided to produce art as a young girl in Lowood, except that the focus of that first moment was strictly on imagination, where Jane was content to imagining “the spectacle of my ideal drawings,” after which she also fell asleep contentedly (78). Because Jane does not want to abandon meaning and reason, her portraits are now based on reality; she uses Mrs. Fairfax's descriptions in conjunction with the socially constructed indigenous theories of the time to develop what she thinks Blanche Ingram should look like. In other words, one of this novel's greatest conventions regarding Victorian women is brought to the fore as Jane paints this portrait - conventional views of what they should look like and, in reality, what Jane is not. She does not allow herself to dream of a better life with Rochester, just as St. John is not able to envision marriage and happiness with Rosamund Oliver. Jane contemplating a portrait of herselfand Rochester would have been more ideal, but reason intervenes and she steps back only to think about her position as "[g]overness, disconnected, poor and simple" (169-70). This is reinforced by his description of Blanche Ingram as an "accomplished lady of rank", a status that Jane cannot achieve (169-70). Given the "mixed messages" that a governess traditionally lived with, namely that "she was and was not a member of the family, was and was not a servant", it is no wonder that Jane seeks comfort in an isolated world (338 However, Jane's heart prevails over reason When she returns to Gateshead to witness the last days of her aunt Reed, she finds herself in the company of her cousins ​​Eliza and Georgina. unpleasant women (244) Because their presence, along with her merciless aunt, brings her no comfort, her art is her comfort and offers her "occupation and amusement" during her stay, where she allows herself to follow the ". ever-changing kaleidoscope of imagination” (244) Her imagination is in power again, and through this power she later produces a sketch of Mr. Rochester and states: “There I had the face of one.” friend before my eyes: and what did it mean that these young ladies had their backs to me? » (244-5). Rather than an act of reason to counter feelings of jealousy and resentment, Jane here performs an automatic, unplanned, unplanned, unconscious drawing, which leaves her "absorbed and satisfied" (245). The imaginative mind is the source of content for Jane, not reason. This literal “escape from reality” for Jane also serves as an escape for the reader from the reality of the novel. The portrait recalls Rochester, who, when Jane begins to think about him, serves as a sort of "Prince Charming" to Jane. The reader also remembers that Jane and Rochester are equals; the portrait allows Jane to “capture” Rochester on paper and outline it with lines. In this sense, there is a contradiction in Jane's (and the reader's) feelings that is symbolic of the relationship between Jane and Rochester. Unlike herself, however, Jane believes that Rosamund Oliver is a more balanced woman. She meets Rosamund while living and teaching at Morton, and she also shows an interest in Jane's drawings and paintings. Although Jane sees her in a more favorable light than her cousins, Jane explains that Rosamund is "neither deeply interesting nor truly impressive" (388). It is her beauty, not her intellect, that attracts Jane and makes her feel "a thrill of artistic pleasure at the thought" of painting her portrait (388). This portrait presents a stark contrast to the portrait Jane painted of Blanche Ingram. A contrast is observable in the way Jane approaches the two different portraits. While Rosamund is at her own request, Blanche is unaware that Jane is painting her portrait. Blanche's portrait is executed as a remedy for Jane's emotions, and Rosamund's is created by Jane's own desire to paint it, as she has no animosity towards her. Another difference is that Rosamund is able to see Jane's work, which leads her to request it. for a portrait in the first place. Rosamund ironically declares to her father that Jane "is smart enough to be governess in a big family," which is a thoughtless, though true enough, comment on Jane's position in society (389). This comment is noticeably ignored by Jane, who says, "I would rather be where I am than with any big family in the country" (389). This statement reveals a confident and mature sense of self. She no longer needs the job at Thornfield, as she has changed since she left. This change is reflected in his attitude towards his.