Better not to be a lady

I am reading the book Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It is about this orphaned girl named Jane Eyre and how she goes about living her life as she grows up and falls in love. A trait of hers is she talks a lot and that usually has to do with standing up for her self because she has no one in this world that cares for her.

         For example, on page 5, her cousin, John, is about to hurt her and she says, “You wicked and cruel boy. You are like a murderer- you are like a slave- driver; you are like the Roman Emperors.” She says this because she hasn't done anything to him but yet he taunts and hurts her. I think she is brave to stand up for herself even though she gets hurt.

         Another example is on page 31 she is leaving for boarding school. She tells her aunt, Ms.Reed, how she really feels. “ … I shall remember how you thrust me back roughly and violently… into the red room and locked up there to my dying day.... And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy – struck me , knocked me down for nothing….” I think because she is still suffering of what john did to her and the fact that she is leaving, she finally can tell her aunt that how horrible her son is. How she feels about him, and how she thinks he is stupid.

          Also on page 31, Jane tells her aunt “I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. I will never come to see you when I am grown up; and if anyone asks how I liked you and, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick, and that you treated me with miserable cruelty.” She stands up to aunt with such rebelliousness that her aunt goes into shock. I think it was courageous of her to stand up to her aunt after so many years of abuse. That it was brave to stand up to her especially when her aunt has so much control over Jane and Jane’s life.

            A lady is a person who is graceful. A lady is a person who doesn't talk back or have habits. A lady is a person so admired and soft looking, even when she is not most attractive she has everyone stunned and in awe. Jane, when she is young, is most certainly not a lady. She talks back to her eldest cousins and her aunt. In the 1800’s, when this book was written, girls were to be seen and not heard. And yet with Jane it is the exact opposite. She is heard much more than she wants too be seen by people. And most of it is because she is very defensive of herself and she actually stands up for herself like with John and her aunt. Jane Eyre reminds me so much of myself. She is so rebellious (very subtle), but she goes against common nature. Where I come from, the tradition of being a “lady” is still in effect. I am being scolded by aunts and my mother. Apparently I am not behaving like the “lady” I’m supposed to be, whatever that means. But I count on never changing for the rest of my life. Jane Eyre teaches you that, standing up for yourself instead looking like a fool just taking insults, may be better than being a lady.