Research Task 2 1. I couldn’t believe Jane was behaving in such an inappropriate manner as to hitting master John. She was completely acting out, showing no constraint or control over her actions. She seemed to have completely lost perspective as to the correct way of behaving; being in the position that she was, this was unimaginably strange. As instructed by Miss Reed, miss Abbot and I attempted to take Jane to the Red-room. Kicking and screaming we led her upstairs. As we entered the red-room, we placed her on the chair, hoping she would have calmed down by this time. Seeing that she has not, I instructed miss Abbot to lend me her garter to tie Jane down. She must have realised that being tied down will only make the punishment more unpleasant, because she decided to calm down. Miss Abbot and I then tried to explain to Jane that such behaviour was unacceptable and that she should understand what her place was in the house; a place inferior to the rest of the family. She should respect her caregivers and realize that she would be worth nothing without them. I tried to explain these things as subtle as possible, hoping Jane would realize the importance thereof, although miss Abbot felt the usual stern way would be appropriate.
We then left Jane there to continue with our other daily duties.
After quite some time, we heard a dreadful scream coming from the red-room. We ran to check whether the child was okay, and found an hysteric girl begging to leave. She desperately grabbed my hand, but at that moment Miss Reed entered the room. She was upset that we were with Jane, seeing as her orders was that she would attend to Jane later on herself. I tried to explain to Miss Reed what Jane had told me about the shadow/light she saw, but she was too upset to listen to any reason. She unsympathetically instructed another hour in the red-room for Jane and ignored the hysteric child begging for some other sort of punishment. We left Jane there, where she presumably passed out.
2. I agree with Adrienne Rich’s argument. The Red-Room incident lays out the foundation of the life and struggles Jane has to deal with. It contains the moment where she rationally sets out the events of her life and comes to realize the unfairness of her position.
3. Sandra M. Gilbert suggests that, “the incident of the Red-Room”, has been carefully set-out to serve the purpose of an sample in which the actual story is laid out. The circumstances of the Red-Room triggers the young Jane into realizing how unfairly she has been treated and in her statement, “I dared commit no fault; I strive to fulfil every duty; and I was termed naughty and tiresome, sullen and sneaking from morning to noon, and from noon to night”, it becomes clear that she realises the unjust of her situation. As she is labelled, at that age, inferior due to being an orphan; she realizes that this is the position she will fill for the rest of her life if she neglects to do something about it. Then other aspects, such as being a woman, her appearance and her upbringing will call attention to her position of being dependent.
In the Red-Room situation she sets out her thoughts and rationalizes the events of her life. This, unfortunately makes it clear to her that the life she lives, is one that forces her to walk the road alone; a thought she despises but is unable to change. Her revealing of her thoughts in the quote, “I was a discord in Gateshead Hall, I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage. If they did not love me, in fact, as little did I love them”, basically highlights the fact that she knows she is not wanted and simultaneously proves how she avoids feeling affection in an attempt to shield herself from further pain.
As she is forced to stay in that enclosed room, she is once again physically isolated as many prior times in her life. Through the course of the book, she constantly finds herself in positions of isolation and seclusion. She emphasizes this by admitting that “[she] had no communication by letter or message with the outer world: school-rules, school-duties, school-habits and notions, and voices , and faces and phrases, and costumes, and preferences, and antipathies: such was what [she] knew of existence”. As restricted as her experience was, she had an inner urge to learn more and improve her worth. She attempted in rising above the rest at school but found that her achievements were constantly undervalued, thus society succeeded in keeping her from gaining too much knowledge and also independency. When Mr. Broklehurst questions her about her experience and knowledge she states that she has only “[read] such books as [come] in [her] way, and they have not been numerous of very”.
It is therefore clear that the red-room plays a key role in Jane’s struggle to escape the social norms which prevent her from living the life she dreams of.
We then left Jane there to continue with our other daily duties.
After quite some time, we heard a dreadful scream coming from the red-room. We ran to check whether the child was okay, and found an hysteric girl begging to leave. She desperately grabbed my hand, but at that moment Miss Reed entered the room. She was upset that we were with Jane, seeing as her orders was that she would attend to Jane later on herself. I tried to explain to Miss Reed what Jane had told me about the shadow/light she saw, but she was too upset to listen to any reason. She unsympathetically instructed another hour in the red-room for Jane and ignored the hysteric child begging for some other sort of punishment. We left Jane there, where she presumably passed out.
2. I agree with Adrienne Rich’s argument. The Red-Room incident lays out the foundation of the life and struggles Jane has to deal with. It contains the moment where she rationally sets out the events of her life and comes to realize the unfairness of her position.
3. Sandra M. Gilbert suggests that, “the incident of the Red-Room”, has been carefully set-out to serve the purpose of an sample in which the actual story is laid out. The circumstances of the Red-Room triggers the young Jane into realizing how unfairly she has been treated and in her statement, “I dared commit no fault; I strive to fulfil every duty; and I was termed naughty and tiresome, sullen and sneaking from morning to noon, and from noon to night”, it becomes clear that she realises the unjust of her situation. As she is labelled, at that age, inferior due to being an orphan; she realizes that this is the position she will fill for the rest of her life if she neglects to do something about it. Then other aspects, such as being a woman, her appearance and her upbringing will call attention to her position of being dependent.
In the Red-Room situation she sets out her thoughts and rationalizes the events of her life. This, unfortunately makes it clear to her that the life she lives, is one that forces her to walk the road alone; a thought she despises but is unable to change. Her revealing of her thoughts in the quote, “I was a discord in Gateshead Hall, I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage. If they did not love me, in fact, as little did I love them”, basically highlights the fact that she knows she is not wanted and simultaneously proves how she avoids feeling affection in an attempt to shield herself from further pain.
As she is forced to stay in that enclosed room, she is once again physically isolated as many prior times in her life. Through the course of the book, she constantly finds herself in positions of isolation and seclusion. She emphasizes this by admitting that “[she] had no communication by letter or message with the outer world: school-rules, school-duties, school-habits and notions, and voices , and faces and phrases, and costumes, and preferences, and antipathies: such was what [she] knew of existence”. As restricted as her experience was, she had an inner urge to learn more and improve her worth. She attempted in rising above the rest at school but found that her achievements were constantly undervalued, thus society succeeded in keeping her from gaining too much knowledge and also independency. When Mr. Broklehurst questions her about her experience and knowledge she states that she has only “[read] such books as [come] in [her] way, and they have not been numerous of very”.
It is therefore clear that the red-room plays a key role in Jane’s struggle to escape the social norms which prevent her from living the life she dreams of.
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