浅析简爱的创作背景

浅析《简爱》的创作背景

摘要

《简爱》是19世纪英国批判现实主义文学作家夏洛蒂勃朗特的代表作。作者所处的时代正是英国社会动荡的时代，随着资本主义迅速发展，阶级斗争不断激化，爆发了英国历史上著名的宪章运动。本文对作者所处的社会背景和家庭背景进行了探讨，作者正是在这样的背景下创作了简爱。

关键词：简爱；夏洛蒂；环境

前言

作品中简爱既无财产又无姿色，但她顽强、勇敢、真诚、热情，追求独立、自由、平等，捍卫个人的价值，维护自我尊严，可以说她是一个既自尊、自爱又自强、自立的时代新女性。本文着重从简爱的生活经历以及所处的环境，阐述了简爱如何在环境的影响下，如何由一个软弱的小女孩，变成一个敢于向命运挑战，并且通过自己的努力，实现自我价值的成功女性。作品成功地塑造了一位在社会的不公面前，敢于反抗、敢于争取自由和平等地位的女性形象，从而为女性争取平等、自由吹响了第一声号角。体现了十九世纪西方妇女已经开始觉醒的女性意识。作品所倡导的女性追求自主自强的精神在当代社会仍然具有深刻的影响，这种不向压力屈服，敢于向挫折挑战的精神在

今天看来都是难能可贵的。自尊自强自立的简爱应该永远是我们学习的榜样.

1．1社会背景

《简爱》这部小说是十九世纪中叶英国女作家夏洛特勃朗蒂的成名作和代表作。十九世纪三十到四十年代之间，工人运动在北方工业地区蓬勃开展起来。在蔓切斯特和它附近的工厂城市里发生了在革命口号下进行的、人数众多的集会和示威游行；当时的英国，虽然实行了资产阶级民主改革，政府部门表面上采取了某些改革的措施，比如通过了女工实行十小时工作

在劳渥德学校制的法案,但是妇女在社会上的地位并没有得到改善,并没有获得平等的权利,即使是经过了三次高潮的宪章运动,吸引了成百万的工人和劳动群众参加争取自身权利的斗争,也没有能提出男女平等问题,但是资产阶级社会的矛盾同时也激发了妇女摆脱男子的压迫和歧视的要求。在当时的英国，女性是难以取得一席之地的。尤其是不少处于小资产阶级范畴的妇女，她们受过文化教育，但没有财产，在婚姻市场上缺少竞争能力，往往不得不因贫穷而遭受冷遇，落到寄人篱下、身无分文的境地。对于那些上流社会的女子来说，结婚或终生陪伴父母成为了她们的最终选择。而那些处于社会底层的女性，不管结婚或者未婚，都要在农场，客栈，商店等地方工作，当工业发展初步具有规模后，她们也可以到工厂去工作，除此以外，做女佣也是她们通常的选择。这就是十九世纪英国严酷的现实。

1．2家庭背景

夏洛蒂生于英国北部约克郡哈沃斯一个穷苦的家庭，她的家庭处于上下阶层之间，父亲是约克郡哈沃斯的一个圣公会穷牧师，毕业于剑桥圣约翰学院，学识渊博，喜爱创作，他亲自教子女读书，给他们讲故事，指导他们看书报杂志，母亲是个可爱，善解人意，并且善于用文字表达内心情感的人。兄弟姐妹共六人，都爱好文学，从小最大的乐趣是坐在一起读书。幼年丧母，父亲变得沉默，更经常与书为伴。照顾她们的姨妈不允许她们吵闹，而母亲在时，因为生病，她们也需要保持安静。尽管家庭不富裕，她们还是被送往寄宿女校。三姐妹长大以后，有的留人教校，有的去做家庭教。1842年为了开办自己的学校，夏洛蒂与艾米丽来到布鲁塞尔学习外语。然而就在这愉快的时刻，不幸接踵而来，三姐妹中的两个妹妹与兄长都相继染病去世，只剩下夏洛蒂继续创作。

2.1在舅妈家的生活

简爱从小失去父母，寄居在舅舅里德家，过着寄人篱下的生活，不久舅舅也离开人世。而舅母是一个自私、冷酷的人，对自己的孩子百般溺爱、娇纵，而对简爱舅母和孩子们却极端仇视她、虐待她，视她为眼中钉，甚至连保姆和侍女都看不起她这个吃白食的穷人。舅母一家对她在精神上和肉体上的双重虐待使她内心充满了愤怒与怨恨，她无法在忍耐，她要反抗。

在那儿，可怜的简受尽了羞辱，仆人对她有偏见，舅妈讨厌她。上天对简是不公平的。但她并没有在绝望中放弃。相反，对于简来说，舅妈家好像培养她性格的沃土。使她更加独立和反抗。当她被表哥打的

时候，她敢于站出来还击他。出此之外，她还反抗她的舅妈，揭露她的虚伪和残忍。舅妈和表哥的虐待，使的简与他们越来越疏远。由于担心她没有家的感觉，她想找一个属于她自己的地方。这种想法更加深了她对平等和对自由的渴望。里德夫人也不喜欢简，就把她送到了专门接受贫穷孩子的慈善学校—劳渥德学校。

2.2在劳渥德学校

在劳渥德学校，简爱性格中的反抗因素得到进一步的发展。这个孤儿院哪里是一个慈善机构，这是一个人间地狱。督学布洛克赫斯特，是个伪善的清教徒，他以办慈善机构为名，而以吸取孤儿血为实。学校的围墙高得把什么风景都遮蔽了。她们每天吃着简单而不饱肚的食物，两人睡一张床，六个人用一个脸盆，穿着不合身的单薄的衣服，轻易不能出学校半步。生活条件如此恶劣，人人都面黄肌瘦，一旦有人病倒，半饥半饱，感冒又没有及时治疗，这就注定了大部分学生要受到传染；在这儿，简目睹了在孤儿这么艰苦的条件下，受尽折磨。在这样的环境下，简爱更容易表现出自己的个性。在落伍德，作者创造了另一个角色。海轮的性格完全不同简，这样安排的目的是为了暴露学校的残忍和黑暗。作者并没有太多的直接描写简的性格，而主要是通过海伦这面镜子，将简的想法和性格展现在读者面前，我们可以看出简的倔强的性格。

2.3在桑菲尔德

简想要新的生活，她找到了一个家庭教师的工作，主人是非常富有的庄园主。在那儿，他教一个可爱的叫做alele的法国小女孩。简

的雇主有一个非常迷人的名字，叫罗切思特。简爱发现她自己已经爱上罗切思特了。当罗切思特带回一个漂亮但心肠不好的小姐时，简感到很失望。简爱以为罗切思特钟情于这个小姐，然而，使简爱惊奇的是罗切思特喜欢她。于是简答应了。在婚礼的那天，当简爱和罗切思特正要交换戒指的时候，有人大喊到罗切思特已经有一个结发妻子，罗切思特也很吃惊，但他并没有否认这一切，他解释到他年轻的时候的确和一个叫Bertha的女人结过婚，但是她现在已经疯了。他们去了Thornifield，亲眼看见了那个疯女人bertha 她被藏在三楼的一个房子里。当简爱觉得她不可能呆在罗切思特身边的时候，他离开了Thornfield。简没有吃的，也没有钱，她只能在外边过着流浪的生活。

2.4在约翰家

简爱被救了.其中有一个人叫约翰，他是一个教士，而且是她的亲戚。约翰帮助简在morton的一个慈善学校找了一份工作。有一天约翰告诉简爱他是简的表哥，简的叔叔约翰.简已经去世了，并且给她留下200000 pounds。简很惊奇，然而她却决定和她的这三个亲戚均分这笔财产。约翰决定去印度传教，并且他要求简爱和他结婚，一块去印度。他答应给简爱自由，原则的自由。简爱最终意识到这种表面的自由就像是监禁，因为她并不爱约翰。简答应了去印度，但她并没有答应结婚。她心里仍然惦记着她最爱的罗切思特。当她匆匆赶到桑非尔德的时候，这儿已经是一片废墟了。疯bertha 一把火烧了一切，她自己也在大火中丧生了。罗切思特虽然没有死，却失明了，并且一只手残废了。他们在罗切思特的新家和好了，不久，他们就结

婚了。在故事的结尾。简描述了他们的幸福生活：两年后，罗切思特的一只眼睛又重见光明了，他用他的一只左手幸福的抱着他们的第一个儿子。

3.夏洛蒂的生活经历

Bronte (1816-1855)，出生在应个英格兰北部的约克郡上的一个贫穷的神职人员家里。在当时阶级斗争的情况下，出现了一种新的批评现实注意文学。19世纪四五十年代的英国，批评现实主义盛行。现实主义作家以生动和艺术的写作技巧，从民主的角度批判了资本主义制度。她和她的三姐妹被送去了一个慈善学校。在那儿，他们受到了残忍的虐待，她的两个姐姐在那儿去世了。1835年到1855年，她在学校当教师，后来她又去当了家庭教师。在1842年，她和她的妹妹艾米丽去Brussels 的一个学校去学习语言。在1843年，她在那个学校当了老师。在这的经历启发了在小说中写到的落伍德学校。1847年出版的简爱，一经出版，就获得了巨大的成功。内心渴望平等，现实却让她“竭力恪尽一个女子应尽的职责”。但是成功的写出了作品《简爱》。小说塑造了一位敢于反抗、敢于争取自由和平等地位的女性形象，与众多普通女性不同，她敢于大胆表白自己的爱情，鄙视以金钱为基础的婚姻，同时又具有善良的品质。这也正如她本人，身上体现出不平凡的气质和人格美的魅力，全身心的付出不为名利，外表平凡和内心的美丽完美的结合。才气，坚强，智慧，反抗。敢于反抗和揭露剥削妇女平等权利的社会。尽管曾回信告诉她：文学不能成为也不应该成为女人的终生事业。但她依然没有停止创作的脚步。

4.联系现代生活,女性,总结,启示

作者通过描述女主人公对爱情的执着追求，表达了争取独立自由平等的价值观。简爱虽身处逆镜，仍自尊自强，努力追求自身在社会上的独立和尊严。她的精神品格使读者得到道德净化和精神的升华。通过简爱的爱情故事，作者大胆提出了具有资产阶级民主主义的进步思想，建立在平等、独立、自主基础上的伦理观念和爱情理想，抨击了一切世俗的陈规陋习，因而在当时的英国社会引起了极大的反响，使那些与作者处于社会上同一层面的女性深受鼓舞。指出了妇女谋求自身幸福的道路，她们从《简爱》中吸取无穷力量，确立起生活的目标，展望到如何摆脱从属地位，争得自由、平等、独立、幸福的前景。简爱一直想自己开办学校，她认为当教师是为了培育“美德、聪明和仁慈感情的胚芽”。最后，简爱尽管未办成学校，但她已在许多人（小阿戴勒和莫尔顿谷的农民女儿等）身上培育了美德的胚芽，由此可见简爱对人生真谛的探索并未停留在精神自立和心灵契合的爱情上，而是在于她对崇高事业的追求，简爱虽然是一个相貌平平的弱女子，由于她性格中的敢于反抗，敢于争取自由和平等地位的精神，她不断地超越世俗、自己，最终得到了自己的幸福；

《简爱》充分塑造了一个对爱情、生活、宗教都采取了积极进取态度的、敢于斗争的平凡而伟大的女性形象。《简爱》是英国文学史上一部伟大的著作，流传至今，以让许多人爱不释手。很多人喜欢《简爱》，都是因为她传奇般浪漫动人的爱情故事。但是，如果单单只看到爱情的话，只能说你还停留在浅层的表面,并没有体会到爱情下的

实质。难道夏洛蒂仅仅只为写这段缠绵的爱情而写《简爱》吗?作者也是一位女性，生活在波动变化着的英国１９世纪中叶，那时思想有着一个崭新的开始。而在《简爱》里渗透最多的也就是这种思想——女性的独立意识。这种独立意识在简爱的身上表现的淋漓尽致。让我们试想一下，如果简爱的独立，早已被扼杀在寄人篱下的童年生活里；如果她没有那份独立，她早已和有妻女的罗切斯特生活在一起，开始有金钱，有地位的新生活；如果她没有那份纯洁，我们现在手中的《简爱》也不再是令人感动的流泪的经典。所以为什么《简爱》让我们感动，爱不释手——就是她独立的性格，令人心动的人格魅力。这种女性的独立意识正是现代女性所需要的重要品质。因此，这部《简爱》才被越来越多的现代女性所喜爱，因为她们能从这里找到成功的秘诀。如今女性的地位越来越高，我们不能再依赖男性。以为自己只要找到“金龟婿”便可高枕无忧。事实说明，要想自己得到真正的幸福，不能依赖任何人，必须要独立。从简爱身上，我们看到了“独立”，看到了“坚决”看到了“斗争”看到了“不屈服”看到了“敢追求”。所以，她是成功的，幸福的。简爱已作为独立女性的经典，希望阳光下，鲜花里有更多的简爱走出来，不管是贫穷，还是富有；不管是美貌，还是相貌平庸，都有美好的心灵和充实的心胸，都能有独立的人格和坚强的个性生活。

What the environment does give her?

--- Jane Eyre’s successful load

Candidate:

Major:

Supervisor:

University：

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April,2006

Contents

Abstract (4)

1 Background (5)

1.1 So cial backgrounds (5)

1.2 Family background (6)

2 Jane’s experience (7)

2.1 In Gateshead (7)

2.2 In Lowood school (8)

2.3 In Thornfield (9)

2.4 In Morehouse (10)

3. Charlotte Bronte ‘s life experience (11)

4 . The influence on our modern times (12)

Bibliography (16)

Abstract

“Jane Eyre” is the representative masterpiece of Charlotte Bronte, a literature writer of the 19th century British Critical Realism. The time the writer was in a period of great social unrest when the capitalism gained its rapid development, the class struggle became more acute and it is during that period of time that the chartist movement, a very famous event in the British history, broke out. The article discusses from the

background of the social and the family of the author, under the background, Charlotte Bronte wrote “Jane Eyre”. The protagonist of the novel, Jane Eyre, has neither property nor beauty at all, yet she is tough-willed, brave, sincere and zealous, and besides, she is in hot pursuit of independence, freedom and equality, defending her personal value and maintaining her self-esteem. So it follows that she is a new female featuring self-respect, self-love and self-reliance and independence. This article emphatically from the environment which Jane located and her life experience, elaborates how Jane Eyre from a weak little girl, growing into a successful female, who dares to challenge to fate, and through own endeavor, realizes the self- value. The novel successfully shapes an image of a woman who defies tradition and bravely takes up challenges to strive for freedom and equal social status, thus sounding the trumpet of the battle for the female freedom and equality. This novel demonstrates the fact that the western women in the 19th century have awakened to the female consciousness. Viewing Jane Eyre from all respects, we can see a new female image: the incarnation of self-esteem, self-respect, self-support and self-reliance. Furthermore, the spirit of not submitting to the pressure, darling to challenge, strongly advocated in the novel is still of great significance in our modern society.

Key words: Background Experience Character Independence

modern times

1 .Background

1.1 social backgrounds

The novel “Jane Eyre” is th e fame-winning work and masterpiece of the 19th century British writer, Charlotte Bronte. During the period from 1830s to 1840s, the labor movement was vigorously forging ahead in the Northern Industry Zone. There appeared gatherings and demonstrations with numerous participants who yelled the revolutionary slogans in Manchester and its neighboring factories and urban areas; then England practiced the reform of the bourgeois democracy under which the government departments seemingly carried out a series of measures for democratic reform. For instance passed the bill, the females worked to ten hours. However, it was far from the acquisition of the so-called right of equality even if the chartist movement didn’t come up with the proposal for equality of the opposite sexes. So in the then England, it was impossible for females to find a niche in the society, particularly the women falling within the category of the petty bourgeoisie though they was educated, yet they had no proprieties, so they lacked the very competitiveness in the marriage market and tended to suffer from snubs and poverty, having depending on other persons for support and being

left stranded penniless. For those female of upper society, the marriage or life-long accompanied the parents became their finally choice. For the poor female in the society, no matter marries or unmarried, all must in the farm, the inn, store and so on. T After the industrial development initially, they can work in the factory, Except for this, maid is also their usual choice. This is a cruel picture of the reality of the 19th century in England.

1.2 Family background

The novel “Jane Eyre” is the fame-winning work and masterpiece of the 19th century British writer, Charlotte Bronte. During the period from 1830s to 1840s, the labor movement was vigorously forging ahead in the Northern Industry Zone. There appeared gatherings and demonstrations with numerous participants who yelled the revolutionary slogans in Manchester and its neighboring factories and urban areas; the then England practiced the reform of the bourgeois democracy under which the government departments seemingly carried out a series of measures for democratic reform. For instance passed the bill, the females work to ten hours. However, it was far from the acquisition of the so-called right of equality even if the chartist movement didn’t come up with the proposal for equality of the opposite sexes. So in the then England, it was impossible for females to find a niche in the society, particularly the women falling within the category of the petty bourgeoisie though they

was educated, yet they had no proprieties, so they lacked the very competitiveness in the marriage market and tended to suffer from snubs and poverty, having depending on other persons for support and being left stranded penniless. For those female of upper society, the marriage or life-long accompanied the parents became their finally choice. For the poor female in the society, no matter marries or unmarried, all must in the farm, the inn, store and so on. T After the industrial development initially, they can work in the factory, Except for this, maid is also their usual choice. This is a cruel picture of the reality of the 19th century in England.

2．Jane’s experience

2.1 In Gateshead

Jane Eyre’s parents died, leaving her as a poor orphan and living in her uncle’s home as a helpless orphan but very soon her uncle died, leaving her to her wealthy aunt, a selfish and cruel woman, who spoils her own children with tenderness but extremely hates her, mistreats her as a source of growing annoyance together with her children, so even the nurse and housemaids in her house look down on such as a poor sponge. Her aunt’s whole family gives her double brutality, physical and spiritual, so much as that hatred and malice are thus nurtured in the deep recesses of her heart, which drives her out of endurance, so she comes out against them. In there Jane is a wretched little girl who often was

humiliated . The servants are biased .Mrs Reed detested her. Jane life was very unfair .But Jane didn't perish in the despairing and didn't submit in spirit .Mr Reed's family like a special soil for Jane Eyre. Making her resistant character and independent disposition .When Jane was hit badly by her cousin John young master. She dared to beat against him in crazy .Moreover, she also dare to resist her aunt and exposed her hypocrisy and viciousness. The cruel treatment she receives from her aunt Reed and her cousins only exacerbates her feeling of alienation. Afraid that she will never find a true sense of home or community, Jane feels the need to belong somewhere. This desire tempers her equally intense need for autonomy and freedom. Mrs. Reed doesn’t like Jane and sends her to a charity school for poor girls in Lowood.

2.2 In Lowood school

At Lowood boarding school, Jane further develops the rebellious element in her personality. Though the orphanage is a charitable organization, it is a sheer hell on the earth. The school is run by Mr. Brocklehurst, is an inspector of the school but a hypocritical Puritan. In the name of running a charitable organization, he actually intends to bleed the orphans for his own benefits. The enclosing walls of the school are so high that they shroud the views of whatever kind. The orphans are given the simple and meager food every day, two orphans sleeping on a small bed, six for a wash basin. The orphans are singly clad and badly

fitted. Besides, the children are not allowed to leave the orphanage without permission. The living conditions are so abominable and every child is fragile with sallow complexion. Once someone contains a disease，semi-starvation and neglected colds had predisposed most of the pupils to receive infection. 后边未译In here

Jane saw the bad living condition and all the orphans are devastated by the harsh despotic system. The life proposed more questions to her .In this bad condition just like another "fertile soil "let Jane's character easily to show .She can dare to struggle with the person who encroacher her .In Lowood ,the author created another model role ,Helen Burns, Helen's character is very different and sharply comparison with Jane. This arrangement's goal is to exposed Lowood school's hypocrisy and dark .Moreover it reflected Jane's character very much from anther way. In the article author didn't describe Jane's character much in directed action but through Helen this mirror, how Jane's thoughts and character to the reader .We can see the stubborn individuality.

2.3 In Thornfield

Jane wants to new experiences. Jane gets a position of governess in the family of Mr. Rochester, a rich squire called Thornfield. There she teaches a lively French girl named Adele. Jane’s employer is an impassioned man names Rochester. Jane find herself fall in love with him. Jane becomes depress when she see Rochester bring home a beautiful

but bad woman. Jane believes that Rochester will propose to the women, but to her surprised, Rochester propose to Jane, and Jane agrees. The wedding day arrives. When Jane and Mr. Rochester prepare to exchange their rings, a man comes and cried out that Rochester already has a wife. Rochester is very surprised, but he does net deny the man’ claim. He explains he does marry a woman named Bertha when he is young, but Bertha has gone mad. He takes the wedding party back to Thornifield, and they witness the mad women, bertha, who is hidden on the third floor of the building. Knowing that it is impossible for her to stay with Rochester, Jane escapes from Thornfield. Jane can not get money so she begs for food and sleeps outdoors.

2.4 In Morehouse

She is saved by three persons, who are relatives and live together. On of them named John, who is a priest, finds a job for Jane at a charity school in Morton. One day he tells Jane he is Jane’s cousin, and Jane’s brother, John Eyre has died and left her a large fortune: 200,000 pounds. Jane is very surprised and decides to share this fortune equally with her three found relatives. John decides to travel to India as a missionary and he asks Jane to go with him as his wife. St John Rivers offers Jane another kind of freedom: the freedom to act unreservedly on her principles. Jane eventually realizes that this freedom would also constitute a form of imprisonment, because she would be forced to keep her true feelings

and her true passions always in check. Jane agrees to go to India but refuses to marry his cousin because she does not love him. Jane still remembers the man she loves very much-Rochester and hurries back to Thornfield. She finds that Thornfield has been burned to the ground by Bertha Mason, the mad women, who lost her life in the fire. Rochester does not die but lost his eyesight and one of his hands. Jane and Rochester rebuild their relationship at Ferndean, Rochester’s new residence, and soon they marry. At the end of the story, Jane describes that she lives a very happy life and after two years of blindness, Rochester regains sight in one eye and is able to hold their first son with left hand.

3. Charlotte Bronte ‘s life experience

Bronte (1816-1855) was born in the family of a poor country clergyman at Haworth, Yorkshire, in northern England. In this period of tense class struggle appeared a new literary trend-critical realism. English critical realism of the 19 th century flourished in the forties and in the early fifties. The critical realists described with much vividness and great artistic skill the chief traits of the English society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint. She and three of her sisters were sent to a charity school where they were cruelly treated, and where her two elder sisters died. In 1835-1838 she worked as a school teacher, and later as governess. In 1842 she went with her sister Emily to

study languages at a school in Brussels, where during 1843 she was employed as a teacher. This experience inspired the later portrayal of Lowood School in the novel “Jane Eyre”, which was published in 1847 and achieved immediate successful.She is long for the perfect love actually not to be able to run away the affection by the destiny. She hopes equality. She succeed in writing the work《Jane Eyre》.The novel molded a great female who dare to strive for the freedom and the equal standing .she was different with the multitudinous ordinary female, and she dared boldly to vindicate own love, who despised the marriage that based on the money. She also has good quality. This also just like she, on the body manifests the extra ordinary makings and the personality beautiful charm, the entire body and mind pays is not for the fame and fortune, the semblance is ordinary and the innermost feelings beautiful perfect union. She was Ability, strong, wisdom, revolt. She dares to revolt against and the exposition exploits the woman equal rights of the society. Although Soughey writes to her: The literature cannot become and should not become woman's life-l ong enterprise. But she didn’t give up the road leading to the writing.

4 . The influence on our modern times

By depicting the persistent pursuit of love by the heroine, the author gives a strong expression to the value of striving for freedom and equality. Jane is poverty-stricken yet she is self-reliant and seeks social

independence and dignity by making unremitting efforts. Her spiritual quality purifies the readers’ morality and sublimates their spirit to a height. By means of the love stories of Jane, the author boldly presents the readers with the progressive ideology of the bourgeois democratism, the ethics and love ideals based on equality, independence and self-reliance, lashes out at the worldly outmoded conventions, thus evoking great response from the British society in that period of time and giving great encouragement to the females in the same social hierarchy. The author points out a happy path which the females should get self-motivated to strive for and they can draw on the supernatural force from “Jane Eyre” by establishing their own life targets and looking hopefully forward to how to break away from the position of subordination so as to strive for the prosperous freedom, equality, independence and happiness. Jane nurtures a dream to set up her own school, because she thinks being a teacher is to cultivate “the embryo combined with virtue, intelligence and kindness”. Her dream does not come true as eagerly expected, yet she has already fostered a virtuous embryo in the hearts of so many people (farmers’ daughters, such as, Little Adèle and Morton Vale), Thus it goes without saying that Jane’s exploration for the truth and essence of life does not rest on the spiritual independence and love of the heartfelt union, but consist in her persistent pursuit of lofty undertakings. Plain-looking and fragile as Jane