1.2. The reception of Jane Eyre by Victorian middle-class readers

When looking at The Christian Remembrancer and The Quarterly Review excerpts on Jane Eyre it becomes clearer as to the manner in which it was interpreted, understood and appreciated in the Victorian period. Both these excerpts are proof of what a success Jane Eyre was even then and it also allows us to understand how the people of that time related to the story.

In The Christian Remembrancer it is clearly stated that there was still no certainty as to the identity or the gender of the author, it rather created a mystery for the readers even though it was clear from the story that it came from a female’s point of view as it states: “[it is] clearly the vision of a woman’s fancy, as the heroine is the image of a woman’s heart”. The excerpt also states that there is some form of masculinity within the story as to the hardness of the emotions. It also states that the readers of that Victorian age was glued to each page as they felt intrigued towards the struggle of morality and the exercise of good and evil.

The Quarterly Review also has a strong point of view as to the author and the story itself. This excerpt compares the story of Jane Eyre to that of Vanity Fair, stating that it is in contrast with one another. It is also clear that the readers feel a great sense of attraction towards the characters and a great deal of emotion towards the message, which allows us to think that there was a even larger attraction towards the story in the Victorian time as appreciated today, the readers felt more compelled and understanding as to what the character of Jane underwent.

Both of these excerpts are clear in regards to their interpretation of the message and the influence that the story had on them. Both also agree as to the impeccable technique of the author and the success in regards to the emotion she creates with the reader.

The story of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontё was even more successful with the middle-class Victorian readers than it is today, mostly because the readers of that period could relate much more strongly that the reader of today. It forms part of the success of Jane Eyre by the manner in which the reader has to undergo a deeper understanding in order to fully interpret the story.

Research Task 1.1. Second Edition Preface

Charlotte Brontё’s Preface to this second edition of Jane Eyre creates a clearer image of what she as author had to undergo and manage in order to have her book published. Here is my interpretation of what she meant and what motivated her to write this Preface:

-      A preface usually consists of how the story came into being and how the book developed and the end usually consists of a word of thanks and acknowledgements but this is not exactly the case in Brontё’s preface. She starts off with her regards of thanks and then ends up in a discussion of more or less the message she wants to carry over in the book.

-      Brontё is very upfront from the beginning of her preface, saying exactly what she wants without any messing around and this fits with the tone she sets throughout her book.

-      She already makes a lot of strong statements in her preface that allows the reader to get a feeling for what is to come and also to inspire the thoughts the reader.

-      She makes use of comparisons and reference to persons that allow a platform for her to build on and to increase the understanding of the meaning and manner for the interpretation of the reader.

-      Her words are sincere but still very upfront which suits with her style of writing, she stays constant and therefore creates no confusion as to what she as author entails and can provide.

-      She signed it off as Currer Bell as it was the name under which she performed which was the male disguise of her as an author, which already gives the reader a mysterious insight as to what there is to come.

 I think Brontё is successful in her preface as she meant to give thanks to the persons of importance for the second edition of Jane Eyre but also in the manner she introduced the story to the reader.