Too Forgiving?

http://community.sparknotes.com/2011/08/03/whos-your-literary-girlfriend

Over the course of Jane Eyre there is always the idea of forgiveness in some form. The character of Helen Burns takes a very different perspective on forgiveness than Jane does at first. Helen Burns is the epitome of the Christian Philosophy and loves her enemies. Even when she is abused by Miss Scatcherd throughout her stay at Lowood Institute, Helen does not lose her compassion.  One could even say that it is almost unrealistic how forgiving and saint like Helen appears at such a young age. When Jane questions why she does not hate or rebels against Miss Scatcherd for being so cruel Helen says that she tries to understand her and encourages Jane to do the same for those that have done her wrong.  When Jane recounts her story of the Reeds, Helen says that she is surprised on how deep of an impression Mrs. Reed left on Jane’s heart.  Helen then tells Jane her creed on life and how she gets through anyone being unjust to her.

“I can so clearly distinguish between the criminal and the crime. I can so sincerely forgive the first while I abhor the last…” (121).

This is the opposite of what Jane feels in the beginning of the novel. She does not separate Mrs. Reed’s crimes from Mrs. Reed herself.  Jane hates both Mrs. Reed and her actions.  She believes that “… you are good to those that are good to you” (119). Whereas Helen believes that she should be good to everyone in order to live a calm, religious life. Helen in a way saves Jane from herself.

Helen, based off Bronte’s sister Maria, is an interesting character that is undaunted by cruelty and injustice eve to her dying day. It seems that Bronte uses Helen as a tool to teach readers and Jane forgiveness and the Christian religion rather than as a character. Helen does not serve any other purpose and doesn’t have any traits other than being kind and compassionate. She does not have any real personality flaws. She is boring and even annoying to a point. From what the reader sees she does nothing else but changes the way Jane sees her abusers and then dies after she fulfills this purpose which makes her into a Christ figure. She also in a way tames Jane and makes her less passionate. However Jane hero-worships Helen and describes her as an angel (131). Many readers are annoyed with how forgiving Jane is with the dark, broody Mr. Rochester and it seems that this partly because of the lessons that Jane adopts from Helen. Based on Helen’s gravestone inscription she leaves a deep impression on Jane for life. Although Jane does find a nice middle ground instead of being as extreme as Helen or as defensive as her younger self. 

Works Cited: Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Peterborough: Broadview Press Ltd, 1999. Print.