The past couple of months in English class we have been assigned to read a classic, I read the book Jane Eyre. This book is a shocking story about a young, orphaned girl who grows up living with her aunt and cousins, the Reeds. Jane gets tormented and abused and soon sent to a boarding school. This school provided her a better environment and this is where Jane met one of her best friend, who sadly dies. Jane then gets employed by a man named, Rochester who also treats her absolutely terrible. In the end of the book, Jane is happy and is living life to the fullest of her abilities.
There are many situations with in the book that led me to believe that Jane was being abused. In the beginning of chapter one of the book, you can immediately catch on that Jane is living in the wrong household. Jane had stated, “I saw him lift and poise the book and stand in act to hurl it, I instinctively started aside with a cry of alarm: not soon enough, however; the volume was flung, it hit me, and I fell, striking my head against the door and cutting it.” After enduring Jane’s pain, I felt like I needed to help her, yet, I couldn’t. Later on in the book, there had been a placement of confusion, Jane hadn’t been the only one getting abused. I realized that Jane’s employer, Rochester had been continuously abused. “Good God! What a cry!...A shrilly sound that ran from end to end of Thornfield Hall.” Continuing through chapter 20, I slowly realized that this book completely relates to today’s society, and what still continues to happen. In chapter twenty-one, Jane’s aunt ‘talks’ with Jane, and tells her, “I disliked you to fixedly and thoroughly ever to lend a hand in lifting you to prosperity.” After reading this line, it made me realize what family should actually be. No one deserves to be spoke to in this form of any sort.
After reading this book, I had many different connections throughout the topic on abuse. Personally, I have suffered from being emotionally abused. I don’t think others realize that words said can have the same effect as someone being physically abused. I realize that being emotionally abused is something you can only take so much of before there is an end. As for Jane, she finally got fed up, and put her life back together. I chose this simple connection because not all abuse has to be physical or emotional, it can also be sexual. People fail to realize that abuse is still yet a problem, and it doesn’t matter which category it falls under.
To the people who have suffered abuse: name calling, torturing, labeling, humiliation, welts, bruises, etc. I’d like to bring awareness to all of you who have suffered and to bring help to those today that still continue to push through every day as if it’s their last. Today, we here on the news of children being kidnapped, raped, beat, or killed, this is obvious to the world that abuse is still happening. There’s much sadness involved, but it only takes one person to bring someone to the help they should want, and need.
My purpose to writing this letter is the hope to accomplish that people will realize that abuse is something serious that has been around for centuries. I want to help others endure the expectations of how a parent, teen, or kid should responsibly and appropriately act or be treated. I would like to express the pain these people have to suffer while having no power to help themselves to only show that one can’t always do it all on their own.
I realize more and more how many children and adults let themselves suffer, or watch others drown in pain. This book opened my eyes to something extremely serious that should be taken care of. I hate to know that living in this cruel world people are constantly suffering with no power to give. It takes one hand, and another hand to help out. Let’s bring abuse to a stop.
