Jane is a character who has always faced hardships. During her earliest years; in the very beginning when she was terribly mistreated by her aunts she one day day took a stand and ended up standing up for herself. That right there was Hope manifesting itself through her words and actions. Hope was also there for her when she learned that she was going to be moving to a brand new school and leaving her troubles behind. The issue with that is that Hope isn’t a solution, only a means to carry on.  No matter where she went she would always face moments of despair–hope’s opposite. She would have to always find hope and never give in to despair. The bird in Emily Dickinson’s poem remained hopeful no matter how strong the storm was. Indirectly, I’m sure that even Emily Dickinson must have realized that hope cannot exist without despair. It’s the balance of nature that makes the most sense. Jane is clearly the bird, the song is Jane’s hope and the storm is all of her despair.

Carlos M.