Emily Dickinson’s poem, “‘Hope’ Is The Thing With Feathers,” can be applied to the scene in chapter twelve of Jane Eyre, in which Jane is at the top of the Thornfield mansion, contemplating her place in society and life. In the poem, Dickinson metaphorically compares hope to a bird. This bird never stops singing, no matter what obstacle it faces, and its courageous spirit gives inspiration to and resonates with many different people. In relation to this specific scene in the novel, the bird is represented by feminism and Jane’s desire for equality on social and financial grounds. Jane remains optimistic and upbeat about her desire for equality, longing for the day that her progressive concerns will be recognized and upheld. Feminism gives Jane the sense of liberation and freedom she so desires, in a world that only seems to oppress, restrict, and confines her based on gender roles and expectations. The setting of the poem also parallels with Victorian England, the time period in which Jane Eyre takes place. In the poem, the bird is “abashed” by a storm, in a “chill” land and “strange” sea; this can serve as a metaphor to the conditions in which Jane’s feminism existed– the very idea that women were entitled to feel, think, and act in the same way as men do, wasn’t even a concept yet to anyone other than “radical” women in society. While women of her time were limited to the domestic sphere, treated as property, and not expected to think for themselves, Jane defied and challenged these norms with her resilient belief in feminism.

After reading Audre Lorde’s The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action & The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House we see so many situations in which Jane’s oppression can be depicted. Starting off in the beginning of the story when she took one of Mr. Reed’s books and was punished for it, as if she was a lower form of life, just for touching a book she was smacked in the head, and was shouted at. Another example of Jane’s oppression was when she was called a liar in front of everyone and just stood there, scared of judgement. Audre Lorde, a black, female, lesbian feminist who fought so many battles including breast cancer, is not so different from our little Jane. Looking back, Jane vicariously died a little bit inside, when losing people that were close to her, including Helen. But, when there’s a will there’s a way, Jane and Audre so far, have been able to overcome their hardships. Lorde expressed that her voice did not mean anything until she realized she had a timer ticking on her life. We can conclude that Jane, HAS a voice, when speaking back to her aunt after she set such horrible things, we saw that even a little girl can stand up for herself.

The moral of the story is, why wait until the time of hardship to express yourself? One must take advantage of every opportunity they get to have their voice heard. No matter what age, race or gender, everyone’s voices must be heard! And even though Jane is a little girl, she is Jane and Jane has her own voice, just like anyone else.

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When Audre Lorde wrote The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action* she was very ill and had accepted death as much as one can.  Jane Eyre through the treatment of her adopted family had often pondered and occasionally even wished for death.  Lorde in her article explains that most peoples silence stems from fear of death, and once you no longer fear death it is a lot easier to stand up for what is right or what you believe in.  There are many examples of Jane acting out in the book but one of the first and most necessary comes when she stands up to her caretaker Mrs.Reed for the years of abuse and miss treatment.  Jane right before he stands up for her self thinks “Speak I must” and this is exactly how Lorde feels (Bronte 38).  “…if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick, and that you treated me with miserable cruelty.” (Bronte 39)  Lorde states in her article that death is the ultimate silence, so by speaking out one may experience the purest form of living.

Jane Eyre is a character who uses her voice, even during times when, perhaps, she should not. Jane is constantly being told that the outspokenness and bluntness with which she speaks is inappropriate for someone of her gender and age. Audre Lorde, a black lesbian feminist, states that “As women, we have been taught either to ignore our differences, or to view them as causes for separation and suspicion rather than as forces for change.” In Jane’s world, separation and suspicion are two significant words which describe her relations with others in the beginning of her life. This can be seen throughout her story, but one scene in particular in which this is particularly demonstrated is during the interaction between Jane, Mrs. Reed, and Mr. Brocklehurst before she moved to Lowood School. Mrs. Reed says of Jane that she does not have “quite the character and disposition that [she] could wish.” Despite Jane being asked of herself, in previous pages, if she was a “good girl,” her differences in persona and Mrs. Reed’s statements of her created the same divide which Lorde speaks of. In this moment, it seems to Jane that hope has been obliterated for her future. However, Lorde states in her work, “Those of us who stand outside the circle of this society’s definition of acceptable women; those of us who have been forged in crucibles of difference… know that survival is not an academic skill. It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths.” Though Jane feels that there is no hope in this moment, it seems like her resilience up to this point in her life will help her follow along this path which Audre Lorde discusses; to take her past oppressions for her differences and become a stronger woman who values who she is and will break down barriers that those who fall into the mold cannot.

Women’s life could not stand out in the 19th century in England. It means all culture was based on the men. Women were discriminated and not educated. It was difficult to say their opinion. The writer, Charlotte Brontë, looks like to want to complain about discrimination and unfairness in the society. She says that women have a right as human and have enough ability as much as men can do. The way to announce her thinking is writing a novel.

According to readings, silence has no power. If you want to change something, you should speak your thinking out to the world. You tell what your opinion is, what your feeling is, and who you are to people. The writer already knew this idea. She would like to let women know how to speak out. She is trying to teach it by Jane Eyre in the book. Jane Eyre never gives up on her bad situation. Jane Eyre always tells her opinion. It looks like shouting or yelling. We cannot find the silence from Jane Eyre. The writer hopes that women act like Jane Eyre.

This is not different in the current era. Discrimination still exists in the world. However, people know how to express their desire. The world will not be suddenly changed even if we speak out. However, we know that the world has been changed little by little. This is our hope and our power. We still live in unstable society. To be honest, we cannot create Utopia; the perfect and harmonious society. So we must try to make better society during life. This is for us and for next generation. In fact, speaking is one of the human’s right. No silence.

Audre Lorde’s “The Transformation of Silence into Action” and “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” explain Jane’s struggle and oppression throughout Jane Eyre.  As a black, lesbian, feminist, “warrior” poet, Audre Lorde fought similar battles to those of Jane’s.  As an outspoken, unfortunate, poor, neglected girl, Jane was always being scolded or oppressed.  In “The Transformation of Silence into  Action,” Lorde moves one to speak up even if the message is misunderstood at first as we are all going to die and there are only regrets on things not said, especially for those who are being systemically oppressed, such as blacks, women, and homosexuals.  I interpret Lorde as pushing towards more Jane Lyres as opposed to Helen Burns, who would be a pacifist and not break the silence- and remain oppressed.  In chapter 12, Jane is reflecting upon her decisions as she begins to make herself at home at Thornfield:

It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot. Nobody knows how many rebellions besides political rebellions ferment in the masses of life which people earth. Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.

It is apparent that the maturing Jane Lyre at Thornfield thinks similarly to the strongly worded and willed feminist Audre Lorde.  Women suffer at different degrees but they must break society’s boundaries and stereotypes and exercise their abilities as they are equal to men in almost all regards.  The best course of action is to make the suffering worth it and break the silence.

Audre Lorde’s analysis in “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action*,” clearly explains Jane’s tendency to oppress and resist.

The scene from Jane Eyre that explicitly expresses Lorde’s feelings and ideas is when Mr. Brocklehurst stood Jane on a stool, and called her a “liar.”

Jane, being called a liar in front of a big audience, and especially, in front of Miss Temple who Jane looked up to, felt utterly humiliated. At that moment, even though Jane was a resistant child, all she could do was stay silent due to her fear of being judged by others. Lorde’s analysis explicitly expressed this fear as: “In the cause of silence, each of us draws the face of her own fear – fear of contempt, of censure or some judgment, or recognition, of challenge, of annihilation,” (42).

Although Jane did not directly oppressed Mr. Brocklehurst’s false exclamation about Jane’s dishonest characteristics, she did, however, oppressed his claims indirectly. She was able to oppress the defamation through Ms. Temple as Jane clearly explained how and why she was labeled as a “liar.” In the novel, even though Ms. Temple was the one who approached Jane that gave Jane the opportunity to oppress, I believe that Jane would have oppressed some other way even if Ms. Temple did not approach her. In Lorde’s analysis, Lorde said that, “you’re never really a whole person if you remain silent, because there’s always that one little piece inside you that wants to be spoken out, and if you keep ignoring it, it gets madder and madder and hotter and hotter, and if you don’t speak it out one day it will just up and punch you in the mouth from the inside,” (42). Using this analysis, I can imagine Jane taking her own measures by publicly speaking out, later in her future, about her true nature and the falsehood of Mr. Brocklehurst’s exclamation as she would have had enough of being silent and not being able to defend herself.

I believe and Lorde’s analysis supports that Jane’s oppression and resistance in this scene is to show that Jane is not who she is by definition of someone who has authority; instead, Jane is who she is because of the way she is and only Jane, herself, has the authority to truly define who she is: “Kujichagulia – self determination – the decision to define ourselves, name ourselves, and speak for ourselves, instead of being defined and spoken for by others,” (43).

Audre Lorde, being a black, lesbian poet, has somehow found a way to overcome all obstacles that society has put in her way in order to vocalize her thoughts, opinions, and just about anything else that is on her mind – something that most women in her shoes, unfortunately, have not yet mastered. This is not to blame those women who do feel their voices are being constricted. Rather, it is to commend Audre Lorde on setting an example for women to follow, as well as acting as a role model for millions.

As Lorde explains her work “The Transformation of Silence into Action,” she felt she only recognized the true potential and power of her voice when she realized there would come a day she would no longer be able to utilize it She also made mention of how this realization came a lot later on in her life, which I understood completely. Many of us do not even have the luxury of finding our own voices, let alone finding in in our adulthood. It is precisely for this reason why I was taken back when I read of a young girl who was not afraid to take control of her life, and fight for what she believed in. When Jane stood up for herself while her aunt was acting vile towards her, I was surprised at how Jane was able to handle such an intense situation in a manner that would have the maximum amount of affect. There are many things that make Jane’s reaction to her aunt significant: her age, her past, the time period, and being a young girl. All of these factors make her stance that much more amazing, because she was able to take control of a situation, and vocalize her thoughts and opinions – something that many people would think would be quiet impossible to do for a girl in her situation. Yet, Jane was able to do it effortlessly, while continuing to use her voice as the story progresses.

This goes to emphasize one of Audre Lorde’s main points – women, no matter age, ethnicity, or situation – should be able to take back control of their voice, so that they may escape the prison they have put themselves in.

Lorde said “I am afraid– you can hear it in my voice– because the transformation of silence into language and action is an act of self-revelation and that always seems fraught with danger. But my daughter, when I told her of our topic and my difficulty with it, said, “tell them about how you’re never really a whole person if you remain silent, because there’s always that one little piece inside of you that wants to be spoken out, and if you keep ignoring it, it gets madder and madder and hotter and hotter, and if you don’t speak it out one day it will just up and punch you in the mouth.” (Lorde pg 42)He argue  that we should not be silent, if you don’t speak out, no one knows you thought, and you won’t be a whole person. Do not be afraid that you say the things wrong, because at least they know what your idea is. Do not be afraid to be hurt, because if you do not speak out, they will still hurt you, only to speak out and resist, you have the only chance to change you life.” Here is a good example to explain it, Jane, a main character from “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontte. She was a poor girl who lost her parents when she was young and then moved to her uncle’s house. After her uncle died, her life changed dramatically, she was bullied by her aunt Mrs. Reed and her children every day and NEVER resist. Until one day, John Reed bully her again, she resist, and attack back, because she knew that if she do not want to continue to be bullied by them, only to resist,  otherwise she will had to live this horrible life until died, although after that, she was locked in the red house, but it was a fortune for her future, because she learned only to resist unfair treatment and dare to say “NO” to any injustice things, and that is the only way she can change her life, and finally she did it and got the life that she wanted.

Lorde’s said, “we were never meant to survive. Not as human beings.” Which I think simply means, we are all the same, whether you are black, white, gay or straight or whether you are wealthy, or poor. She made us understand that being in silence will only hurt more, it is better to speak up, be heard, have a voice, and to stand up for what you believe in. And an amazing example would be of Jane Eyre.who

Jane Eyre is nothing but a sweet innocent child, who wishes to enjoy the warmth of her aunt, or anyone. Who would just hold her and accept her, she wanted nothing but to feel wanted, she wanted love. A part of the text that relates Jane Eyre to Lorde’s explanation was, the part that she stood up for herself, she did not fear anyone or anything. Being ten years old, and realizing that if you don’t stand up for what you are and who you are, no one else would. That simply takes courage and strength. To be highly discriminated by the people you should call family is the worse feeling one should ever have to feel. She stood in front of her aunt, and told her as it is, confronted her for all the envious and devious things she had done. Jane felt content and happy that she would soon be free, free from the Reeds.

Lorde’s was dying and she had felt that she could’ve done more, but Jane did what she had to do nevertheless, to make her path a successful one.