Throughout Jane’s entire life, she has been oppressed by older figures, mainly males. But it was not until Jane met Helen that she started understanding the meaning of acceptance and tranquility. After having such a harsh childhood from losing her parents to Typhus to having to take all Mrs. Reed’s crap. It seemed as if Mrs. Reed was out to get her. From stuffing her into the ‘Red Room” where her uncle had died in, to not listening to  her screams as she was having an actual panic attack. The one thing that had put Jane over the edge was telling Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane lies to get attention. She was humiliated infront of the whole school, until Helen came to the rescue letting her know it will all blow over. God bless Helen, he angel that she is for saving her friend Jane’s life that day. Thank god that Mr. Brocklehurt was seen to be as the cause of Typhus and his leaving directly related to Jane’s future success in leaving Lowood. After going to Thornfield, we see that Jane is finally happy, tutoring the very intelligent and vibrant Adele. I am itching to know what’s going on after that cliffhanger we are left on when she is greeted by Gytrash the spirit and Mr. Rochesters dog, Pilot. Once Jane finds out the dog is his, the plot thickens…

-OO

Jane met Mr. Rochester, after long time of miserable life. Rochester wanted to marry Jane without telling her his mad wife’s story. When they prepare things for marriage, Rochester says he will put the diamond chain “round Jane neck, and circlet on her forehead, clasped the bracelet s on these fine wrists and load her finger s with rings”. He used visible jewelry to limit Jane invisibly. Jane felt that she is oppressed. She felt Rochester’s smile has “such a sultan might, bestow on a slave his gold and gems had enriched ”, and she, herself, just like the east allusion, was without freedom. Jane knows, facing Rochester, she is no longer as independent as before. Jane’s heart is always in a state of intense struggle. She willingly devotes herself to Rochester, but she still tries to grasp her own soul.

When the secret is discovered, Rochester hopes that Jane can go with her in the name of love. Jane is nearly shaken. After all, she keeps her individual soul. In Jane’s life, she never stops struggling against miserable life and misfortune. She hasn’t a noble position, an illustrious background, wealth or a beautiful appearance. The only proud thing for her is her self-respect, which is supported by her self-confidence and her staunch independence. She never expects that Rochester can love her because she thinks there is a big gap between them forever. When they fall in love, Jane has to keep her self-respect and independence in case of losing her self. What she can give to Rochester is only her love, her infatuation, her spiritual support and nothing else. However, what Rochester gives her is more than hers. He can also improve Jane Eyre’s social status and increase her wealth. This unequal exchange makes Jane Eyre uneasy. The situation makes her feel that they are not quite equal and her independence is also threatened. When Jane were aware that Rochester had a wife, and Rochester was trying to make her stay, she said, “I DO love you, more than ever: but I must not show or indulge the feeling: and this is the last time I must express it.” “No, sir, finish it now; I pity you—I do earnestly pity you.”” “Mr. Rochester, I no more assign this fate to you than I grasp at it for myself. We were born to strive and endure—you as well as I: do so. You will forget me before I forget you.” To maintain the equality of marriage, she refused to be Rochester’s lover, farewell to the rich life, a wandering life. Jane violated the traditional notions of women at the time, and emphasized equality between men and women. Jane didn’t keep silent, she expressed her feeling and protected her self-respect and value.

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When I think of something sublime, there is only one thing that comes to my mind, human beings. Animals that have built nothing into something. Human beings are truly a fascinating and sublime topic. We are able to wake up every day, do whatever we want, we have body parts, a brain and eyes. Yes, no human being lives forever, and that’s the beauty of it. We have as many years as we have to make the most of our opportunities. After sitting here for 15 minutes trying to think of something that I truly think is sublime, it was right on my fingertips, (pun intended) What can be more beautiful than our race? We have accomplished the most out of all, and without us, there would be nothing. Yes, human beings is a pretty general topic, but the fact that we are here, trying to better our brains and become the most knowledgeable we can be, even in this very English class, is mind boggling. Everyone on this earth was created for a reason, and the point of living is to find that out. There is never an answer for anything of that magnitude, but that is the sublime part about it, you don’t know until you know.

-OO

From reading the synopsis on the back of the book, I didn’t really know how the story of Jane Eyre would start off. So far, I really like the book and I think Jane is a relatable character in the sense that she uses books to escape her reality. Throughout the chapters that we read I noticed that Jane uses a lot of fantasy like terms. For example, when she is in the red room and looking at her reflection she describes herself as strange and “phantom like, half fairy, half imp.” To go along with the fantasy over reality theme I really like the imagery that the reader gets straight in the first chapter. When Jane is sitting in her window seat about to read her book she says, “I sat cross legged, like a Turk; and, having drawn the red Korean curtain nearly close, I was shrined in double retirement.” This quote is the first time, Jane brings up the color red which seems to be a reoccurring theme in the next couple chapters we read. The color red usually symbolizes passion and something with red usually occurs to Jane before something happens. Such as Jane drawing the red curtain before getting into a fight with John. I was hoping Jane would be happy at Lowood since she was getting away from the Reeds, but Mr.Brocklehurst was the new problem. I’m ready for all the further turn in Jane’s life now that she’s at Thornfield and with her employer Mr. Rochester and wondering what else can possibly happen.

After learning more about the sublime it was easy to make the connection to my favorite activity, skateboarding. When skateboarding it seems as if nothing else matters.  While doing tricks or maneuver everything turns slow motion and your entire focus is on your skateboarding and the obstacle.  You look at a giant ramp at a park or large obstacle in the streets and think its unconquerable.  There is terror in having to overcome an object and in the act of doing so it is always in the back of your mind but not dwelled upon.  As discussed in the reading there has to be a little terror involved for a situation to be truly sublime.  When finished with the activity you feel refreshed and this puts a new perspective on life.  Having been that close to hurting yourself and by accomplishing a goal this makes daily mundane tasks more bearably and challenging tasks seem accomplished.

The Enlightenment period changed the lives of those living in Europe and the Americans drastically, and the effect can still be felt today.  For the first time ever people started looking inward for the answers to life’s most difficult problems as opposed to religious figures.  People of the time being ruled by kings and queens rejected the idea of “divine right”, refusing the idea that these people in charge where put there by god and are a detect connection to him.

The Enlightenment period also helped fuel the American Revolution.  In the American Constitution there is the phrase “separation of church and state”, meaning religion has no place in government.  This was a fresh idea at the time and would have not been included if it was not for the Enlightenment period.  We are continuing to see this trend in present day it seems we are slowing seeing less and less of religion in our everyday lives.

Perhaps the most important revolution started by the enlightenment period was the women revolution.  Unfortunately women today do not have the same right’s as men, but conditions in the 1600’s were far worse.  Women then did not even have a right to knowledge or thought.  Female leaders of the revolution started acting, speaking, and writing out about their unfair treatment for the first time in history.  It is hard not to make the connection to the recent Women’s March at Washington that brought out record numbers to our nation’s capital demanding equal right.  The women during the enlightenment period would be proud to know that women all over the world today have not given up on the same fight for the same rights as men, just as they had done hundred of years ago.

When I saw the word of “Sublime”, the first thing comes to my mind is those who help us in our daily lives to improve our lives and ensure our security. every time we walk in the street, we can always see many buildings in the construction, the traffic police in maintaining traffic order, every week, there will always be a garbage trucks to take away our garbage, every snow day, there will always a bunch of people out to shovel the snow on the ground, to help us walk easy, safe and Convenient and so on. and we look at the recent decades of technology development, now, we have a mobile phone, computer, Unlike the past, now we can immediately contact people around the world and video chat instead of writing letters to others. We do not have to wear many pieces of clothing at home in the winter, because we can use the warming machine to increase our home temperature. And more and more incurable diseases can be cured, like tuberculosis, smallpox, heavy flu and so on. These people make me feel “sublime.” Because without these people’s efforts, we can not have such a safe and convenient life. Thanks to the efforts of these people to let us have a safer and more convenient future.

The sublime during the Romantic period was used at first to describe the landscapes and then adapted by poets of the era.  The sublime during this time was anything, usually nature related, that provoked great emotion that would be either fear of the unknown beyond rational thought or ecstasy from natural phenomena.  Personally, there are many things I feel that would encompass the “sublime” in my life, but the one most frequently on my mind is death.  Although I have suffered through the pain of losing someone close to you, I have yet to come to an understanding about or with death.  There is nothing more certain than the mortality of man- everybody dies.  Some people can easily accept death as something natural, but to me it is something that almost excites me, as I do not know what lies beyond, but also scares me, as I do not know what lies beyond.  It is nearly impossible to try to conceptualize or guess what happens as human beings only understand that it occurs; nothing more nothing less.  There are many things that human beings will strive to understand, but never will.  Death is one of these things.  The only way to find out what actually occurs during and after death is to go through the process.  When my mind wanders to death, it makes me think about the experiment where the human soul was weighed.  Where does this three-quarters of an ounce go?