Life's Unfair for Jane Eyre :'(

 

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2. How would you best describe the central idea of this chapter? Which phrase from the chapter best helps develop the central idea? 


Chapter 7 of Jane Eyre begins with Eyre describing her stay at Lowood, an institution for orphans. Life at Lowood is miserable and uncomfortable for the girls. They are not given proper clothes or food, specifically during the winter months. There is heavy emphasis on Christianity at the institution and it is cited as the reason that the girls are not awarded any luxuries. Mr. Brocklebridge, the overseer, scrutinizes the behavior of all the children in an antagonizing manner.

The central idea of this chapter is to demonstrate the poor living conditions at Lowood and how religion is used as a way of manipulation instead of hope. Bronte goes into detail about the hardships the girls go through, from frostbitten extremities to competition for food as a result of malnourishment. Bronte also depicts the antagonist, Brocklebridge, as a cruel man who rules over the women and children despotically. He restricts the food intake of the children and demands that they present themselves modestly, even if that means disregarding natural appearance. The phrase which best develops chapter 7's central idea is a quote by Brocklebridge. He asserts, "Oh, madam, when you put bread and cheese, instead of burnt porridge, into these children's mouths, you may indeed feed their vile bodies, but you little think how you starve their immortal souls!" (Bronte Ch.7). In this quote, he insists that denying the girls proper food is a sacrifice for God, making it essential that they suffer. The institution is hiding behind religion as an excuse for depriving the orphans of what they need to survive.