Forgive and Forget

Now that I have read the classical novel, Jane Eyre, I feel that this book has made me look life from a different point of view. When I read what Jane went throughout her childhood, and how she didn’t let an issue affect her way of trying to be successful; it made me realize that I shouldn’t let a little thing affect my dreams and goals, and affect my life. Like Jane did, I should forgive and forget, because if I constantly think about what that person did to me, I won’t be able to proceed and be successful. This is why I think that it’s better to forgive the person and forget about the issue. For instance, Richard, tell us in his blog, “It can only hurt you if you let it”: “…we shouldn’t care about what others think of us. Every hurtful statement is only said to focus on your weaknesses and to make you submissive. Basically it's just said to belittle you. The statements cannot hurt you physically, but only mentally. We leave ourselves vulnerable to the insult and it somehow finds its way to hurt us mentally”. This statement proves how you really shouldn’t let anything bring you down. Keep your head up high at all times, just like Jane did. Jane, was able to forget and forgive Mr. Rochester and her aunt, Mrs. Reed. She forgave Mr. Rochester’s lie; in which he didn’t tell Jane that he was previously married to some other woman, Bertha Mason. And she also forgave Mrs. Reed, for not loving and caring for Jane in her childhood, for treating her poorly, and also for not telling Jane that she had a family; and that she wasn’t alone in this world.

Throughout Jane’s life there has been many closed doors, but that isn’t an issue for Jane: she opens those closed doors until she finds what she wants. Jane, finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: her happiness along with Edward Rochester. She forgives him for not telling her that he had previously been married to Bertha, but she doesn‘t marry him how they are supposed to in the first time. Eduardo explains it in one of his blogs: "In the end it seems that even though Mr. Rochester's actions are justified: love wasn't enough. Jane loves him: Jane can forgive him, but she will not stay with him. Love can cure many things but honesty unfortunately comes first...Honesty is number one”. Nevertheless, Jane has forgotten about how KAEH tells us in his blog “At the End of the Day Destiny Prevails”: “Society tried to stop these two character's love by threatening to judge her of only wanting to move up in social status by marrying Rochester”. Jane moved along with her love towards Mr. Rochester, and didn’t care what others would say. At the end of the day, she follows her heart, even though earlier in her life she has doubted herself for loving him; “You have nothing to do with the master of Thornfield, further than to receive the salary he gives you for teaching his protégée, and to be grateful for such respectful and kind treatment as, if you do your duty, you have the right to expect at his hands. Be sure that is the only tie he seriously acknowledges between you and him: so don't make the object of your fine feelings, your raptures, agonies, and so forth. He is not of your order: keep to your caste; and be too self-respecting to lavish the love of the whole heart, soul. And strength, where such a gift is not wanted and would be despised”. (165)

Jane shows us how her personality changes throughout the book. She used to be a little girl that couldn’t really express her feelings; because she was dependent on Mrs. Reed’s care. Mrs. Reed wouldn’t treat her like her niece, she would take out her wrath out in poor Jane. And when I say poor, I mean as in money wise, but also as defend less. Mrs. Reed had told Jane she had no family, no money, nothing! She was alone in this cruel world. And even though she has treated Jane poorly, Jane, never feels resentment for Mrs. Reed, and Jane shows us how kind she is, and respectful to Mrs. Reed when she was dying; “Yes, Aunt Reed. How are you, dear aunt?”. (234) Why would Jane say such thing? Mrs. Reed, in my opinion has no right to be respected by Jane. It should be the opposite; Jane should be the one respected by her “aunt”. In my opinion, Mrs. Reed should beg Jane for forgiveness, for treating her poorly. Furthermore, Jane proofs to the readers to be a forgiven individual; she doesn’t take no resentments for no one. But yet it makes me wonder, if Jane is being respectful either because her aunt is about to die or because she just decided to forget about it, now that she has found happiness?

“The most important thing that I have learned while reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is to not let anyone or anything make you feel inferior by what people say. If people ever push you around, do everything you can to make the abuse stop. Don't listen to what they have to say if you know it is false. It doesn't matter what other people say as long as you know what is true about yourself and what is not”, from Eric’s blog “Don’t Listen to Them”. This is the same thing I was able to get from reading Jane Eyre, now I view life from a different angle. Jane went through a lot, and yet she is able to get back up again, and not look back. Jane, doesn’t care anymore about what people think about her. She’s able to forget about the bad times and forgive the people that did her wrong. Sometimes I wished I can just do what Jane did, forget about the past and don’t look back, but is hard to do so. I’m not as a strong woman as Jane is, but I do try my best. Nevertheless, I think forgiving Mr. Rochester was one of the best things Jane did throughout the book. Even though, earlier in the book I didn’t approve of this illicit relationship, now I have a different view of the book. Now, I can see that their love is bigger than the criticism of others, and I’m glad that Jane didn’t listened to them. If Jane, would’ve had stayed with St. John, the book would’ve turn out to have a different ending. Jane would of not being as happy as she is now. Maybe she would’ve still being independent, but without happiness. But at the end of the day she went back to Ferndean, and stayed by Mr. Rochester’s side. Now at this point of her life there is nothing that can prevent them to live happily ever after; Bertha is now dead, and she has been forgotten, Mrs. Reed is also dead, but she has been forgiven. At the end, we learn that is better to forgive and forget, and to not look back.