The Psychology of Jane Eyre

The Psychology of Jane Eyre

Non-Freudian explanations– Mainly relevant to first two chapters

Freudian explanations– Relevant to whole novel

Non-Freudian explanations

Particular to the first two chapters

Modelling

Modelling - copying adult’s behaviour Reed children model mother’s behaviour

Learning from observation

Fight or Flight

Flight - Jane usually hides behind the curtain

Fight - when badly hit by John she fights. Adrenaline - Autonomic response Arousal reduced by either Fight or Flight.

THREAT

Our response to threat

Slide 1.7

Obedience to Authority

Milgram - Potentially lethal electric shocks to a stranger.

Servants do not support Jane. They are obedient to Mrs Reed.

Obedience to Authority

“Behavior that is unthinkable in an individual who is acting on her own may be executed without hesitation when carried out under orders.”

Milgram:

Touch Proximity: Victim received a shock only when the victims hand rested on a shock plate. The teacher had to force his hand on it. Required physical contact with the victim.

Unconditioned Stimulus Unconditioned Response

Unconditioned Stimulus Unconditioned Response

Neutral Stimulus

Unconditioned Stimulus Unconditioned Response

Neutral Stimulus

Conditioned ResponseConditioned Stimulus

Rats

Dogs

Bunnies

Santa Claus

Coats

Classical Conditioning

The Red Room Jane’s uncle (Mrs Reed’s husband) died

here. ‘Ghost’ appears and Jane is frightened Red room elicits fear in Jane Women shut away in rooms

Labelling theory

Jane feels that she is labelled by Mrs Reed as:– useless– noxious

and not– brilliant– handsome– romping, etc

Modified Labeling Approach

SocietalConceptions of What it Means

To Have a Mental Illness

Labeling:Conceptions

BecomePersonallyRelevant

Labeled PersonsResponse Secrecy,

Withdrawal etc.

Negative ConsequencesSelf-esteem,

Networks

Vulnerability toChronicity

Not LabeledSocietal

ConceptionsNot Relevant

to Self

NoConsequences

Due to Labeling

Perceptual priming

In the red room Jane thinks of the dead coming back from

the grave when their dying wishes have not been carried out.

Then a moving light is seen as a ghost The grown-up Jane (writing) believes it was

most likely a lantern being carried across the lawn.

Priming

Pass out demonstration sheets

Priming demonstration

Unscramble the following word:

L T E P A

Answer:

P E T A LP L A T E

Priming

Why did half the class say plate and the other half say petal?

They were primed to do so There were two different sheets of

unscrambled words

Priming sheet 1 Unscramble the following

word:

F I N E K O P O N S K R O F P U C E C U S A R L T E P A

Answer:

K N I F ES P O O NF O R KC U PS A U C E RP L A T E

Priming sheet 2 Unscramble the following

word:

N Y P A S F E L A K T A L S D U B L O B S O M S L T E P A

Answer:

P A N S YL E A F S T A L K B U D B L O S S O M P E T A L

Freudian explanations

Relevant to whole novel

The Ego and Mechanisms of Defense (1936) Anna Freud Repression Displacement Denial Projection Reaction Formation Intellectualization Rationalization Undoing Sublimation Identification with the

Agressor

The Ego deals with Id, Superego, and Reality by:

1. Secondary process– Ideal, but especially for children not always

possible 2. Defense mechanisms

– Sometimes, the best anyone can do. But can be used maladaptively

3. Symptoms (neurotic)– Last resort, things are bad when you have to

use these

Three types of anxiety

Neurotic Anxiety– Fear of being overwhelmed by unacceptable Id

impulses [Ego vs. Id] Moral Anxiety

– Fear of being punished by the Superego [Ego vs. Superego]

Reality Anxiety– Fear of danger in the outside world [Ego vs.

Reality]

Repression

The most basic defense mechanism The use of anti-cathexis to keep a memory

or wish from becoming conscious Repression is a component of almost every

other defense mechanism– Most defense mechanism = repression + ….

Repression

Gateshead from family Lowood from an institution Thornfield from within a relationship Moor House from within Ferndean - release from repression

Repression

Rochester locks Bertha in the attic and tries to forget he has a wife.

Vagina Dentata

Victorian morality tale but myth is found in many cultures

Sex with strange women is dangerous

Freud - vagina - men are reminded of castration / also seen as mouth.

Vagina Dentata

Rochester has had at least one mistress and is metaphorically bitten by losing her to another man.

Bertha wounds Mason and becomes a Vagina Dentata

Sexual repression - St John Rivers

Displacement

The second most basic defense mechanism Definition: The transfer of psychic energy

from a repressed object-cathexis to a more acceptable object

The “more acceptable” object will in some way be associated with (usually resembling) the original object

Seen in phobias

Displacement in Jane Eyre

Rooms - not connected by plot but by emotions

Emotions are displaced onto the rooms Red Room - Jane is locked into when a child Room next to Bertha’s - whilst left alone to

tend Mason Bertha’s room - Bertha is locked and

becomes(?) mad.

Displacement in Jane Eyre

For transgressing the limits of proper female behaviour

Jane is imprisoned by John Reed (via his mother)

Bertha is imprisoned by Rochester Emotions: Fear, Hysteria, Madness and

Claustrophobia.

Projection Attributing an unacceptable thought or feeling

or your own to someone else instead of yourself This involves repression, plus an additional

factor Ego senses something unacceptable from

somewhere, but convinces self it is external Changes neurotic anxiety into reality anxiety Seen in paranoia

Projection

Projection - Mrs Reed - Jane should be more sociable and childlike.

Is John Reed sociable and childlike? Why does Mrs Reed spoil her children? Part of the reason why Mrs Reed puts Jane

down. ‘If Jane is Bad then my children are good’

Undoing

Performing a ritualistic act to “undo” an unacceptable act or thought

Jane’s fugue or flight from Rochester after she nearly entered into a bigamous marriage.

Sublimation

Two definitions of sublimation– Displacement of an impulse to a completely

socially acceptable, socially approved outlet– A displacement which discharges all the psychic

energy bound up in the original impulse successfully

– Jane could have sublimated her desire for Rochester by becoming a missionary’s wife but instead finds spiritual meaning in human experience.

Sublimation

Perhaps Brontë is sublimating her wish to criticize Victorian attitudes to women by writing Jane Eyre. A more acceptable activity.

Although many men then believed that writing was an inappropriate activity for women!

Identification with the Aggressor

Anna Freud named this one as a defense mechanism

The basis of the resolution of the Oedipus Complex

Jane enters into a sadomasochistic relationship with Rochester.

Split Personality

Unable to face up to trauma so personality is split.

One personality can comment upon how the other has been affected by trauma.

Disassociation

Multiple Personality Disorder

Presence of two or more distinct identities, each with its own unique, and enduring way of relating to the world or self

At least two of these identities recurrently take control of the person’s behavior

An inability to recall important personal information to an extent that is more than ordinary forgetfulness

Causes

Childhood trauma – usually sexual abuse before age 5

Experts believe alter arises to protect person from overwhelming memories and protect secrets from outsiders

Case Study: Eve

Thigpen and Cleckley, 1953 Rooted from traumatic events witnessed

growing up in South during Depression Eve White – wife and mother; Eve Black –

party girl; Jane – mature intellectual Total of 22 personalities

Case Study: Sybil

True name – Shirley Mason Set the standard for MPD as a

syndrome rooted in child abuse 16 separate personalities all having

unique talents and characteristics, such as piano playing or having British accent; some were male

Dr. Wilbur – Freudian psychologist 1998 – several publications

exposed Sybil case as scam Dr. Herbert Spiegel - only multiple

personality in psychoanalytic setting; just extremely suggestible hysteric

To ensure the book deal, Sybil had to be multiple; Dr. Wilbur’s archives will be opened in 2005…

Split Personality

Jane is the good woman who participates in the Victorian patriarchal society without rocking the boat too much for most of the book.

Bertha is the bad woman locked in the attic. The attic is rather like the unconscious mind Rochester is suppressing a memory that

pains him.

Split Personality

Is Bertha Bad? By modern standards? Compared with Rochester? People who do not fit into society (or are bad)

are labelled mad. Brontë is using this split to criticise in a more

acceptable form the treatment of women. (Sublimation?)

Castration complex

Part of little boy’s psychosexual development.

As a punishment for loving mother, father threatens castration

Resolved by the boy identifying with father.

Castration complex

Early stage of Rochester’s life Naïve marriage to Bertha Expecting Victorian norms of behaviour Bertha could have been a mother substitution

for Rochester Bertha rebels Divorce not possible Locks her away

Castration complex

Rochester expecting his wife to be like his mum

Rochester expects Jane to be subservient too Sadomasochistic relationship between

Rochester and Jane Until Rochester is maimed in the fire He is castrated

Castration complex

Jane can enjoy a future marriage based on equanimity and mutual understanding and respect.

Brontë like Austen commented on the subservient role of women of their day.

Changing view of Bertha

Brontë could not directly attack these values so used Jane and Bertha to get the message across.

Message was too subtle for many Victorians Bertha seen as bad Modern age could see Bertha in new light Jean Rhys' novel ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’.

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