"My feet they are sore, and my limbs they are weary;
Long is the way, and the mountains are wild;
Soon will the twilight close moonless and dreary
Over the path of the poor orphan child.
Why did they send me so far and so lonely,
Up where the moors spread and grey rocks are piled?
Men are hard-hearted, and kind angels only
Watch o'er the steps of the poor orphan child.
Yet distant and soft the night breeze is blowing,
Clouds there are none, and clear stars beam mild,
God, in his mercy, protection is showing,
Comfort and hope to the poor orphan child.
Ev'n should I fall o'er the broken bridge passing,
Or stray in the marshes, by false lights beguiled,
Still will my Father, with promise and blessing,
Take to His bosom the poor orphan child.
There is a thought that for strength should avail me,
Though both of shelter and kindred despoiled;
Heaven is a home, and a rest will not fail me;
God is a friend to the poor orphan child" (21).
At this point in the book, Jane is recovering after her experience in the red-room. She feels hopeless, and the things that usually comfort her -- food, books, pictures, music -- hold no reassurance for her (20). A cheerful song that Bessie sings gives her a feeling of "indescribable sadness," and the melancholy song that Bessie sings next makes Jane weep (21). The song, a "doleful" ballad (21), describes the abandonment of an orphan and the mercy of God. This song reflects Jane's life perfectly, describing her life at Gateshead and foreshadowing her life at Lowood.
The song begins by telling of an orphan, alone in the wilderness at night, who has no hope and no companion. The description of the child's surroundings matches the way in which Jane often describes nature. Jane talks of the weather the day before as being "drear," with "ceaseless rain" driven by "a long and lamentable blast" of wind (8). This intensity surrounding Jane is very similar to the "wild" and "dreary" land described in the song. The narrator in the song, arguably the poor orphan child herself, is "sore" and "weary;" similarly, Jane is tired of living her difficult life, with those around her treating her cruelly or neglecting her altogether. Jane herself is an orphan, sent by her late parents to live at Gateshead, where she is abused and abandoned. The orphan in the song has also been sent to a place "so far and so lonely," where "grey rocks are piled" as formidable figures keeping the child afraid and isolated. Jane's "grey rocks" are the Reeds, who both intimidate her and impede her in her progress as a young woman by denying her the opportunities that the other children in the house have. Men, such as Mr Brocklehurst, are "hard-hearted" to Jane, keeping her from expressing herself fully and pursuing her full potential, and "kind angels only," such as Bessie, keep Jane sane and functioning. The first two verses of the song tell of Jane's life at Gateshead by comparing her experiences to those of an orphan lost alone on the moors at night.
The rest of the song describes the child's redemption and the love that God has for her, despite obstacles in her life and mistakes that she makes. Once night falls on the orphan child, the breeze becomes "distant and soft," with no clouds and "clear stars beam[ing] mild." Jane's "night" is her entrance into Lowood. It at first seems like it should be terrible, not much better than Gateshead and with similar levels of abuse; Jane soon finds, however, that it is not as harsh as she thought it would be (especially once Brocklehurst is no longer in command). She is given hope and guidance, similar to "clear stars" lighting her way. Miss Temple and Helen Burns protect Jane, as God protects the orphan child in the song, and provide her with "comfort and hope." Jane stumbles over some practices at Lowood that Jane feels are unjust, and is accused of being a liar, as the orphan child "fall[s] o'er the broken bridge passing" and "stray[s] in the marsh, by false lights beguiled." Just as the child is still welcomed by God "with promise and blessing," however, Jane is still welcomed by Miss Temple and the school, after being cleared of the accusations against her, and Jane accepts Lowood's standards for the girls there. The orphan's saving in Bessie's song shows how Jane is saved from Gateshead and from herself, by the school and the people she meets there.
Thought "both of shelter and kindred" has Jane been "despoiled" at Gateshead, she is greeted by a "home" at Lowood that saves her and gives her the opportunity to create her own life. She is the orphan child in Bessie's song, and this reflection of her own life that she sees makes her weep, even if she doesn't know quite why. As the orphan child finds safety in God, so does Jane find safety at Lowood, giving her a new perspective on her life and giving her the safety under which she can thrive.
It is really interesting that you chose the song as your passage! Though the music is in place to bring sadness to Jane in one instant, it was cool how you were able to connect the piece to Jane's life throughout other parts of the book. The way the song so closely mimics Jane's life makes me wonder whether Bessie had any purpose in singing a song about an orphaned child to Jane, especially because we see how attached Bessie became to Jane later. You have a really detailed analysis and your quotes are well integrated and described.
ReplyDelete