Comparing Jane Eyre to Cyndaquil
Young Adult Character Analysis
Written by DJ Hadoken
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece published in 1847, serves its readers as a looking glass or fishbowl, where one may observe a specimen within as it develops into adulthood.
“The pivotal theme of Jane Eyre is Jane’s growth to maturity” (Campbell 61). This remains true as Jane is presented to us early on in the novel as a quiet girl, a mere observer of the occurrences around her. She passively accepts all events, although within herself, she holds a sense of dread.
“At the beginning of the book Jane is a child” (Campbell 61). She is forced to accept circumstances as they are presented to her, such as her transfer to Lowood and the neglect she receives from her aunt.
Although, she may have had some influence in her own leaving to Lowood as she states to Mr. Lloyd: “I should indeed like to go to school” (Brontë 18).
Thus, her growth is then finally advanced to a new level. She no longer must suffer at the hands of her relatives, and is now thrust into a new world filled with strangers and forced to survive without aid from any kinship ties.
How does this relate to Pokémon?
First of all, one must know the aspects of the life of a single Pokémon. A typical Pokémon starts at its lowest level, and it is up to its trainer to make the Pokémon stronger and more able to complete tasks that are required of it. When a Pokémon has reached a degree of maturity and strength, it evolves.
Cyndaquil for example, after reaching a certain level of strength, evolves into Quilava: it’s second stage of maturity. When Cyndaquil has once again matured, it evolves into its highest level: Typhlosion.
Jane Eyre is no different. “The reader follows Jane’s growing-up on a number of different levels” (Campbell 61). Much like Campbell describes it, Jane evolves in her own fashion from a child into a prosperous woman.
Supposing that Jane Eyre were Cyndaquil at its lowest level, one could relate this level of weakness to Jane’s childhood. One may even relate it to the point where she leaves Lowood and becomes employed at Thornfield.
Every moment, every notion of happiness and disappointment that enter her soul, bind with her to form experience. At Lowood, she learns the harsh reality of death. Helen Burns dies, leaving her alone for a short period of time before she truly befriends Miss Temple.
During the short period of Jane’s isolation, she is forced to become stronger. She accepts death and reflects upon Helen’s acceptance of it. Jane grows, but does not evolve.
The reader views that she soon emerges from her shell of silence and acceptance and becomes more assertive and wise. Miss Temple can be alluded to as a type of low level Pokémon trainer for Jane.
Jane is essentially alone throughout the novel until she finally comes into contact and intimacy with Mr. Rochester. Miss Temple soon leaves Lowood and Jane is once again thrust into relying upon herself for decisions.
Pokémon often evolve after being involved in a major battle. If Jane were in fact Cyndaquil, one may say that Jane had not yet been in any sort of battle. Thus she had not yet evolved.
At eighteen years of age she was still, if not outwardly, mentally the same reserved child. Her decision within herself to finally leave Lowood and seek other interests is what caused her to evolve.
Although not an actual Pokémon battle, Jane Eyre battled within herself. She for once was now able to decide whether she would change her current lifestyle or allow it to remain the same. There was no Mrs. Reed to force her into doing what she did not desire to do.
Her capacity to finally assert her own desires was finally achieved, thus, she evolved into a new level of maturity. The simple question of “what do I want?” (Brontë 78) is what pushed her mind into new level of achievement. Jane Eyre was then at the level of Quilava.
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“What do I want? A new place, in a new house, amongst new faces under new
circumstances. I want this because it is of no use wanting anything better.
What do people do to get a new place?
They apply to friends, I suppose. I have no friends. There are many others who have no friends, who must look about for themselves and be their own helpers; what is their resource?” (Brontë 78).
What do people do to get a new place?
They apply to friends, I suppose. I have no friends. There are many others who have no friends, who must look about for themselves and be their own helpers; what is their resource?” (Brontë 78).
Once again, her own decision and desire to change her life, asking, “What do I want?” show that she has matured by this point in the story.
As has been stated beforehand, Cyndaquil still has the potential to evolve once more into Typhlosion. Just when does Jane Eyre evolve from Quilava into Typhlosion?
A child easily enters the phase of the unstable teenager, but always struggles to achieve the level of maturity it takes to be an adult. Therefore, let it be attributed, putting aside Jane’s age, that the level of Cyndaquil may be considered Jane’s childhood until the point that she leaves Lowood.
Quilava may be considered the point where she decides to leave Lowood and up until the point where she finally marries Mr. Rochester.
Typhlosion, thus, is the level at which Jane has finally married Mr. Rochester. At this level she is a mature woman, no longer a confused girl.
One may ask why Jane must stay at the level of Quilava for such a prolonged period of time, before she once again evolves. Recall to mind that Cyndaquil attributes to Jane’s childhood, regardless of age. Cyndaquil is the lowest level of evolution, the lowest in maturity. Quilava is the teenage aspect of this, the second and middle level of evolution.
A child naturally grows into the mentality of a teenager, but a teenager struggles much more to become an adult. Jane suffers tremendously before she finally realizes that she desires to be with Mr. Rochester. One may believe that her revelation of feelings with Mr. Rochester by the chestnut tree may have elevated her maturity to some degree, but that may not be so.
It may have been an excited state of emotion for both Jane and Mr. Rochester, not a moment of evolution. There was no sense of change or evolution, no concrete vision of the future. She was to be wed to Mr. Rochester, but even Jane could not see herself with the name of Mrs. Rochester. “I could not quite comprehend it…” (Brontë 245). “Mrs. Rochester! She did not exist…” (Brontë 261).
If Jane has a vitality or energy meter (that is, a gauge that represents her as being in complete health or disparity) at the point where she experiences the calamity that occurs on her wedding day and the discovery of Bertha Mason, Jane’s meter may have most likely been at a very low rating.
At her highest state, seemingly about to wed and become a wife, she is about to evolve, but the discovery of Mr. Rochester’s secret deals her such a blow that consequently forces her back into the state of Quilava.
She then wanders heart broken, confused, unable to marry an already married man, alone towards Moor House. At Moor House she experiences a new life and a chance to start over.
A major change in her life comes during her stay as a teacher at Morton. She inherits her uncle’s fortune. She receives it calmly and splits it up among her cousins equally. This serves as the dim light that begins to shine on Jane’s maturity.
Her struggle with St. John’s urgings to comply with his wishes and her resistance draw upon her maturity and ability to assert her own will above others. She recognizes herself as independent. She is able to pull herself away from St. John and seek Mr. Rochester.
This may show that she now understands what she wants and what will make her happy. She realizes that to be with Mr. Rochester is what will ultimately make her happy. She seeks him and, after much difficulty, is reunited with him at Ferndean.
She speaks with Mr. Rochester and proves her independence to him, she accepts to marry him once again, for she believes it is what will make her happy. She has asserted her will for her own gains to be happy; she has become Typhlosion.
Concerning the author of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë: one may consider her as perhaps the prelude to Pokémon, most notably the god of Pokémon trainers, the creator of Cyndaquil. She may have in her childhood, been a child much like Jane Eyre.
“She [Charlotte] remained delicate when fully grown and very short sighted,
so that she could never join in ball games and since at this time [when she
was 14] she refused to wear her spectacles, she was obliged to hold her
books within inches of her nose in order to read them.”
(Howard).
Her delicateness, as Howard states, may have served as a sort of self-inspiration for creating the character of Jane Eyre. She may have seen within the character of Jane Eyre an image of herself.
Thus, Jane Eyre is like Cyndaquil. Charlotte created Jane Eyre and Charlotte created the idea of Cyndaquil. However, many attributes to fame and success come at a gamble and as the writer of the introduction to Jane Eyre puts it: “Jane Eyre was a risk for her young creator…” (Oates v).
Jane Eyre may have indeed been a difficult endeavor for Charlotte to create.
Her levels of evolution and maturity, along with Cyndaquil’s levels as well, show us that living beings, whether Pokémon or human, are prone to growth whether by one’s own assertiveness or by uncontrollable circumstance.
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Works Cited
Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Bantam Books, 1981.
Campbell, Susie. Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre. London: Penguin Books, 1988.
Howard, Tom. Brontë Country. New York: Smithmark, 1995.
Oates, Joyce Carol. Introduction. Jane Eyre. By Charlotte Brontë. New York: Bantam, 1987. v-xvi
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