Freudian studies seem never to die. Here is a new take on Jane Eyre through Lacan's mirror stage:
by Yichi Yang, Department of English Language and Literature, Capital Normal University, Beijing
Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 2024, 8(12), 2805-2808
As the first to focus on its moral and spiritual development through an intimate first-person narrative, the novel Jane Eyre revolutionized prose fiction and thus holds a significant and enduring position in the history of British literature. The actions and events in Jane Eyre are colored by the psychological intensity and the female protagonist Jane Eyre’s mental state could be analyzed through Lacan’s Mirror Stage theory. Due to the childhood experiences and encounters that have had an indelible impact on Jane’s psychological state and life circumstances, Jane never fully escapes the “mirror stage” but is stuck in it and unable to transcend it. The conflict between her ideal self and the reality she faces has resulted in fragmentation and alienation of her personality. This inherent contradiction in Jane Eyre’s self-construction becomes a profound psychological root of her life choices and decisions in love. Throughout the entire novel, Jane attempts to constantly identify herself through various experiences and the validation of other characters. Ultimately, she succeeded in shaping a conventional socially acceptable female image.
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