Society vs Author

Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Explain how the character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and moral values.

In this excerpt, the alienation of two different characters both reveal a different aspect of the society in which the story is set. The reason for which they both are alienated speaks to the authors opinion of churchly figures at that time misusing their power and being hypocritical in their application of their faith.

First to be alienated in this excerpt is Julia Severn, which the author is able to do through Mr. Brocklehurst's harsh criticism of her hair. Julia's hair is described as "red hair, curled all over" by Mr. Brocklehurst. Despite any negative connotation in the modern day with red, curly hair, the reader is able to assume through the negative diction used by Mr. Brocklehurst that having that hair type is seen as a bad thing in his eyes. Due to the fact that Mr. Brocklehurst is implied to be a dedicated Christian, the reader is drawn to understanding his beliefs as an extension of the church's at this time. The alienation of Julia continues further as Mr. Brocklehurst deems  "that girl's hair must be cut off entirely" due to her hair's natural tendency to not appear to be "arranged closely, modestly, plainly". This demand is justified with religious implications that it is a girls responsibility to remain modest. In this way the author is highlighting what she sees as a flaw in that society under the church, that girls are shamed and forced into attempting to be modest by the church's definition. Reading this in our current time makes Mr. Brocklehurst's demand of chopping off all of her hair seem ridiculous to the point of being humorous, further demonstrating the authors intent of highlighting what she sees as a problem with this society.

The second alienation occurs with the young student Jane, who draws Mr. Brocklehurst's attention to her by dropping and breaking her slate. Upon realizing who this girl is, Mr. Brocklehurst begins to isolate her by stating that she "is a little castaway: not a member of the true flock, but evidently an interloper and an alien". Yet again Mr. Brocklehurst uses religious references to act as justification for how he belittles Jane through saying how she is not in the true flock of God's lamb, in other words she is not a follower of God. As if this was not enough to separate her classmates and teacher from her, Mr. Brocklehurst continues on to address Jane's class by saying "you must be on your guard against her; you must shun her example; if necessary, avoid her company, exclude her from your sports, and shut her out from your converse". His attempts to exclude and alienate her are the opposite of subtle as he declares to her class that she is dangerous. This exclusion stems from her previous misbehavior, as Mr. Brocklehurst continues on to say that she has "an ingratitude so bad, so dreadful, that at last her excellent patroness was obliged to separate her from her own young". This is another way in which the author is speaking towards hypocritical aspects of the church during this time period in which she disagrees with. In this case, the author is criticizing the church's hypocritical stance towards forgiving sins of others. Jane is used as an example of one who has sinned in the past yet is trying to now to follow the rules and the will of God. Though the message of the church should be that she is forgiven, she instead receives harsh judgment and isolation. In this way the author is yet again criticizing the church in the society at this time.