HP and Jane Eyre, The similarities between the two books |
 Jan 22 2007, 02:10 PM
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Shopping the sales rack at Madam Malkins  Posts: 2,547 Joined: 4:26pm August 4, 2005    |
I'm currently re-reading Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte (for the first time in several years) and reading the first few chapters I was struck by the similarities between Jane's early life in Gateshead and Harry's early life with the Dursleys. Jane Eyre is an orphan who was taken in by her Uncle Reed (willingly) and her Uncle's family (very unwillingly) When the uncle dies, Jane is left to the mercy of Mrs Reed, who dislikes her, only having time for her own darling children. Jane's cousin John is a spoilt, greedy, not very bright bully. Jane is locked in the red room as a punishment for defending herself against him, later being confined to a closet. At Christmas she never gets presents or joins in the festivities, she never gets to go on outings with the rest of the family etc. Sound familiar? I'm not saying that the whole of HP is based on Jane Eyre, but just that the similarities between some of the incidents are striking. Thoughts?
-------------------- "My idea of good company, Mr Elliott, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company."
"You are mistaken," said he gently, "that is not good company, that is the best." Persuasion by Jane Austen |
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Jan 22 2007, 02:22 PM
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Monster Book Stacker Posts: 384 Joined: 9:23am November 27, 2006 |
I just finished re-reading Jane Eyre last night. That is spooky, do you know that?
Actually I don't see many similarities between Jane and Harry, well, apart from the fact that they are both orphans, grow up with people who dislike them, and then they inherit a lot of money from their real family. But that's just the classic storyarc for orphan stories.. I guess the reason why I would not want to compare these two books is that I deeply dislike Jane's character and I like Harry - yes, I do like him, although I sometimes judge him very harshly. Don't get me wrong, Jane Eyre is a great book, I just can't stand Jane as a person. IMHO Harry and Jane have nothing in common as for their characters. The setting of their stories may be similar, but as persons they seem incompatible to me. just my two knuts 
-------------------- 'I think so,' said Professor McGonagall drily, 'we teachers are rather good at magic, you know.'
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Jan 22 2007, 02:51 PM
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Shopping the sales rack at Madam Malkins Posts: 2,547 Joined: 4:26pm August 4, 2005 |
QUOTE(Ellen Fawkes @ Jan 22 2007, 07:22 PM) [snapback]1072747[/snapback] I just finished re-reading Jane Eyre last night. That is spooky, do you know that? Actually I don't see many similarities between Jane and Harry, well, apart from the fact that they are both orphans, grow up with people who dislike them, and then they inherit a lot of money from their real family. But that's just the classic storyarc for orphan stories.. I guess the reason why I would not want to compare these two books is that I deeply dislike Jane's character and I like Harry - yes, I do like him, although I sometimes judge him very harshly. Don't get me wrong, Jane Eyre is a great book, I just can't stand Jane as a person. IMHO Harry and Jane have nothing in common as for their characters. The setting of their stories may be similar, but as persons they seem incompatible to me. just my two knuts You don't like Jane Eyre as a character, Ellen Fawkes! Have you seen the new BBC adaptation that was shown several months ago? It is excellent. What is it about her that you don't like? I think she is feisty, passionate, ambitious in her own way, she knows what she wants and will not settle for second best (as far as love goes, anyway) And yes, seriously spooky! You're not reading a Paul Auster book next are you? 
-------------------- "My idea of good company, Mr Elliott, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company."
"You are mistaken," said he gently, "that is not good company, that is the best." Persuasion by Jane Austen |
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Jan 22 2007, 03:10 PM
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Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes' best customer Posts: 1,045 Joined: 1:34pm January 29, 2005 |
QUOTE Don't get me wrong, Jane Eyre is a great book, I just can't stand Jane as a person. Oh thank goodness, I thought I was the only one! As to the topic at hand, I have to agree that "orphan" stories are going to have a lot in common. In another thread, I brought up some similarities between the HP series and Anne of Green Gables, another orphan story (which really couldn't have less to do with HP, but there are similarities nonetheless!). And Anne of Green Gables, in its way, has a great deal in common with Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. There just seems to be a particular set of themes and actions that go hand-in-hand with a coming of age tale, and an orphan tale. |
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Jan 22 2007, 03:13 PM
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Leaky's Resident Bibliophile Posts: 8,279 Joined: 5:01pm April 18, 2005 Location: Finding Neverland. |
I have read the book, and thought it was great and thought Jane was very pleasant to read about. But I don't see many similarities. Yes, she was an orphan or got excluded, much like Harry. But the difference is how they grew from those experiences. Harry has learned to rely on friends and their families. Jane, if I can remember correctly, tried to stay away from intimate contact. She was very independent. Harry relies a whole lot on Ron and Hermione. Jane had no one, and I think that was her own doing.
-------------------- "I know who Harry Potter is. I just don't know who the other two are. Himmie and Roland?"
"No, Grandma, Ron and Hermione." |
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Jan 22 2007, 09:56 PM
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Firebolt-Polisher at Quality Quidditch Supplies Posts: 1,049 Joined: 2:51pm August 28, 2006 Location: Training to be a Quidditch referee. |
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books, and I noticed the similarities at the beginning of the story as well. I think John Reed is a dead ringer for Dudley (or would that be the other way around?). John is cruel, selfish and spoiled. The other similarity I noticed was the information that Aunt Reed withheld from Jane about her family, revealing it reluctantly on her deathbed. The Dursley's withheld information from Harry, too, and Petunia may still have a few surprises up her sleeve. I would love for DH to have the same resolution that Jane had with her relatives, where the Dursley's come to depend upon Harry.
--------------------  The Downstairs Drawing Room Do you want to discuss Deathly Hallows in a private reading room? Click here to sort yourself into Edinburgh Castle! |
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Jan 23 2007, 01:47 AM
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Kibble Boy/Girl at the Magical Menagerie Posts: 282 Joined: 1:38am June 16, 2006 Location: London |
hey come one, being miserable for an orphan is a classic classic beginning of a literary work. How can you imagine the story to begin with a happy life of a well-cared boy? It would be a totally different story. And there are not so much you can create here - bullying cusine, nasty aunt, closet.... what else you can do about it?
So, Harry is a classical example of a "poor" orphan started in literature from the Cinderella herself. You don't suppose Harry Potter was based on a cinderella book, do you? -------------------- 'Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?' Ron Weasley
'Are you quite sure you wouldn't like a cough drop, Dolores?' Professor McGonagall 'Really, Severus, I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick'. Professor McGonagall |
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Jan 23 2007, 04:22 AM
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Shopping the sales rack at Madam Malkins Posts: 2,547 Joined: 4:26pm August 4, 2005 |
QUOTE(scollins @ Jan 23 2007, 02:56 AM) [snapback]1073240[/snapback] Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books, and I noticed the similarities at the beginning of the story as well. I think John Reed is a dead ringer for Dudley (or would that be the other way around?). John is cruel, selfish and spoiled. The other similarity I noticed was the information that Aunt Reed withheld from Jane about her family, revealing it reluctantly on her deathbed. The Dursley's withheld information from Harry, too, and Petunia may still have a few surprises up her sleeve. I would love for DH to have the same resolution that Jane had with her relatives, where the Dursley's come to depend upon Harry. Scollins Yes, I agree. I do see what others are saying about general orphan story arcs, but it's not the general nature of the story I noticed, it's the specific details that grab your attention. I'll quote a few: QUOTE John Reed was a schoolboy...large and stout for his age...thick lineaments in a spacious visage, heavy limbs and large extremities. He gorged himself habitually at table...he ought now to have been at school; but his mamma had taken him home for a month or two 'on account of his delicate health'. Why could I never please? Why was it useless to try to win anyone's favour?...John no-one thwarted, much less punished, though he twisted the necks of pigeons, ...stripped the hothouse vines of their fruit, and broke the buds off the choicest plants in the conservatory; he called his mother 'old girl' too....bluntly disregarded her wishes....and he was still her own darling. -------------------- "My idea of good company, Mr Elliott, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company."
"You are mistaken," said he gently, "that is not good company, that is the best." Persuasion by Jane Austen |
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Jan 23 2007, 05:07 AM
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Gringotts Goblin Translator Posts: 1,230 Joined: 1:14pm July 24, 2005 Location: The Land of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and Short-Snouted Dragons |
I was actually trying a while ago to find some similarity between HP and Jane Eyre just because it "ought to" be there (since JKR has managed to connect to almost every other classic piece of English literature!). I failed, but I just searched my memory, and it was a long time since I read the book, so the early part slipped my mind. I think you may have a point about comparing John Reed to Dudley, and about Aunt Reed witholding information etc. As for Jane vs Harry, a similarity that comes to mind now is their temper. Most of the time keeping their feelings to themselves and adjusting to circumstances, but now and then lashing out and speaking their minds, and then rather violently.
-------------------- Visit My Blog: The Island of the Voices
"But there I have another name."/Aslan in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (C.S. Lewis) |
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Jan 23 2007, 11:04 AM
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Shopping the sales rack at Madam Malkins Posts: 2,547 Joined: 4:26pm August 4, 2005 |
QUOTE(Spectrespecs @ Jan 23 2007, 10:07 AM) [snapback]1073445[/snapback] I was actually trying a while ago to find some similarity between HP and Jane Eyre just because it "ought to" be there (since JKR has managed to connect to almost every other classic piece of English literature!). I failed, but I just searched my memory, and it was a long time since I read the book, so the early part slipped my mind. I think you may have a point about comparing John Reed to Dudley, and about Aunt Reed witholding information etc. As for Jane vs Harry, a similarity that comes to mind now is their temper. Most of the time keeping their feelings to themselves and adjusting to circumstances, but now and then lashing out and speaking their minds, and then rather violently. Harry's outbursts when Aunt Marge visits are certainly comparable to the tone of some of Jane's outbursts. Mrs Reed tells her children not to go near Jane or associate with her, and Jane retorts: 'They are not fit to associate with me' Jane also asks her aunt what Uncle Reed would say to her, if he were still alive, and points out that her Uncle, mamma and pappa are in heaven and can see how she shuts her up all day long, and wishes her dead. Of course, there is that wonderfully Byronic hero, Mr Rochester. Is he comparable to our wonderful Byronic anti-hero, Snape? -------------------- "My idea of good company, Mr Elliott, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company."
"You are mistaken," said he gently, "that is not good company, that is the best." Persuasion by Jane Austen |
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