Overwhelmed with Passion for "Jane Eyre"

I fell in love with Jane Eyre the moment I read the story,
and I have yet to fall out of love.

It was the type of love that captivated all of my attention and overwhelmed my senses. I couldn’t think clearly to process, let alone answer, the questions that rushed to enter my mind. I could simply let the waves of events carry me through their motions.

As much as I tried to remain logical and bring myself back to reality, I could not resist the temptation to give in to the overpowering emotions that I felt.

It truly was love at first read.

Perhaps I had been so in tune with the story that I allowed the emotions that Jane Eyre was experiencing to take over and become a part of me and my own emotional experience. I understood, if not exactly felt, the struggles between passion and logic that Jane fought through.

It is so easy to let passion to capture your senses because its power can consume you like a fire. It is so powerful that if there is no balance between reason and passion, the fires of desire will destroy you.

Charlotte Bronte illustrates this point quite clearly with many character’s deaths, such as Bertha who’s passion not only drove her to insanity but became so uncontrollable that caused her to start a literal fire that led her to her death. Even with St. John Rivers, who was a symbol of reason, his strong determination in remaining rational and in control became an obsession that ultimately led him to his death.

Jane Eyre is a book that illustrates the importance of internal balance in one’s life. A person cannot be led purely by fervent passion or solely on logical, emotionless thoughts. Too much of either one would be destructive to the body, heart, and spirit.

Jane Eyre took me along with her as she walked down her path to self discovery, which is exactly what she wanted I’m sure because the story is written as her memoir. In the end of her tale, Jane is certain of her value in her own identity and is at peace with her decisions as well as the life that she chose to lead.

It is only after hearing her ending that I found myself ready to reflect back on the series of events that happened and to begin seeking answers to the many questions and emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. But even to this day, I still find it hard to calm myself down when I think about this amazing story.

The influence of passion is so powerful that its sensations can be communicated and transferred through mere words.

I don’t believe that we are ever released from its hold.

Senseless

Watch as the needle punctures through that first layer of skin,
as it goes deeper and deeper before it is slowly drawn out.
The flow of crimson follows the path down to the lines of love and life,
covering them with a thick, dense painting of the various shades of red.

Feel as the water fills your lungs and weighs your soul forward.
Feel its heavy movements as it works with gravity to force your body down
to give into the earth.
Feel as it consumes all of you, so heavy that there can be no release,
only the silent escapes that will do nothing but blur your vision.

Listen as the loud screeches continue to pierce your eardrums.
No matter how desperately you may try to protect yourself, to cover yourself, or
to recoil your body to save yourself,
there is no stopping to this sharp, loud, perpetuating pain.

Can’t you taste the residuals from your torture rushing out?

Doesn’t that vile smell of your slow demise repulse you?

If only senses could be controlled.

If only senses could be stopped.

What life would be if only it was senseless.

but.

isn’t it already?

~ May 2, 2011