'Jane Eyre and Great Expectations'coherence of the self

English Literature 1B
Assessed Essay

Brendan Gill

‘That consciousness which accompanies our Thoughts and Actions, and by which we connect ourselves with ourselves from time to time’ (David Hartley, 1749). Compare the manner in which any two texts represent the connection or coherence of the self over time.

The questions of this essay are: does the self become affected by the passing of time? As we grow, does the self change from the trials that each of us tackle through our own thoughts and actions? I am going to develop these questions by looking at the novels ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte and ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens. I will look at how each protagonist changes their own personalities through the experiences they have as they grow up; and how the self of each lead character changes with the passing of time.

The actual meaning of the self is not always distinct. Henry James describes this as:

Where does it begin? Where does it end? It ov...