"...to her [Miss Temple] instruction I owed the best part of my acquirements; her friendship and society had been my continual solace; she had stood me in the stead of a mother, governess, and, latterly, companion" (85).
Jane Eyre:
Miss Temple (favored teacher)
Mr. Brocklehurst (school administrator)
Helen Burns (friend)
Matilda:
Miss Honey (favored teacher)
Ms. Trunchbull (school administrator)
Lavender (friend)
Jane's first time at school is at the Lowood Institute, sponsered by Mr. Brocklehurst. She moves from emotionally, unstable surroundings with plenty of food to the reverse. However, Jane learns to adjust with the help of a certain teacher, Miss Temple, and a new friend, Helen Burns. Similiarirly, this story of finding solace at school can be seen in Roahld Dahl's Matilda. Although Matilda has special powers, she is both unseen and ignored in her family as well. Both Jane and Matilda find a teacher that becomes more than just an educator. Miss Temple takes Jane under her wing, and eventually, they become close friends. Never having a mother, she is the closest Jane has ever come to a female role model, besides Bessie. Since Matilda is younger when she meets her teacher Miss Honey, the relationship is a little different, but still the same situation. Miss Honey ends up adopting Matilda as her own daughter.
However the parallels do not stop there, both schools are lead by very stereotypical, children hating people. Notably, both school administrators take a disliking to the main characters and submit both to public humiliation. For example, Mr. Brocklehurst calls Jane out in front of the entire school and said she would basically never amount to anything. Yet, one person did not believe it, Miss Temple, and she helped Jane disprove him. Neither administrator is fit to run a school, Brocklehurst forcing the girls to live in next to poverty was eventually demoted. Likewise, Ms. Trunchbull could care less about the students and seeks out violent harm against them, eventually is run out of the school.
Lastly, both Jane and Matilda have never had friends before they entered school. Once they begin, they both make one. Jane befriends Helen Burns and Matilda meets Lavender. They both come to care about their friends very much and do many things to help their new friends.
Miss Temple (favored teacher)
Mr. Brocklehurst (school administrator)
Helen Burns (friend)
Matilda:
Miss Honey (favored teacher)
Ms. Trunchbull (school administrator)
Lavender (friend)
Jane's first time at school is at the Lowood Institute, sponsered by Mr. Brocklehurst. She moves from emotionally, unstable surroundings with plenty of food to the reverse. However, Jane learns to adjust with the help of a certain teacher, Miss Temple, and a new friend, Helen Burns. Similiarirly, this story of finding solace at school can be seen in Roahld Dahl's Matilda. Although Matilda has special powers, she is both unseen and ignored in her family as well. Both Jane and Matilda find a teacher that becomes more than just an educator. Miss Temple takes Jane under her wing, and eventually, they become close friends. Never having a mother, she is the closest Jane has ever come to a female role model, besides Bessie. Since Matilda is younger when she meets her teacher Miss Honey, the relationship is a little different, but still the same situation. Miss Honey ends up adopting Matilda as her own daughter.
However the parallels do not stop there, both schools are lead by very stereotypical, children hating people. Notably, both school administrators take a disliking to the main characters and submit both to public humiliation. For example, Mr. Brocklehurst calls Jane out in front of the entire school and said she would basically never amount to anything. Yet, one person did not believe it, Miss Temple, and she helped Jane disprove him. Neither administrator is fit to run a school, Brocklehurst forcing the girls to live in next to poverty was eventually demoted. Likewise, Ms. Trunchbull could care less about the students and seeks out violent harm against them, eventually is run out of the school.
Lastly, both Jane and Matilda have never had friends before they entered school. Once they begin, they both make one. Jane befriends Helen Burns and Matilda meets Lavender. They both come to care about their friends very much and do many things to help their new friends.