The Natural Process of Dreaming: A Comparative Essay Between Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable Anonymous 12th Grade

The concept and action of dreaming is a natural process, innate to almost all human beings despite gender, race, and culture. People dream both subconsciously in their sleep and consciously dream towards a goal or a better future. This natural theme is relevant in the book Jane Eyre, as Charlotte Brontë chronicles the story of Jane Eyre from her dejected upbringing through her ultimate achievement of a fairytale marriage and independence by the end of the book. Similarly, the natural process of dreaming manifests itself in Untouchable, in which Mulk Raj Anand traverses a day in the life of Bakha, an Untouchable, who comes to form his own, nationalistic identity after hearing the inspiring words of Gandhi. While both Brontë and Anand allow their protagonists to develop through their dreams and aspirations, Anand represents Bakha’s aspirations through the recurring motif of English goods, while Brontë uses the motif of dreams literally.

Initially, Brontë uses Jane’s lack of, and puzzlement towards, dreams to establish her subjugated role in society. After being ostracized from her family, Jane yearns for a better life and childhood, so she is sent to Lowood, an all girls orphan school. At first, Lowood is not much better than...