Jane Eyre

what does jane learn from Helen?

in your answer, explain the relevance of resurgam

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Helen presents her Christian philosophy of forgiveness and endurance: one must bear the sins of others, turn the other cheek, and love thy enemy. Jane, of course, is at odds with this idea, believing that standing up for herself often means fighting back. While Helen's form of Christianity is not useful for Jane, neither is Jane's attitude of self-defense; she must find and develop her own brand of spirituality. I think Jane does, in the end, learn to temper her aggressiveness and uses Helen's philosophy to better herself. In Latin Resurgam means "I shall rise again". One could argue that Helene's life was cut short trying to validate herself in other people's eyes. The irony is that Jane learns much from Helen even though Helen's life is cut short. One can say part of Helen "rises again" through Jane as Jane uses some of Helen's piousness in her outlook and decisions.