Charlotte-bronte Quote by Claire Harman
““When Crimsworth praises Frances’s devoir and counsels her to cultivate her faculties, she replies not in words, but with a smile ‘in her eyes...almost triumphant,’ which seems to mean the following: ‘I am glad you have been forced to discover so much of my nature; you need not so carefully moderate your language. Do you think I am myself a stranger to myself? What you tell me in terms so qualified, I have known fully from a child.’ No words are uttered; that would be unseemly, and, the author implies, somewhat redundant.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, 1847
Frances uses a triumphant smile to convey deep self‑knowledge, rejecting the need for verbal explanation.
In simple terms: She shows self‑understanding without words.
Key Takeaway
Value non‑verbal expression of inner truth.
Themes
self‑awareness
communication
feminism
voice
identity
Mood
reflective
empowering
thoughtful
Type
Charlotte-bronte:1
Feminism:1
Patriarchy:0
Voice:1
Words Uttered:0
Crimsworth Praises:0
Praises Frances:0
Eyes Triumphant:1
Triumphant Mean:1
When to use this quote
- literary criticism
- personal growth
- gender studies
Key Concepts
non‑verbal cues
self‑knowledge
literary analysis
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the smile reveal about Frances?
- How can silence convey power?
A Different Perspective
Assumes readers share cultural context of the novel.
![“[Charlotte Brontë] once told her sisters that they were wrong - even morally wrong - in making their heroines beautiful as a matter of course. They replied that it was impossible to make a heroine interesting on any other terms. Her answer was, 'I will prove to you that you are wrong; I will show…” quote by Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/831/elizabeth-gaskell-894_bronte-sisters_charlotte-bront-once-told-her-sisters-th_1552010.jpg)
