Helen Burns is a minor character in Cary Joji Fukunaga’s Film, “Jane Eyre” (2011). Jane Eyre follows the sad life of Jane and the abuse she has endured. Helen is introduced to us in a flashback while Jane is placed into Lowood school. This school is full of abuse, mentally and physically. Helen serves almost as a muse for Jane, she is the only nice part about this school and is Jane’s only support/friend. They had an instant sister connection with the smile the shared during a prayer, when Helen was then caught and began to get beat, Jane dropped her tray of food in order for the punishment to stop on Helen and be focused on to her. Helen soon dies from a sickness that was not specified; she tells Jane that she is happy because she is going home to God. Jane has a cry and they lay together; Helen tells her not to be sad and not to leave her side. In the morning Jane is taken away from Helens dead body. Helen is used as a special place in Janes heart that she is able to smile upon during a very dark time in her life. We don’t get much personal information or background on her, most of her role is just to support the main character. While reading the chapter “Entering the paradise of anomalies: studying female character acting in British cinema.” In “The Small Parts, Small Players Dossier” by Melanie Williams it really got my head turning on women in film during this time and movies that are based around this time. “Female supporting players were very important, with Raymond Durgnat noting how roles ‘abound[ed] for such excellent character actresses like…” (Williams, 2011). I also believe that female supporting characters are very important because they give a special warm feeling that I think a lot of people don’t get for male supporting characters as often. I think seeing a young girl who has been abused over and over by men and women to finally find a young girl finally show her for the first time that love, and kindness does exist is a very special moment in this film and our care for Jane. While Helen has a very small part in this film, I think her love and her showing jane that there is good in this world sticks with her and motivates her throughout this film.
Fukunaga, Cary Joji, director. Jane Eyre. Universal Pictures, 2011.
Melanie Williams, Entering the paradise of anomalies: studying female character acting in British cinema, Screen, Volume 52, Issue 1, Spring 2011, Pages 97–104, https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjq064
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