“Probably you would do nothing of the sort: but if you did, Mr. Brocklehurst would expel you from the school; that would be a great grief to your relations. It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you—and, besides, the Bible bids us return good for evil.” Which statement best explains the main idea of Helen’s words in this passage from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë? Follow your heart in all your actions. It is better to be expelled than to put up with punishment. Follow the Bible in all your actions, and you’ll be rewarded. It is better to endure punishment than to bring grief to those close to you.
Answers
Answer 1
The correct answer is the last option.
The main sentence in this passage that gives us the answer is the last one. A "smart" is something that hurts, and a "great grief" is a type of sadness. So, Helen is saying it's better to endure something that hurts personally rather than spreading sadness to those close to you.