Essay on Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre - The Character of Jane Eyre

Although Jane herself endures prejudice because of her low position in the social hierarchy, she also displays intolerance for her own class as she has been taught that the poor are reprehensible. Jane admits she would prefer to live with the Reeds despite the mistreatment she endures, than a kind but poor family. Jane’s perception of the lower class has been warped by the narrow-minded people she has grown up around. She imagines that life in poverty is

This is suggested by Rochester himself as he offers a comparison of the two females, contrasting his ‘wife’, whom he refers to as a ‘fierce ragout’, with what he ‘wished to have … as a change’ (361) in Jane’s somewhat tempered manner. However, Gilbert and Gubar raise similarities between the two women, arguing that Bertha ‘also acts like Jane’ (361); particularly Bertha’s ’incendiary tendencies’ (362) which echo young Jane’s ‘early flaming rages… emblematic of her mind in its rebellion against society’ (362). Furthering the manifestation of such passion is the portrayal of Bertha as ‘a big woman, in stature equalling her husband’ (359); ultimately a physical metaphor for what Jane aspires to be – an equal to Rochester, and an equal in society.

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre can be characterized in many ways as a variation of Cinderella. There are several versions of this popular fairy--tale. At the time Bronte’s novel was published, the Grimms’ book of tales, which included Cinderella, was very popular. According to Sally Mitchell, "The serious interest in folklore was spurred by the translation, in 1823, of the stories collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm." A version of Cinderella was also written by Charles Perrault. Both Perrault’s and the Grimms’ tales have a place in Bronte’s narrative. There is no specific evidence of her reading these yet, "Bronte could easily have known two versions of the Cinderella tale: the

Rochester rides in to Jane’s life as a fairy tale dark prince resembling a Byronic hero. Interestingly, their meeting is symbolic as Rochester represents the upper class male who totally subjugates women like Jane. However, Rochester falls from his high horse, and cannot function without the help of his governess, a working class woman. These events set in motion the unconventional relationship between the couple and Jane’s constant struggle to retain her identity.

Despite John Reed’s cruel, brutish behaviour towards Jane; ‘you are a dependant… you ought to beg’, Jane’s innately fierce nature is not crushed, it merely lies in wait, cloaked by her ‘habitual obedience’, until it is gradually revealed as she fights back against Mrs Reed’s tyranny. When being forced into the Red Room, as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Jane tells the reader that ‘I resisted all the way: a new thing for me’, it is arguably the first break in the traditional mould for a female heroine, as he does not, and increasingly will not, fit the female roles conventionally assigned to a woman in her position in society. When Mrs Reed cruelly asserts to John Reed that Jane is “not worthy of notice… neither you or your sister should associate with her”, Jane’s reaction is not orthodoxly submissive, but instinctively and immediately reactive. To defend herself she vehemently states “I cried out suddenly and without at all deliberating on my words ‘they are not fit to associate with me!’”. Jane’s confidence and quick wit, moves her further away from conventionality and submission, and fuels her independent, morally virtuous personality. Later, when Mrs Reed denounces Jane’s character to her future headmaster ‘the cold marble pillar’, Mr Brocklehurst, Jane again, passionately discards the expectations placed upon her, and informs the reader, “speak I must: I had been

The ladies swoon over Adele while Jane sits on the side inspecting and criticizing each lady as she passes by. No one is unpleasant to her and no one seems to grab Mr. Rochester’s attention; which puts Jane at ease. Jane is content and almost enjoying herself while she participates in some activities and becomes amiable toward the party. This is an extreme fairytale-like revision without Blanche. There is no hostility, no conflict, no pain, but also no motivation. There is nothing to instigate Jane into taking any step toward Mr. Rochester. Nothing is threatening her or giving her a feeling of urgency or duty to “save” Mr. Rochester from some disastrous fate as well as herself and Adele. Originally, Jane confessed her love for Rochester because of her fear of being separated from him. Without Blanche, there is no threat or quandary in which Jane would feel the need to confess and affirm her place with Mr. Rochester. Jane is passive and feels outclassed, unworthy, and too young for him and is comfortable with just gazing at Rochester; so the likelihood of Jane accosting Rochester with her confession is extremely small when the situation is not unpleasant.

Not only is she brash and rude, but she is interested in marrying Rochester for his money. Because of this, she doesn’t marry him, and he uses her behavior as a justification

Take it Like a Woman While there is truth embedded in Malcolm X’s statement “nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it,” Jane Eyre would contend that this holds true to women as well. Throughout the book Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, the reader watches Jane overcome the obstacles set before her and assert her equality. She refuses to be confined by the constraints of society.

Eight years later, when Jane travels from Lowood to Thornfield, she is much more contented. She has come to be respected by the teachers and pupils at Lowood, largely due to the influence of her teacher, Miss Temple, to whose instruction she "owed the best part of her acquirements" and who had stood her "in the stead of mother, governess, and latterly, companion". Jane has found in Miss Temple what Mrs Reed always

She respects and acknowledges the power imbalance between them, even though she and Rochester are intellectual equals. However, her lack of wealth and her employment status makes her a subordinate in her society. An example is shown when in the presence of Rochester’s guests: “I rose and curtseyed to them: one or two bent their heads in return, the others only stared at me.”(173). Their lack of desire to engage with Jane shows the strict social hierarchy that existed in the

A husband who will be able to help her assure a stable status in society. This, from all of her faults is what exasperates me the most. She uses her looks as an asset to aid her in getting ahead in life. Despite all of this, as a reader, I was still hopeful to see her regain her status, and through her desperation I was even expecting it. Nonetheless, despite the strained circumstances in her life, she is still too snobbish to compromise her sensibilities and settle for Mr. Gryce or Mr. Rosedale. Throughout the whole novel her pride got in the way of her making the right choices. Had she been able to put that aside she would have been able to marry Seldon, despite the fact that he was a working man and she would have been able to put a stop to the rumors that arose regarding the affair with George Dorset. Unfortunately however Edith Wharton had another fate planned out for our beloved protagonist. The ambiguity of the ending not only left me with more questions but also destroyed the hope I had for Miss. Bart and

Jane Eyre was born an orphan and raised under the hands of a heartless Aunt. Aunt Reed stressed to Jane that she was privileged to live so well without any

In Graham’s Magazine, another anonymous reviewer suggested that Rochester’s character was dangerous and immoral, saying, “No woman who had ever truly loved could have mistaken so completely the Rochester type, or could have made her heroine love a man of proud, selfish, ungovernable appetites, which no sophistry can lift out of lust.” Thus, he intimated that any author who would contrive to have her heroine fall in love with such a total rake would be immoral herself and unknowing of what true love is. He went one step further to say, “We accordingly think that if the innocent young ladies of our land lay a premium on profligacy, by marrying dissolute rakes for the honor of reforming them, à la Jane Eyre, their benevolence will be of questionable utility to the world.” In this, he suggested that the depiction of Jane and Rochester’s relationship would cause young women of the time to emulate Jane’s “romantic wickedness.”

"red room" she is told by Miss Abbot: "No; you are less than a servant

It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex." As a great friendship and affection grow for Jane and Mr. Rochester, Jane notices that Rochester wishes to shower her in jewels, buy her fancy dresses, raise her up to some impossible image of the bride or woman, which does not suit her at all. This new treatment feels unequal, as Rochester would pay for her completely, she feels too dependent on him, and not her own woman. Jane acknowledges that she makes Rochester promise to let her continue on as Adele?s governess and being paid for that so that they are equal, or as she puts it: ?By that I shall earn my board and lodging, and thirty pounds a year besides. I'll furnish my own wardrobe out of that money, and you shall give me nothing but your regard: and if I give you mine in return the debt will be quit." Jane's views on this affair are extremely feminist when taken out of past perspective. In actuality, she attempt to not change the power dynamics of her relationship with Rochester, to be paid for work, instead of becoming his object or property. But she admits later: "My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven.