Jane Eyre Research Paper

Jane finally makes the decision based on her own basic values that because of reason she should not marry Mr. Rochester.

When Rochester proposes to Jane she gives in to love. But then becomes afraid of loosing her autonomy and self image. "And then you won't know me, sir; and I shall not be your Jane Eyre any longer, but an ape in a harlequin's jacket--a jay in borrowed plumes" (Bronte 263). Jane says this to Rochester after he elaborates to Jane about giving her jewels to make her even more beautiful then she already is. But as Jane sees it, if she puts on something that isn't her, she will loose her image of herself, and in addition, her autonomy. She would loose her autonomy because she would be allowing someone to make a decision for her when she is perfectly capable of making it. Her fear of losing her autonomy motivates her refusal of Rochester's marriage proposal. Jane believes that "marrying" Rochester while he remains legally tied to Bertha, Rochester's wife at the time, would mean rendering herself a mistress and sacrificing her own integrity for the sake of emotional gratification.

As a feminist, Jane is able to protect herself when she is in a situation where she needs to be defended. For instance, when her brutish older cousin John hurls a hardcover book at her head, she pounces back by attacking him in defense. She also faces no difficulty in successfully defeating her cold-hearted aunt in a verbal fight, just at the tender age of ten. Jane is surely unafraid of the consequences that she has to face on actions that she believes as rightfully done. This amazing trait remains even as she proceeds into adulthood and meets the love of her life. She is able to deal with, and even stand up to Mr. Rochester’s unreasonable verbal attacks directed at her. She clearly shows her dauntless side of her personality, by speaking her own mind when Mr. Rochester demands for the money that he had given her. Jane refuses clear cut, and Mr. Rochester asks to then at least let him see the cash. Jane refuses again by retorting that he is “not to be trusted.” Jane has an honest and truthful soul who knows how to speak for herself, unlike many women during this period of time. Jane is never concerned about what other people would think of her if she tells them the exact truth about everything. She is able to inform her departure by cancelling off the wedding between herself and Mr. Rochester after what she had witnessed and experienced. Jane cries out “you are a married man-or as good as a married man, and wed to one inferior to you- to one with whom you have no sympathy- whom I do not believe you truly love; for I have seen and heard you sneer at her. I would scorn such a union: therefore I am better than you- let me go!” Jane is able to truthfully utter her thoughts, her true opinion without being afraid; even if it was to someone she dearly loved. When Mr. Rochester angrily cries out, “Jane, be still; don’t struggle so, like a wild frantic bird that is rending its own plumage in its

Through a close reading of the selected passage of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, a reader can see that Jane attempts to separate herself from her decisions by personifying her emotions and giving them a specific voice, which strongly reflects the societal views of the time. At this point in the story, Jane has discovered, on her wedding day, that Mr. Rochester is still married to a woman named Bertha, and that woman still lives in his house. Distraught, Jane locks herself in her room and tries to decide what she should do. When she wakes up the next day, she is again confronted with what she needs to do in the wake of her discovery.

Though Jane is well educated and possesses the etiquette and training of a person in upper class society, social prejudices limit her because she is simply a paid servant, in their eyes. While at Thornfield, Jane falls desperately in love with the owner of Thornfield Hall, Mr. Rochester. Jane is Mr. Rochester’s intellectual contemporary, but her social status prevents her from being his true equal. In the novel, Jane proclaims, “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!” (Bronte 637). After Mr. Rochester finally proposes, Jane is hesitant to marry him because she feels as if he would be lowering himself to marry her. This feeling greatly increases after Jane discovers he is married to Bertha Mason, and that he keeps her locked away in Thornfield’s attic due to her insanity. Mr. Rochester proposes that Jane becomes his mistress, which, according to Victorian society, would be more fitting since Jane is a plain governess. Jane realizes that she can never compromise her morals that way and leaves Thornfield. While on her own, Jane still strives to gain independence, discovers new kin, and learns she has a wealthy uncle who has left her a large inheritance. After her loneliness and longing for Mr. Rochester becomes too great, she returns to Thornfield. Jane is

Mr. Rochester begs that Jane understand his motives, explaining to her the history of his family, and urging Jane to stay with him. However, an inner voice tells Jane to resist the temptations to be Rochester’s mistress. Despite her desire to live with Mr. Rochester and pursue a relationship with him, she knows that deep inside, she would be ruining her life and reputation-realizing the need to respect herself, she leaves Thornfield, despite her temptations. Jane knows that she can find a “temporary heaven” in living with Mr. Rochester, but she refuses to accept it.

Jane Eyre is the main character on the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte who did not have strong personality while living with aunt Mrs. Reed and her children, but after Jane was sent to the Lowood Institution, a charity school for girls. During school years, about eight years, Jane became mature, and accepted the harsh truth about life; knew how to draw, to play piano; learned French, and was loved by everyone by her sweet personality. Blanche Ingram, on the other hand, is more of "very showy" but "not genuine." Mr. Rochester knew, however, marrying Jane will be too easy, and she will because of his social status and money. So instead of making Jane's life easier, Mr. Rochester plays small affair with Blanche which eventually turned out into marriage.

After facing endless amounts of betrayal by the man she loves, Jane completely forgoes her prior belief, and exiles herself from Rochesters side. This self imposed banishment was nearly fatal, but Jane is no longer afraid of living a life unloved and wholeheartedly believes she “can live alone, if self-respect, and circumstances require me so to do.”(ch 19 pg 297) This change in Jane’s belief system caused a shift in the meaning of the novel, it was no longer about man’s desire to be loved, instead it developed into an understanding that personal beliefs and morals are self defining, and should not be sacrificed for

Deciding to leave Rochester provides Jane with a basis to mature and achieve financial and social independence, only then is she able to return to him and enter marriage as his intellectual and social equal. Encompassing the entirety of “Jane Eyre” is Brontë's unshakable standpoint regarding gender equality; the injustices experienced by Jane a clear reflection of her own life as a woman in the Victorian era. Jane accentuates Brontë's view that stripped of “custom, conventionalities [and] mortal flesh” women and men are at their very core equals; intellectually, emotionally and socially. Physical differences within “mortal flesh” are not a valid basis for condemning women to be second class citizens or servants, and the ensnaring “farce” of traditional Victorian marriage further implicates women as inferior, controllable and despondent. Brontë's strong social activist concepts are manifested within Jane's thoughts and words, and the accountable injustices become palpable for the reader; instilling a sense of compassion toward Jane and the wider scope of oppressed women in society who desire expression and independence.

Bronte characterizes Jane Eyre as a poor girl full insecurities who was constantly belittled by her own family; she couldn’t rely on anyone but herself. She was an orphan for a while and this helped her grow and discover her true identity, whereas Rochester was an old, rich man who was an owner and had so much to offer. Rochester fell in love with Jane who is the complete opposite of who he is and she eventually becomes a heiress which helped economically as well as the relationship with Rochester. The social class in the Victorian Era was that women had to depend on men and families usually let go of their daughters at a young age in order for them to get married to a rich man who could give and provide her with luxurious things, but Jane

Not only does the relationship even out, the biggest way Jane keeps her independence and her character traits is that she chooses to go back to Rochester. She sets aside her brain and uses her heart fully in making the decision. “It was my time to assume ascendency. My powers were in play and in force,” (301). She went back to Rochester and married him because she wanted to. She did not need to marry Rochester for his money or his social status, she married him because she wanted to. One of the biggest themes of Jane Eyre is the ideal woman and the struggle between choosing to be passionate or suppressing it. At the very end, it is most fitting for the character to develop in such a way that she chooses to be passionate. During the time of the novel as well, women were meant to suppress their wants and desires but the novel is very ahead of it’s time. It’s showing that it is perfectly alright to marry for love and marriage won’t make you lose your independence.

Her conscience was telling her to marry Rochester and join him in going to France, but her passion told her that she would just feel like his mistress; which with Jane wanting to find independence, would not be good for her. In the end, Jane’s conscience won over her passion, as she eventually reunited with Rochester and the two ended tying the knot and starting a family.

Also, even though Rochester and Jane were of different classes, Charlotte Bronte presents him as an intelligent person. Both Edward and Jane enjoy conversations with each other. However, Jane does not express her feelings as clearly as Rochester does. So he dresses up as a gypsy and tries to find out what she thinks of the marriage, which everyone assumes that he will with Blanche. Although, both Jane Eyre and Rochester have are fond of each other, Edward was deceitful to Jane. For example, when Jane found out about Mr Rochester’s first wife, he first says that they can run away as ‘brother and sister’. However Jane refuses. Rochester tries another tactic and asks her to be his mistress. But Jane was too virtuous to accept the offer and had no other alternative but to leave Thornfield.

When Jane decides not to go through with the marriage it’s because of the amount of respect she has for herself. The class that she was born into was not brought on by her but she will still put time and effort to achieve success. Her character is what makes her and if she was to throw all of that out of the window just to be on unequal level with Rochester she would be no better than Blanche.

Rochester. At first Jane sees him as rude and disrespectful due to his cold and gruesome remarks, but it is her fight and how Jane stands up for herself that leads to one of the most known relationships in literature. Eventually Rochester asks Jane for her hand in marriage but at the scene of the wedding, we come to learn, that Rochester is already married to an insane woman, living in his attic, named Bertha. With this Rochester asks Jane to run away with her to Europe, this is exactly where Jane is faced with a very hard decision between following her heart as everyone wants to do, or keeping her respect and dignity. We can see the respect Jane now has from Rochester when he says to her, “I was wrong to attempt to deceive you; but I feared a stubbornness that exists in your character” (Bronte 354). This shows that Jane has gained Rochester’s respect and the ‘stubbornness’ in Jane’s character is the best thing for her, for without this trait Jane could never gain respect from others, especially men, in his novel. Knowing that Jane has decided to leave her, Rochester begins to persuade Jane to stay with him. He says, “Oh, Jane, this is bitter! This – this is wicked. It would not be wicked to love me” (Bronte 355). Jane replies, “It would to obey you” (Bronte 355), showing that she will not give into his pleading, regardless of how much she loves him because to obey him would lead to the loss