The Theme Of Religion In Jane Eyre

In its simplest form, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre tells the story of a young woman, Jane Eyre, who grows up poor, makes the decision to be independent, does so, and, eventually, marries rich. The novel follows her from her childhood to her reunion with the love of her life and she, throughout it, deals with classism and sexism and exhibits her own form of feminism. By the end, it becomes clear that, with this semi-autobiographical novel, Charlotte Bronte was providing a criticism on society’s discrimination toward those of a lower class, a subtle argument against the male-dominated society’s treatment of women, and an even subtler call to action for women to find their own agency outside of the men in their lives. On another end, however,

Chapter seven sees Jane slightly more experienced to the ways of Lowood School. She has come to accept the poor conditions laid down by Mr. Brocklehurst, however has not yet learnt to ignore them and Bronte describes Jane suffering a lot in this chapter. This lack of food and appalling living conditions are down to the head of the school, Mr. Brocklehurst. This man uses his apparent strong beliefs in Christianity as an excuse to provide the children of Lowood with the absolute bare minimum. Brocklehurst claims his “mission is to mortify in these girls the lusts of the flesh”, presenting the idea that perhaps Brocklehurst is simply a man that has a immensely firm grasp of his

While Jane goes through a rollercoaster of romantic ideals, Charlotte Bronte reveals that her romanticism more fundamentally affect her own life in the future than even her religious ideals. This is to be expected, as Jane has a very depressing childhood while living with the Reeds and attending Lowood Institute. She makes the transition from Gateshead Hall, to Lowood, to Thornfield Hall, to Moor House, which equate to: Jane’s entrance to the real world (in Gateshead), the rock-bottom of Jane’s life (in Lowood), her encounter with young love (in Thornfield), and where Jane finds what she’s been after: a family (at the Moor House). All of these places come together to form the story of Jane Eyre and how she overcame her hardships to grow up to

In Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte intertwines various religious ideas in her mid-nineteenth century English setting. Throughout the novel, Jane Eyre blends various religious insights which she has learned from different sources. While Jane was young, she had only a Biblical textbook outlook on life combined with the miserable emotional conditions of her surroundings. This in turn led to Jane being quite mean with Mrs. Reed. When Jane eventually goes off to Lowood and meets Helen Burns, she learns of her religious philosophy far more than the words would mean. Over the course of many years Jane then applies the basis of Helen's religious philosophy and adjusts it for herself in relation to the

Throughout the novel, Charlotte Bronte introduces characters that challenge Jane’s spirituality and impress their religious beliefs on her. However, these characters, whom of which are Mr. Brocklehurst and St. John, all live in such a way that contradicts what they claim to believe. Therefore, Jane rejects the religion presented to her and attempts to become her own savior.

He uses his perception of his intimate relationship with God and uses it to his advantage. St. John exploits the close relationship that is emphasized in the New Testament to "make himself a hero on a level with God" (Shapiro, 694). Within his argument with Jane, he even claims that "it is not me you deny, but God" (180). This line of thinking is what propels his ego throughout the entire book. He continuously holds himself at a higher regard than the other characters. He then applies the value of discipline in the Old Testament to control others in the novel. Through this process, he "[stifles] all humanity within himself" (Shapiro, 693). As a result of this, he distances himself from humanly relationships. He objectifies people. Jane describes their relationship, stating "He prizes me as a soldier would a good weapon; that is all" (179). His view on religion prevents him from having a real relationship with others, promoting apathy. He eventually becomes "blind to his own motives and passions and that he has been cloaking them all along in sanctimonious rhetoric" (Franklin,

In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte demonstrates how one’s Christian faith affects love, obedience and career. The morality provided by Christianity sketches an ideal life which is interpreted and executed in how one loves, obeys, or finds satisfaction in a career.

“I sincerely, deeply, fervently long to do what is right; and only that” (426). Throughout Jane Eyre, the characters struggle to live out and develop their faiths, according both to God’s will and their own. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, faith and religion are displayed in different forms through the characters of Helen Burns, St. John, and Jane Eyre.

In Charlotte Bronte’s coming of age novel Jane Eyre, the main character Jane not only struggles with the aspects of social class deviations but also her journey to find her own faith in God and religion. On her journey she encounters three greatly different variations on Christian faith, all of which, though she ultimately rejects, help her come to her own conclusions of her own faith and spirituality. Her first true questioning of religion is with her friend and Lowood school Helen Burns. Jane finds Helen to be serenely devout in her faith in God, and Jane admires her for it. However, Jane struggles to accept Helen’s passive view, as it lacks the understanding that Jane seeks. Also, at Lowood Jane encounters the owner of the school Mr. Brocklehurst, who acts as a dictator over the girls and teachers at Lowood. His religious ideals are those of sacrifice but it is apparent that Mr. Brocklehurst takes no consideration of these ideals in his own life style. Jane immediately rejects Mr. Brocklehurst’s point of view as it is so obviously hypocritical. Finally Jane meets her cousin St. John, a minister. Upon observing him and observing one of his sermons she realizes that though he is driven and passionate his views focus on “disquieting aspirations” as oppose to the uplifting of spirituality. She realizes that St. John lacks a true understanding of what faith and spirituality really mean. In Jane’s search for spirituality her journey leads her to find her own faith through the

Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre embraces many feminist views in opposition to the Victorian feminine ideal. Charlotte Bronte herself was among the first feminist writers of her time, and wrote this book in order to send the message of feminism to a Victorian-Age Society in which women were looked upon as inferior and repressed by the society in which they lived. This novel embodies the ideology of equality between a man and woman in marriage, as well as in society at large. As a feminist writer, Charlotte Bronte created this novel to support and spread the idea of an independent woman who works for herself, thinks for herself, and acts of her own accord.

Charlotte Brontë’s coming of age novel, Jane Eyre, deals with the struggles of womanhood and finding strength in the toughest of times. Jane Eyre is a young woman who, throughout the novel, becomes stronger and more independent. In Essaka Joshua’s critical essay, “‘Almost my hope of heaven’: idolatry and messianic symbolism in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre,’” he analyzes the idolization of character’s as gods; however, in Judith Leggatt and Christopher Parkes essay, “From the red room to Rochester's haircut: mind control in Jane Eyre,” they analyze the idea of mind control in Jane Eyre.

Nineteenth century western Europe was fraught with religious tension. Riots between Catholics and Protestants were everyday occurrences, often resulting in deaths. It was socially forbidden to be have a relationship, especially a romantic one, with anyone who was of a different religion than you. This was the world that Charlotte Bronte came of age in. This was the world in which she and her siblings began their writing careers. This world of religious tension very obviously affected the things which Bronte wrote about, and how she wrote about them. Two of her novels almost directly address religious contentions, however, they do it in very different ways. Her second novel, Shirley, addresses women’s role in religion and corruption within the Protestant denomination. Bronte’s last novel, Villette, very directly comments on the differences between the Protestant and Catholic religions while at the same time showing how it is more than possible to live peacefully with people who believe different things than themselves. Through both of these novels Bronte is able to address and propose solutions for the religious turmoil that was rampant in the world.

Helen Burns’s memorable, albeit short-lived role in Jane Eyre proves to be incredibly influential on young Jane during the rest of the novel. Helen serves as Jane’s first direct interaction with strong faith in someone her own age. Helen embodies an incredibly passive faith, believing that she will be rewarded in heaven for her suffering on Earth. She goes as far to say, “...do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you” (Bronte 70). And being a student at Lowood, the boarding school where Jane first makes her acquaintance, she is quite familiar with suffering. All of the students, in fact, are familiar with the sacrifice and self-deprivation present in many aspects of their life, such as their diet of “burned porridge” and “strange

We never lose sight that Jane is plain, ordinary, and not the sexually repressed spinster who cannot resist her sexuality, as portrayed in in the critic Mary Pooveys argument in her essay ‘The Anathematized Race’ (Reader p. 195) who states, ‘The figure who epitomised the Victorian domestic ideal was also the figure who tried to destroy it.’ (Reader, 195). On the contrary, Bronte used this uncertain profession for Jane to illustrate the difference in social class and to portray the story from both a servant’s and aristocratic point of view, (CD 3) whilst also depicting Jane’s journey from her humble beginnings to equal stature with the man she loved.

Jane Eyre, a novel by Charlotte Brontë, contains several notable themes and messages sent to its readers. Jane Eyre is a coming of age novel that is a story of a girl's quest for equality and happiness. A common theme that recurs throughout the novel is the importance of independence.Charlotte Brontë utilizes several techniques to convey this message, incorporating her personal experiences, as well as including symbolism and motifs. Charlotte Bronte subjects Jane to several conflicts that occur because of Jane’s desire for independence and freedom, such as love, religion, and gender inequality.