Jane's Independence

Jane Eyre is a very important woman in literature.  She signifies a self – reliable and an independent woman which contradicts the common idea that women need to rely on men.  Throughout the book Jane is always searching for her independence and her time is spent in proving to everyone that she does not need to marry for financial support, instead she finds a job and provides for herself. An example of Jane showing her independence would be when she refuses Mr. Rochester’s marriage proposal and leaves to find another job. The tables are turned when Jane returns to Mr. Rochester and finds that he needs to rely on her after a large fire burnt down his house and causes him to become unable to take care of himself.  Jane illustrates her growing independence when she was young by saying; “I resisted all the way: a new thing for me.”  The definition of independence is not being influenced or controlled by others in the matters of opinion or conduct. Jane proves this statement over and over again throughout the book with her actions of leaving Mr. Rochester and with her thoughts.  Growing up in a household that bullied and disrespected her Jane learned to stand up for herself and be true to who she wanted to be.  Jane is a role model for any girl to look up to because of her independence and her determination to prove herself as a person and an equal to anyone.

Mr. Rochester and Jane

Jane Eyre

Jane’s character goes through drastic changes from the beginning of the novel right until the conclusion of the novel.  In the beginning Jane appears to be very outspoken about what she thinks is right but after attending Lowood School she seems to have bitten her tongue about certain things and does not impose her ideas on other people.  When Jane meets Mr. Rochester she hides the feelings that she has towards him but he can see in her eyes what she is feeling.  Jane also struggles with the fact that she is not beautiful like Miss Ingram; she compares herself with everyone on whether or not she looks better than they do.  Jane’s confidence is crushed when she starts thinking about how insignificant she is compared to Mr. Rochester and his friends.  Miss Ingram plays a part in making Jane feel worthless by commenting on everything that she did, making sure that Jane heard it. Jane’s confidence is regained when Mr. Rochester proposes to her making her feel like she is worth something.  Jane is struggling with making people see that she is a strong an independent woman.  Mr. Rochester wants to buy Jane expensive clothes and jewels for their wedding but Jane will hear nothing of it.  She wants Mr. Rochester to know that she is independent and has done well for herself before he came and she will stick with it. She is scared to trust that Mr. Rochester will take care of her, and provide for her.  When Jane leaves Thornfield Hall she seeks peace at the Moor House where she contemplates her future.  She realizes that she does truly love Mr. Rochester and decides to go back.  When she returns she finds him hurt from the fire which destroyed Thornfield Hall.  When Jane returns Mr. Rochester’s spirits are lifted and he now wants to marry Jane as his equal. This, of course, makes Jane happy because she always felt below Mr. Rochester and not worth anything, however, Mr. Rochester proved her wrong.

Jane Eyre

Significance of the Setting

The setting of Jane Eyre is very different and enhances the plot as it is always growing and changing throughout Jane’s life.  The novel starts with Jane at Gatestead which is the home of her Aunt Reed and late uncle.  This is where Jane shows her resilience to many things and also allows the reader to sympathize with Jane for being treated unfairly.  When reading this part I found it dark and depressing which added to the empathy I felt for the horrible situation that Jane was in, feeling unloved and unwanted Jane always tried to make the best of a situation.  Jane was then sent to Lowood School where she discovers her passion for learning and the power of friendship. After being at Lowood teaching for several years she decides that she needs a change and finds a job at Thornfield Hall being a governess for a little girl named Adéle.  Thornfield  Hall develops a sense of suspense in the reader with the noises which are coming from the upstairs room where Jane is not permitted to enter.  Jane finally leaves Thornfield Hall to a place where she gains her independence called Moor House.  While she was here Jane finds peace and tranquility when she is gazing out into the open fields where she contemplates her future.  In the conclusion of the novel,  Jane returns to Mr. Rochester only to find that Thornfield Hall was burnt to the ground after an enormous fire. The couple finds sanctuary in an old hunting lodge, Ferndean  Manor. The Manor is tucked away from civilization deep in the woods and this is where Jane and Mr. Rochester rekindle the love they once had for each other, after being apart for so long. The many different settings allow Jane to escape her problems instead of facing them head on.

Gateshead Hall

Lowood School

Thornfield Hall

Moor House

Ferndean Manor



Beauty

Jane used to be very sure of herself, but when Mr. Rochester invites his friends over for a couple of days she feels very threatened by a woman that is there.  Jane always considered herself plain and boring and she was alright with that.  Jane wanted people to love her for who she is – nothing more and nothing less.  She loved Mr. Rochester very much and felt threatened and insignificant when Miss Ingram arrives to spend time with Mr. Rochester.  Jane watched every movement that Miss Ingram made.  She was always talking to Mr. Rochester and was always looking at him.  Mr. Rochester seemed to like this attention because he was conversing with her also.  Jane starts questioning everyone she ever knew and comparing them to herself.  She even compared the beauty of the men and deemed that she was not worth caring about because she did not look beautiful like Miss Ingram or her cousins Georgina and Eliza.  Jane is surprised to get news from her aunt which states that she wants her to come to see her immediately.  She is surprised because her aunt did not care for her and this made her feel more important.  When she finally got to see her aunt, she still treated Jane with no respect and neither did her cousins Georgina and Eliza.  Even though her aunt was mean to her she stayed with her until her dying day and also stayed for the funeral.  During this time Georgina opened up to Jane and they became very good friends, but Eliza would not shake from her dislike of Jane.  Jane grew very much in this section of the book when she realizes that looks are not everything.

Mr. Rochester and Miss Ingram

Love

Jane starts working for a man named Mr. Rochester where she is the governess of a girl named Adele, who Mr. Rochester is watching until other parents can be found.   Once she starts working for him Jane is introduced to a feeling she has not felt before, and that is love.  Jane was never given love by her Aunt or cousins or by anyone at the school of Lowood but when she sees Mr. Rochester she falls in love with him.  Jane was always curious about where Mr. Rochester was going when he went on trips and she was very curious about when he would be back.  However, when Mr. Rochester did arrive back she would act like she didn’t even know he was gone.  She did everything she could to hide the love she had for him, but Mr. Rochester could always see it in her eyes.  Jane believes that showing her love for Mr. Rochester is a weakness, so she hides it from everyone.  Adele is also providing Jane with love because Adele loves Jane like a mother;  And again this is a love Jane has never felt before. In this section of the book Jane is overwhelmed with feelings of love and does not know how she should act on it.

Adéle and Jane

Standing Up for Yourself and Your Friends

Jane Eyre grows and changes throughout the book. In the beginning of the book Jane is fighting to protect herself by standing up for both her friends and herself. When Jane was living with her Aunt Reed, she was bullied by her Aunt and her cousins John, Georgina and Eliza. Jane was always standing up for herself even if it meant she would be punished. She proved this when her cousin John hit her in the face and she retaliated by attacking him. Her Aunt was furious with her and sent her to the Red Room the room in which her uncle died. Jane is then sent to Lowood, a school for girls, by her Aunt Reed. Here Jane is again treated with disrespect because she stood up for a girl who was getting beaten by the teacher.  Jane did everything she could to make people see her as a person and not just a thing, she wanted to be treated equally as everyone else was. Jane’s fighting earned her the respect she deserved because when she was old enough she became a teacher at Lowood School where she taught for many years. Jane earned her title because she was not afraid to stand up for herself even when the outcome would not be on her side. She fought to prove that she was not a liar.

Jane was mocked for standing up for herself and called a liar.