Themes Explored

LOVE

Jane Eyre is the tale of a quest to be loved. Jane not only searches for romantic love, but for a sense of belonging and purpose. As a orphaned child, she was neglected and bullied by her aunt and cousins, which lead to her friendship with Helen Burns and quoting ‘to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest’ (Chapter 8)(Bronte, 1847). This clearly shows that Jane was simply looking for affection and a sense of belonging, her tormented childhood drove her to search for her meaning in life, in which she could feel loved.

Bessie Lee is the first person in Jane’s life, who occasionally gives her a sense of belonging. Bessie looks after Jane, singing to her and reading to her. When Jane leaves for Lowood, Helen Burns and Miss Temple fill the roles and are seen to her be true friends and role models. They give Jane a purpose and sense of belonging, but Jane still searches for romantic love. She leaves for Thornfield Hall, where she finds her love Mr. Rochester, but her integrity and independence won’t let her fall easily.

·      LOVE VERSUS INDEPENDENCE

Jane lived with her Uncle Reed (until he died), Aunt Reed and their 3 children. Jane could never express herself and was broken down every time she tried to stand up for herself. When she moved to Lowood to gain an education, she found herself through her friend, Helen Burn and role model, Miss Temple. Her independence at Lowood drove her to apply for a governess position and received a place at Thornfield Hall. There she fell in love with the master of the house, Mr Rochester. After discovering that he is already married, she refuses the marriage and his proposal for them to live in the south of France together as husband and wife, though they cannot be married. This shows that by refusing the marriage and proposal to live together, she is keeping her integrity and independence.

After rejecting the proposal, she is forced to beg on the streets for food. This exemplifies that she would rather be independent, relying on what she can get herself, than live of a man who’s already married.

Jane also refuses the marriage proposal from St. John. Although they enjoy each other’s company, and have a relationship built on common grounds, Jane keeps her integrity by rejecting him, as she knows the marriage would remain loveless. She searches for love and belonging, so entering a loveless marriage would take away her integrity and independence.

She rejects his marriage proposal, but agrees to travel to India with him as brother and sister. This proves to herself that she can be loyal to Mr. Rochester, her first love, and still reply on herself. This also shows that she refuses to enter a loveless marriage, as she searches for true love. Mr. Rochester was her true love, but her rejection of him shows she will not sacrifice her independence.

RELIGION

Jane struggles to find the balance between earthly pleasure and moral duty. She encounters three main religious figures throughout the novel; Mr. Brocklehurst, Helen Burns and St. John Rivers.

Mr. Brocklehurst seems to be doing a good thing, supplying children with a place to stay and feeding them and educating them, but in fact he greed’s over the money he receives from them, living his own wealthy life-style, while the children of Lowood walked in ragged and thin clothing, eating poor meals and waiting to fall ill and die. He constantly humiliates the children, which in itself is un-Christian.

Helen Burns takes a passive approach to Christianity, one of which is too submissive for Jane to adopt for herself.

Lastly, St. John Rivers takes great pride in himself, and what he does. He is driven by ambition and glory, which lead to his proposal to Jane. He knows that she will have to let go of her emotions and pleasure needs, so she is fully committed to her moral duties. Jane refuses, as she knows this will consist of her destroying her integrity and being disloyal to her own needs.

·      SOCIAL CLASS

Jane is a figure of indefinite class hierarchy. Her manners, sophistication and education are that of a lady, as her position of governess, tutoring children, meant she had to act of a higher class. Although she was a paid employee, her ‘fake’ status left her powerless and penniless and Thornfield Hall, which meant if she was to marry Mr. Rochester, she would not be his equal. Jane was of the same intelligence to him, but not the same social class, and by marrying him, he would still remain her master. It was only after Jane inherited the money from John Eyre, could she marry Mr. Rochester as his equal.

It is clear in the novel, that Jane tries to speak out about social class and tried to fight against it. In Chapter 23 she says to Mr. Rochester: ‘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! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you’ (Bronte, 1847).

 GENDER RELATIONS

Throughout the novel, Jane fights against the patriarchal society, trying to overcome oppression and achieve equality. Three main characters in the novel constrain Jane and try to keep her powerless, putting her own needs aside.

Mr. Brocklehurst after publicly humiliating Jane, tried to keep her in a submissive position at Lowood. Once she left Lowood, St John challenged her independence and integrity by asking for her hand in marriage, knowing she would have to dismiss her own needs and pleasures, focusing on her moral duty. She eventually married Mr. Rochester, her first and true love, ensuring they could marry as equals.