Jane Eyre

Random House College Dictionary defines a classic as, “an artistic production considered a standard, a work that is considered definitive in its field.” Charlotte Brontл’s novel, Jane Eyre, is a classic for one main reason; it has stood the test of time. R.W. Emerson stated this truth quite accurately, “Never read a book that is not a year old.” From 1847 at its origin to 2003, where one senior’s grade depends on it, Jane Eyre has many relevant and insightful points for all generations.

Jane Eyre is a love story that is treated rather unconventionally by the novelist. Jane was only a girl of eighteen and fell in love with her master, Edward Rochester, who was twice her age. She did not enjoy the advantages of either extraordinary beauty or social position. This fascinated Mr. Rochester; he was inspired by her courage, education, remarkable efficiency, high moral sense, and character. He too fell in love with her. But she was not just a romantic who was blind to the faults of her lover. Jane was fully aware that Mr. Rochester was wealthy, status-conscious, and ruled by his pride. She was also conscious of his irritable nature, and yet she loved him. Her love, however, was subject to volatile changes. By surviving these changes, Jane's love for Rochester shows an example of true unconditional love, which is deep and enduring and does not change, though the world around her and her circumstance do change.

Charlotte Brontл handled the theme of love very delicately. Jane Eyre is an example of how love should be based on mutual respect, mutual need and mutual recognition of weaknesses. This is the formula for a successful marriage. Brontл did not idealize her heroine. On the contrary, she looked at Jane as an active person who was fearless, unashamed, passionate, and determined to have her rights acknowledged. Throughout Mr. Rochester's courtship, Jane retained her dignity and individuality. She would not seek to please him if his demands offended her dignity as a woman. That was why Jane refused to become Edward Rochester's mistress. The quality that enabled her to do this continually throughout the novel was courage: that quality saved her from stumbling on the path of love, even when it was enveloped in darkness.

Brontл, in her expertise, suggests that Jane’s opinion of herself should not be influenced by whether or not she feels loved. Neither should it restrict her intellectual, spiritual, or emotional independence. This is the basis of the novel. Jane Eyre has been appropriately cited as the earliest feminist novel. Brontл is saying that it is only after Jane comes through various tests and trials that she can know herself and her own strength. Only then can Jane enter into a well-rounded and loving relationship with Rochester, finally achieving true happiness and self-accomplishment. This statement of independence is as relevant to my life and my generation as it was to Charlotte Brontл’s, if not more.

Brontл not only shows the reader her beliefs on female independence through Jane’s actions, but also through Jane’s thoughts. While she appreciated her simple life at Thornfield, she regretted that she was not able to travel. She felt pent up in her ‘cage’ and was anxious to go somewhere or do something. Jane related her feelings about this, to all women, not just those of her class, saying:

“Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags.” (Chapter 12, pg 101)

This theme was continued through the novel, as Jane was required to serve her demanding employer; sometimes he was even brutal and cruel to her. She dealt with him quietly but firmly, as one would with a spoiled child. In so doing, she positively influenced Mr. Rochester to such a degree that he did fall in love with her. Jane dreamt of a new life married to Mr. Rochester, but