Jane Eyre is the best novel of Charlotte Bronte. It was published in 1847 in Victorian-era England. To appreciate this novel, one should have some knowledge about the Victorian age. Jane Eyre is the central character of this novel and it was named after her. Instead of discussing how Jane Eyre represents the Victorian era women, it would be better to say that compared to contemporary Victorian women, she was exceptional. Hence, Charlotte Bronte deserves all the praise.
Jane Eyre was an average English woman. She was not very beautiful and did not come from a very prestigious family. She was an orphan and studied in a charity school named Lowood Institution. She suffered a lot at school. Before attending the school, she used to live with her maternal uncle, but her aunt, Mrs. Reed, did not like her at all. She suffered a lot during her childhood and she lived in great hardship throughout this novel.
One thing we notice that there was not much happiness in Jane’s life. In fact, women like Jane Eyre were not very happy and orphan women suffered a lot. Since Jane Eyre was an orphan, she underwent a lot of suffering.
One of the striking features of Jane Eyre’s character was that she faced all her problems of life and fought with adversity. Her mental strength and independent nature made her a unique woman. Such a woman was very rare in Victorian society. Even there are very few women like Jane Eyre in modern society. Such characteristic features made Jane Eyre stand-out from the rest of the crowd.
Jane Eyre fought with all her adversities. Sometimes she lost, but she did not lose hope. She continued to fight. This makes Jane Eyre very special to the readers. They can easily understand that she is not like any ordinary girl. She shows great mental strength and courage in every walk of her life. The more she suffers, the stronger she becomes.
Such characteristics do not go very well with Victorian-era women. Women in the Victorian age were not independent. Not too many girls received education and jobs for women were very limited. Today, British women enjoy a lot of facilities in terms of education and career choices. The same goes for women of America and Europe. Looking at these, it is very hard for one to imagine that only 150 years ago, ordinary English women suffered so much.
Another great thing about Jane Eyre was that her thoughts and ideas were modern. Despite her sufferings, she wanted to move forward and build a better life for herself. Such thoughts and ideas made her a very attractive woman to the readers.
She is also a dedicated lover. She liked Rochester at first sight and loved him all her life. Her marriage with Rochester broke because Rochester was already married to another mentally challenged woman. Yet, she loved Rochester and remained loyal to her. When St. John Rivers wanted to marry her, she did not agree. She still loved Rochester. When she came to know that Rochester’s wife committed suicide and he lost his eyesight trying to save her, she returned to him. Because of her caring, Rochester gets back his eyesight. All these show her dedication and love for her husband.
In
conclusion, we can say that Jane Eyre was a good woman, but she did not fit the
definition of a good woman of the Victorian age. Jane Eyre was a good woman,
but she had a strong sense of morality. She was also a very independent-minded
woman. She wants to lead her life in her way. She loved Rochester and married
him and moved ahead with her own strong personality. The privilege and
facilities that English women enjoy today had been possible for women like Jane
Eyre.
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