Now before I dive deep into this article, I want to make it clear that I know Jane in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is a fictional character; I mean, of course she is. I think she is also a character you either love or hate, and for me I love her as a character. Although there were times where I wish she’d be different, there are many qualities she displayed throughout the novel which I wish I had myself. I will be discussing these in this article, which I think you’ll either agree with, or disagree with, the choice is yours!
Why I Would Want to Be More Like Her:
- She Disagreed with Materialism
Money and materialism to her are not important. This can be seen by the reader through Jane’s behaviour during the wedding preparations, disliking how Mr Rochester tries to buy her things for their wedding. Additionally, she also splits the inheritance money she receives with her newly found relatives. This may be due to her childhood upbringing and the boarding school she attended, where materialism was discouraged in favour for being plain and simple.
- She Became a Very Forgiving Character
During her childhood, Jane is very angry, especially with Mrs Reed. However, when she grows older, and as the narrative develops, she actually becomes a very forgiving character. She forgives Mrs. Reed, her aunt, even after she finds out that her aunt told her true father, who wanted to see her, that she was dead, only for her father to later die, so because of Mrs Reed’s actions she was never able to meet her father. She even forgives Mr Rochester in an instant, even though he would have allowed her to be a part of his sin of bigamy and would have made her unknowingly commit the sin of adultery. At times, I wish I could be as forgiving as Jane.
- She Also Became a Very Strong Character
Jane develops into a strong young woman. She rejects Mr Rochester after finding out he is married, even though she still loves him, even though he begs her to stay, and even though it’ll leave her homeless (which it does but she is eventually able to recover and find a place). She also rejects another man, St. John Rivers, who tries to force her to marry him and accompany him to India, particularly by telling her it is what God would want her to do. In the end, she pursues her own desires, breaking away from St. John and running to Mr Rochester.
- She Loved Mr Rochester Even After the Fire
The fire causes Mr Rochester to lose one eye, become blind in another (but this sight the reader finds out at the end is gradually re-gained), and even loses one of his hands, meaning she would have to take care of him full-time. Yet this is something she desperately wanted to do because she loved him. Appearance were also not important for her. She was able to have her happy ending with the man she loved (it is debatable whether she really should love him or not but for the sake of the novel, she did, and she was happy doing it!).
Why I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like Her:
- She Had a Very Hard Childhood
Jane had a bad relationship with her cousin John and her aunt Mrs Reed, who couldn’t stand her. She wasn’t even able to meet her dad also because of her aunt. Mrs Reed sent Jane to a boarding school, Lowood, where she further had a tough time due to Mr Brocklehurst, but also due to illness, which even killed her best friend. Yet all of these experiences shaped Jane to be the stronger character Charlotte Brontë wrote her to be.
- She Was Quite Weak at Times
Although I’m kind of juxtaposing myself by now calling her weak from strong, she did have her moments of weakness. For example, she almost gave in to St. John and his emotional pressuring of her to accompany him to India, until she hears Mr Rochester calling her. If it wasn’t for this, she probably would have just gone with him, even though the reader knows she truly didn’t want to with her constant rejection of this proposal.
- She Was Also Very Passive at Times
At times, Jane was a very passive character, especially when she lacked any money of her own (so before her inheritance) and status. I believe that Charlotte Brontë also made her passive because Jane’s narration at times presents the idea that she did not think she was good looking, so was unworthy, something which I particularly dislike.
- The Ultimate Question, Should Jane Have Married Mr. Rochester?:
It is also debatable whether she should have gone back to Mr. Rochester at the end, but it depends on the way you see it. For me, I see it as she went back to the person she truly loved, regardless of the state he is in by the time she returns, yet he almost allows her to commit bigamy and that isn’t something that should be forgotten. However, by the end, he has adopted more Christian views, like Jane, and becomes almost humble, suggesting maybe Jane did make the right choice. You choose your side!
For me, I would like the good traits I have shown of Jane’s. Now, it’s up to you to decide whether you’d want to be more like Jane, or less like her!