Jane Eyre
Posted on: December 7, 2009
Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre, tells the story of an orphaned girl trying to find her place in the world. Focusing strongly on the humanistic need for love and acceptance, the novel follows Jane through her childhood and into womanhood. While she is merely seeking kindness from the world, it is usually experiences of cruelty and hardship that she encounters most.
The story begins with Jane at age ten, detailing the happenings of her early childhood and how she came to be residing with her wealthy aunt and uncle, the Reeds. It is her uncle’s death that ultimately exposes her to her first lashings of extreme cruelty, being subjected to servant work and torture from her aunt and cousins who fail to respect Jane’s blood relation to Mr. Reed. One evening, it is suggested to Mrs. Reed that Jane be sent away to school, and to Jane’s surprise and delight, Mrs. Reed agrees. From there, Jane hopes to escape the oppression of her home life and make bonds with new people. However, she finds that brutality exists in many places in the world, as her school environment proves to make no large improvements on her life. As Jane gets older, she tries her hand at teaching and being a governess, where she finally finds some love and happiness for a while. It is in her time spent as a governess that she meets a man who changes her life with a love that causes an emotional conflict within Jane. Although this relationship faces incredible turmoil and is gravely interrupted for a time, Jane finally finds resolution and comfort in life as the events play out. Each of these aspects of the novel take both Jane and the reader on fascinating journeys through life as a poor English girl in the 1800s, and through the mind of someone longing to understand human needs and emotion.
Jane’s character, while initially very young, consistently shows a deep insight into the ideals of the human mind and takes great interest in the bonds of human relationships. The depth of this character, along with the use of a strong first-person narration, makes the read as a whole much more interesting. It allows the reader to peer into the most meaningful musings of Jane’s mind to see how her experiences have shaped her views of the world. Among this theme of human love, there also lies emphasis on religion and social class, which come up as further struggles for Jane as she tries to develop herself as an individual and a strong woman.
While this novel is a long one and is at times difficult to read due to its being written in the first half of the nineteenth century, its content is captivating and moving, so long as the reader can remain dedicated to it. I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in philosophy and romance. The surface action of Jane’s abuse and romantic experiences helps to fuel the novel in its comments on society; although hardship and sin is ever-present, every person must love and be loved.
3 Responses to "Jane Eyre"
December 14, 2009 at 2:19 am
Diane,
Your analysis of Eyre’s novel was interesting. With a focus on “the humanistic need for love and acceptance,” and overcoming oppression, it seems like something I would chose to read. Although I would not usually find period pieces like this one interesting, it seems to have a strong enough plot that it may hold my interest. The time lining of her life and struggles and how her experiences shaped her outlook on things sound like a strong storyline. I am glad you enjoyed reading the book and I may look into reading it before the AP exam.
-Ashley
December 15, 2009 at 4:29 am
In your review of Jane Eyre, I am both intrigued and drawn in by the short overview of the book and its contents followed by the in depth analysis to provide a more precise insight to the book. Not only is your review greatly composed, it also provides key information portraying the characteristics of Jane and the life she had lived. The short depictions of some of the events she had to overcome and the turmoil she faced allows for a mental realization of an overall great read. However, at times it seemed more of a summary of the books events rather than an analysis of the events that had occurred.
Diane's Blog 
December 13, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Your book review is very intriguing Diane. Jane Eyre sound similar to me, trying to find her place in the world. With her uncle dying and her having to experience the abuse from her aunt and cousins sounds quite similar to the story of Cinderella. Unlike Cinderella, it is fortunate for Jane that’s she is able to escape from her problems by being sent off to school. I would like to read this novel but the only thing that might stop me is it being written from the first half of the nineteenth century. Other than that the journey of Jane Eyre is something that I would like to read.