Jane Eyre: Submission or Revolt
The single greatest conflict of Charlotte Brontė's Jane Eyre is Jane's struggle between submission and revolt. At times it is difficult for her to know which of those two actions to choose-- she is a spirited woman who cannot accept oppression but sometimes has no choice but to submit. As a little girl she had no knowledge that there was a medium between the two. Eventually she learns moderation and she doesn't need to choose submission or revolt; she comes into her own money by the end and escapes from the oppression she suffered as a child.
Jane's oppression begins at Gateshead Hall while living with her Aunt Reed and cousins. For most of her time there, she chooses submission to all their cruelties because she has no choice really. She is a little child with no money and not living relatives that she knows about. John Reed is terrible to her; he teases Jane cruelly and tries to harm her. Jane sees "in him a tyrant: a murderer" in the instance when he yells at her for reading his books and then throws the book at her, drawing blood (13). This is when Jane decides not to remain passive and submit to these cruelties, but to revolt fully against him. She insults him back and physically fights with him. As a result of this, however, Jane is forced to submit to even greater oppression by Mrs. Reed; she is locked in the red-room like an animal. She tries to revolt, but she is unable to accomplish anything at all while locked in the room, except for becoming ill with fear of the room.
Before Jane leaves Gateshead for Lowood Institution, she chooses to verbally revolt against Mrs. Reed, as she was unable to before. She tells Mrs. Reed that she is "bad, hard-hearted" and "deceitful" and renounces her as a relation (39). Soon after, Jane is off to Lowood school where more adults tell her what to do.
Jane is not as oppressed at Lowood school, but she still is not allowed to do as she pleases, especially not at first. The teachers treat her well, especially Miss Temple, one of her closest friends there. However, after she has been there a few weeks, Mr. Brocklehurst puts her in front of the class and denounces her as a liar. Helen Burns entreats Jane not to let it get her down because Brocklehurst "is not a god" and is disliked by everyone (71). It would seem that Helen advises Jane to submit to the treatment, but really she suggests that Jane have a "mental revolution" against the cruel things that Brocklehurst says. Even if everyone believed Jane a liar, what matters is if Jane believes herself she is a liar. She doesn't have to submit her mind to believe the bad things said about her.
The oppression at Lowood does not last a horribly long time because it is discovered that the children are not treated well there, and conditions are improved. Jane lives at the school submitting to their rules, yet happy, until the age of 18. She has no problem obeying the rules and is an exemplary student and teacher, but she submits to these because of the love of Miss Temple. She obeys out of love, not out of fear, as at Gateshead. When Miss Temple gets married and leaves the school, Jane feels restless and doesn't wish to submit to the world of Lowood. She rebels by advertising on her own for the position of governess and leaving the school to work at Thornfield.
At Thornfield, Jane does not face any serious oppression. Of course, being a paid employee, she must take orders from Rochester, her master. She submits to all these except for his wish to draw her out, to make her reveal herself. Jane uses that mental rebellion that she discovered earlier at Lowood; she never really does reveal her whole self to Rochester, even after they are engaged to be married.
Jane often revolts against Rochester's wishes. After they are engaged, he tries to bestow riches and jewelry upon her, but she puts her foot down. Jane says "Oh sir!-- never mind the jewels!" and will not accept them (261). She was not a wildly ornate person before, and will not let him make her into one. Later, Jane has one of the most tempting times to submit to Rochester's wishes.
It is after the whole Bertha scandal comes out and Rochester asks her to stay as his mistress. He says they can live in his villa in the South of France, and though it is tempting, Jane says no way. She says "Mr. Rochester, I will not be yours" (318). Jane upholds her principles, her morals and her independence. Had she accepted his offer, she would have had no self-respect and since she is poor, would have been dependent on him for the rest of her life. She does not submit and leaves Thornfield before sunrise the next morning, and Rochester has no possibility of changing her mind.
Eventually, Jane ends up at the Moor House with St. John Rivers trying to control her. She is very passive with him and submits to his wish to teach her and to run the village school. Jane also submits to St. John's request of her to accompany him to India, but does not yield to his proposal of marriage. She rebels against his marriage proposal although it is very difficult for her.
After the Rivers incident, Jane gains a middle point between revolt and submission. She accepts her uncle's inheritance money and realizes she is a totally independent woman. Jane has a need to find out what happened to Rochester and so goes back to Thornfield, finding out about the fire and Bertha's death. She and Rochester can again be reunited, this time in a way that is lawful and pleasing to Jane. The medium between rebellion and submission is choice, and that is what Jane exercises at the end, at Ferndean. For the moment, she need not rebel against nor submit to Rochester because she has her own independence and is in control of herself. Later, if she should need to yield or defy Rochester or anyone, she has the power of choice. Jane chooses what she wants, and that is to be with Rochester. She reaches her moderation point between submission and revolt.
Partner sites: Labrador Retriever, Study Spanish in Costa Rica, and Free Essays and Term Papers