A New Kind of Woman in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is a book that demonstrates the power which a woman is capable of possessing. Through the character of Jane, Charlotte Bronte creates a woman so unlike any other woman of the time. She creates a new woman; a woman who succeeds on her own terms regardless of circumstances and independent of her male counterpart. Jane begins as any other ordinary traditional woman from the Victorian era, meek and fragile, but throughout the course of her life she faces many obstacles and life making decisions, which she fearlessly takes on as no other traditional woman would. She manages to take complete control of her life because of the transformation that she makes into a new woman, making her transformation into a new woman essential for her overall success that is achieved through her free will.

The character of Jane begins as a child who even then begins to demonstrate characteristics of a new woman. She is a curious, and most importantly, a self-reliant child that self-educates herself through books. Jane is an orphan who grows up knowing nothing but inequality and hardship. She grows up with her cousins and her aunt, Mrs. Reed, who is forced to take her in due to the wish of her late husband. The entire family treats her as if she were a mere and pitiful human that has no relation to them and constantly make her feel lesser through the oppression that they instill on her. Her cousin, John Reed, treats Jane the worst of all, but Jane states that she is “habitually obedient to John,” (6) showing how for some time she behaves as a traditional woman behaves, for she obeys him despite of the circumstances present that place her on an unjust level. In Mrs. Reed’s eyes Jane is a badly misbehaved child that only causes her problems and ...

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...ation that allows her to take control of her life, which consequent fully results in her overall happiness. However, some may argue that Jane’s transformation into a new woman was not necessary for her to end a happy and successful life. It may be that without her new woman attitude Jane would still be a strong and daring woman, capable of overcoming many obstacles, however there would be many paths and possibilities completely closed to a traditional woman that would not allow her to reach the happiness she reaches as a new woman. The primary example is Rochester, for had Jane had the attitude of a new woman, Rochester would have never been an option for Jane.

Jane’s transformation into a new woman is without doubt a vital asset in her happiness, for it has led her to her love, Rochester.

Works Cited

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London: Wordsworth, 1999. Print.