How Does Charlotte Bronte Create Independence In Jane Eyre

Independence, in Victorian times, tended to be a quality only granted to men, leaving women to rely on them for everything. In Jane Eyre, it is evident that this is an issue that the titular character faces. Jane exercises her independence more often as the novel progresses, and she begins to make decisions that will benefit her directly instead of allowing a man to choose her path in life. She pursues her goals and wants using her newfound confidence and freedom, which eventually leads her back to the man she loves. Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte, can be defined by the word “independence” as shown through Jane’s journey throughout her life and the course of the novel. This is demonstrated by her decisions to leave Gateshead in order to regain “freedom from

(“Independence”) Jane’s first attempt at voicing her opinion occurs early in her childhood, when she decides that she would like to attend school. Prior to this, she often demonstrates her resistance toward the Reed family and it is clear that Jane is “unhappy,—very unhappy” at Gateshead (Bronte 29). This motif of acting out first begins when John Reed catches Jane reading a book. Angry at the girl for taking one of “[the Reeds’] books”, he hits her with it in order to teach her a lesson (13). This inspires Jane to react defensively, calling John a “wicked and cruel boy”, and comparing him to “a murderer [and] a slave-driver” (13). In a moment of sheer rage, Jane exaggerates heavily when calling John Reed out for his behavior and is not afraid to yell at him for acting so rudely toward her. The metaphors she uses are clearly dramatic, but serve the purpose of amplifying Jane’s emotions in the moment. She cannot believe that John would dare to hit