Revolutionization of Gender Roles Since Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

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Charlotte’s Bronte British novel, Jane Eyre, has revolutionized the role of a woman through the character of Jane Eyre. The romance novel begins as Jane being an unloved orphan, she is physically and mentally abused by her aunt, Ms. Reed, and cousins at Gateshead. Ms. Reed then sends her away to the Lowood School, she makes friends, but suffers from depression. Then Jane becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she does not even realize she falls in love for Rochester, owner of the estate. She leaves to find her family, finding St. John Rivers, and then leaves him after he proposes. Jane decides to go to live the rest of her life with Rochester, her first love that loves her back. Bronte utilizes conflict and symbols to express Jane’s character throughout the entirety of the novel. Jane encounters with beliefs, love, and logic through the course of the novel to establish who she really is. Jane holds very strong beliefs and that is what kept her logic in check. An example of Jane fighting for what she believes is, when she is being taken to the red room, where she is locked in because she fought back at John Reed, her cousin, when he hit her. "I resisted all the way: a new thing for me" (Page 9). Jane makes this bold statement as Bessie, a servant, is taking her taking her into the red room where she will be locked because she fought back when John Reed hit her. Mrs. Reed, Jane’s Uncle’s wife, allows her children to torment Jane, even the servants Gateshead Hall torment Jane with words of being worthless, just to seem superior to her. Jane spoke up for once, at the mere age of 10, and she is then put in the red room for defiance, where her uncle died. Jane then has a fit because she claims she saw ghosts in the room... ... middle of paper ... ...her breaking through and realizing where she belongs and deserts the toxic environment St. John brings upon her. When Jane realizes that she was very privileged and lucky to be with Rochester before, she leaves St. John to join Rochester. Jane says that "to look at Mr. Rochester's face was to feel that not a second of delay would be tolerated for any purpose" (331). Jane became eager to marry Rochester, after finding love within herself and Rochester. Jane is encountered with beliefs, love, and logic through the course of the novel to establish her real identity. Jane finally feels liberated and free being able to bring her two quests for independence and family to an end. She is able to use her logic and beliefs to decipher what love is in her perspective, as well as using love to make logical decisions, as well as to determine what she strongly believes in.

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