Jane Eyre Analysis

As one of Charlotte Bronte's most popular novels, Jane Eyre chronicles the growth of the titular character from a young girl, orphaned and alone, to a strong, independent woman who is using her own capabilities to propel herself forward. The way Jane is treated as a child leads to one of the most prominent themes in the entire story: her quest for love and familial connection. Her loss of her parents and her lack of close emotional connection to her aunt and uncle only fuel her fire for finding a connection with someone who will love her; that someone will ultimately be Rochester.

However, her childhood also instills in her another key trait that will become central to the theme of the novel: female rebelliousness and independence. At various points, Jane rebels against her caregivers, straining their already fraught connections. She routinely comments on the status of women in society, something that is in and of itself rebellious; she also comments on the unfair restrictions placed on people due to their class and social standing. After Jane falls in love with Rochester, thereby achieving the first of the central themes in the story, she is unwilling to give up her sense of independence and identity. She works as a governess and wishes to remain as such, even if she is married; to her, work offers a sort of independence that she will not part with. By the end of the novel, even though she does marry Rochester and achieve the connection she so desperately sought, she also maintains a sense of financial independence, thereby rebelling against what was deemed conventional for women at the time and reinforcing her sense of personal strength and freedom.