Charlotte Bronte first successful novel like many other
authors and poets wrote the book based on personal experiences. Bronte had a
tragic life and mostly she was based in churches, so we can clearly see from
where the biblical reference in the novel originated. Jane Eyre depicts the
strict, hierarchical class system in England that required everyone to maintain
carefully circumscribed class positions. Primarily through the character of
Jane, it also accents the cracks in this system, the places where class
differences were melding in Victorian England. The novel represented the
typical women who had confidence, intelligent, courage and strong in heart and soul.
Jane Eyre is not materialistic as other women in other novel.
To start off with, the lead character is a very strong willed
woman. She’s not beautiful and is keenly aware of the fact. She doesn't aspire
to be the typical Victorian woman who cares about her looks. Bronte ties up the
story nicely in quite a touching manner. Jane’s lover Mr Rochester is not a handsome
man and is almost ugly. Bronte’s characterization of the honest Jane Eyre,
tortured Mr Rochester, and the tragically insane Bertha Mason continues to spur
the imagination of readers. There is a good deal of depth of character in the
main actors. The given time and setting in which the novel takes place; this
must have been a pretty radical or practical characterization of the lead woman
in a novel especially by a female author which itself must have been something
out of the ordinary.
It is also instructive to see how children were treated in
those days and how their guardians could legally ill treat them without any
social backlash. Since Bronte worked in churches she was very familiar to these
circumstances of the children.
The main theme of the book, and what could be seen in Jane’s
character, is her open and unquestioning devotion to God and the “duties” which
she’s supposed to follow. It’s interesting to see that even though Jane is not
bound by societal norms, indeed having no relatives and no one whose opinion
would affect her in the slightest, she is bound by the virtue of the Bible. One
can guess in today’s world, that it would be very different with people
everywhere publicly questioning the existence of God. But Jane and Charlotte Bronte
takes the existence of God as an accuracy of the Bible as the highest truth. In
several situations this prevents up from reaching out and taking the happiness
that is offered to her and which has been missing in her life so far. At one
stage, she totters on the brink of throwing her life away as an ill-suited
missionary in India because she is persuaded to believe that it is her “duty to
God”. One thing to keep in mind with biblical references is that
they are open to interpretation and different people and religious sects will
look at these differently. Light and darkness is often used throughout the novel.
There is the theme of light in the beginning that light ends all darkness which
symbolizes good versus evil. There is the light of God which represents God
himself which leads people to him and the end of darkness. In this portion of
the story, Jane appears to be lost and heading towards darkness as she is
hungry, tired and on her own. It would almost appear to be a helpless
situation. In this case, there is a light that somehow leads her to this house.
Of all the places she could stop, she stops at a house that is willing to help
her and take her in and an even greater coincidence that these turn out to be
relatives.
Since its publication, "Jane Eyre" has become a
staple source of English literature. The novel has inspired several films, as
well as numerous literary sequels and prequels.
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