There are many incidents throughout the novel, which portray Jane’s heroic qualities. In the early chapters, Jane’s character is well established through her confrontations with John and Mrs. Reed, in which her determination and integrity become apparent. Charlotte Brontë has used episodes such as the “red-room”, to establish the mood and genre of the novel. Jane is sent to the “Red-room” for supposedly fighting with John Reed.
Take her away to the red-room and lock her in there. (Chapter 1)
This immediately exemplifies that Jane is inferior to her cousins and Mrs. Reed. However, Jane still tends to be assertive when she is being taken to the “Red-room” to be locked in. “I resisted all the way”. Charlotte Brontë has used this episode to present elements of the gothic genre since the room is dark and mysterious. There is also a large mirror, which disfigures Jane’s image.
All looked colder and darker in that visionary hollow than in reality: (Chapter 2)
This mirror imagery is used to reflect gothic elements of the novel and it is symbolic of Jane’s feeling of isolation. Another element of the gothic novel established by the “Red-room” is of the supernatural, mysterious or inexplicable events. Mr. Reed died there and Jane visualizes his ghost. “superstition was with me”. Prior to her departure from Gateshead, Jane has an outburst at her aunt, in which she declares her hatred and revulsion for her. “I will never call you aunt so long as I live”. Here, Jane is portraying a strong and courageous character, with a lot of determination and integrity. She is standing up for herself against her tyrannical aunt, which all contribute to characteristics of a typical heroine.
At Lowood, Jane’s dreams help her get through the considerable tribulations she encounters during this period. She experiences harsh conditions and is faced with the tyranny of Mr. Brocklehurst, who is a religious hypocrite as he is only supporting his wealthy family. He subjects the girls at Lowood to various hardships. For example, he orders one of Jane’s classmates to cut off her curly hair, when his own daughters have curly ringlets. During her stay at Lowood, Jane befriends Helen Burns, with whom she learns important values and morals of life. When Helen dies, Jane is able to stand up for herself and by the end of the episode, she learns the significance of tolerating humiliation.
When Jane is employed as governess at Thornfield, she is comfortable and feels that she has stability and financial security as she had “THE PROMISE OF a smooth career”. However, she is also confused and bewildered because her former residences, Gateshead and Lowood were seemingly different. Although she settles in quickly, there is an atmosphere of mystery and insecurity. Jane soon realizes that Thornfield is a large and mysterious place. “a laugh, struck my ear”, on her first day, she hears strange laughing noises, which “thrilled” her, and made her apprehensive and terrified. Charlotte Brontë has also introduced Bertha Mason as a symbol of obstruction for Jane’s happiness. She is used as a disturbing figure to create suspense and terror in the plot, contributing highly to the gothic genre. The setting of Thornfield Manor is also an element of the gothic novel, as it is large and a seemingly abandoned mansion.
Not long after Jane’s arrival at Thornfield, Charlotte Brontë introduces fire as a symbol of love and passion, which soon becomes a reality when Jane saves Rochester from the fire. “Wake! Wake!’, I cried”. She is very sentimental about saving him and manages successfully to do so. “You are quenched now;” here, she is implying that she has extinguished the fire and he is now saved. Charlotte Brontë has not only used this episode to illustrate the developing relationship between Jane and Rochester, but also to establish Jane’s heroic qualities in the novel. Indeed, she prepares her readers for the meeting of Jane and Rochester by using empathic language to portray her character’s feelings. “Good night, my-” here, Rochester nearly slips more than he intends to say, which shows that he also has feelings for Jane. In chapter 23, where Jane and Rochester meet in the garden, Charlotte Brontë has used a lot of imagery to establish both of their feelings for each other. She has first used the weather to create a mood of passion and bliss, “skies so pure, sun so radiant”. This reflects the mood of the characters, as they are both blissful in this episode. Charlotte Brontë also uses bird imagery to illustrate the character’s feelings, “like a wild frantic bird”. This bird imagery is associated with love, freedom, innocence and flight, which Jane is about to encounter.
Events in the novel such as, Jane and Rochester’s first meeting, the fire incident and the marriage proposal influenced their relationship through not being a traditional act. They are not attracted to each other at first sight, which is not typical of a developing relationship in Victorian novels. Jane saves Rochester from the fire, which is also not a traditional act because the Victorian heroine is not expected to be able to save the hero from such an incident. The marriage proposal is also unusual because governesses were never expected to Mary their employers, since they were well below them in the social hierarchy that existed in Victorian times.
Charlotte Brontë introduced Blanché Ingram to produce a mirror image of Jane and to portray the attributes of a typical Victorian heroine, who was beautiful, aspired, elegant and sophisticated. However, Jane’s heroic characteristics differed from those of a typical heroine and consisted of a mixture of gothic and Victorian attributes. The fire episode contributes to the gothic characteristics of a heroine, while her honesty and loyalty to Mr. Rochester show a Victorian heroine’s characteristics. On her marriage, after finding out about Rochester’s past, Jane is determined to leave Thornfield because of the moral dilemma that she faces. Although she loves Rochester, she feels that she is “self abandoned, relaxed and effortless”. She also feels that it is wrong to marry someone when his or her spouse is still living.
‘Sir, your wife is still living: that is a fact acknowledged this morning by
yourself. If I lived with you as you desire, I should then be your
mistress: to say otherwise is sophistical- is false.’ (Chapter 27)
This influences the reader’s perspective of Jane as she is not a symbol of the typical Victorian heroine and her individual psychology does not represent a Victorian heroine.
Rochester challenges Jane’s emotions by pretending that he loves Blanché Ingram, “My beautiful Blanché”. He does this to liberate Jane’s feelings about him through jealousy. The marriage proposal defied social convection because Jane was much younger than Rochester and of a much lower status as indicated by Mrs. Fairfax’s statement:
‘...Equality of
position and fortune is often advisable in such cases; and there are
twenty years of difference in your ages. He might almost be your
father.’ (Chapter 24)
Elements of the romantic heroine are demonstrated by Jane’s emotions for Rochester and her acceptance of the marriage proposal, “I will marry you”. The marriage proposal also made Jane satisfied about herself and made her content that she is “no longer plain”. Rochester addresses Jane as “blooming, and smiling, and pretty”, which are attributes of the typical Victorian heroine. The revelation of Rochester’s marriage and deceit and the impact of the ‘Bertha Mason’ mystery relate to the gothic elements. A Victorian wife suffers from being figuratively “locked up” and in Jane Eyre, Bertha Mason is a symbol for all neglected and oppressed women by being imprisoned by Mr. Rochester.
Emotional and physical obstacles are a classic feature of the romantic genre and the heroine is the one who usually has to face these emotional and physical obstacles. Jane Eyre reflects this typical element of the romantic genre, since Jane encounters emotional and physical obstacles, such as the “red-room”, her aunt and the emotional distress she faces when she is leaving Thornfield and Rochester. She is offered a job as a headmistress to help those who are less fortunate and she readily accepts. “I accept it with all my heart”. Jane’s reason for willingly accepting the job offer could be because she wanted to be independent and by getting this job, she could somehow acquire the independence that she seeks. The news of her inheritance and family connections soon reaches Jane and she is overjoyed by hearing this unexpected news. “We are cousins; yes.” She is overwhelmed because she is “proud of” her cousin St. John and the two sisters who “inspired” her “with genuine affection and admiration”. Charlotte Brontë uses St. John to forge a comparison between him and Mr. Rochester. St. John is very ambitious and ascetic, whereas Rochester is passionate and fanatical. Jane often associates St. John with Ice, ‘’frozen over’’, which reveals his cold-hearted and ruthless character.
St. John is also quite eager and fully dedicated to fulfill his mission to go to India for which he sacrifices his love for Rosamond Oliver. Jane is fully aware of this and she has “understood, as by inspiration, the nature of his love for Miss Oliver”. Despite this, St. John proposes to Jane admitting that he has no feelings for her but that he considers her the perfect missionary wife. "I claim you- not for my pleasure,” Jane found this proposal difficult because she still had a “lawless and unconsecrated” love for Mr. Rochester. She was also against the proposal because although she was offered the socially respectable position of a missionary's wife, there was no love and passion behind the marriage proposal. However, when Jane feels obliged to marry him for “God’s will”, she senses Rochester cry for help.
And it was the voice of a human
being – a known, loved, well-remembered voice – that of Edward… (Chapter 35)
This shows that although she had been at Moor house for sometime now, her love and affection for Rochester was so deep that she could also sense his sorrows and pains. Jane is determined that she “is willing to do what is right”, which shows typical heroic attributes. Charlotte Brontë uses a positive tone when Jane is being reunited with Rochester and she is reflecting that this was a joyful moment for both of them. "Reader, I married him.” this reflects that Jane has finally married Rochester and concludes the novel in an appropriate way. Her tone also clearly addresses the audience that she has found a resolution with which she is fully satisfied.
Although Charlotte Brontë lived in an era of the traditional Victorian heroines, Jane’s character is unusual because she posses heroic qualities, but not those of the typical Victorian heroine. For example, she rescues Rochester twice, once from the fire and the second time when he is helpless at Ferndean. A heroine in Victorian times would not be expected to salvage the hero, but it would rather be the other way around. On marrying Rochester when he is blind, Jane puts his needs before her own, which shows heroic qualities. Indeed, there are elements of the gothic heroine in Jane since she is strong and emotional in relation to her love with Rochester, which never changes with her changing conditions in life. In my opinion, Charlotte Brontë is successful in creating not a typical, but a unique, innovative heroine for the Victorian reader.
