Despite her wit and honesty, Jane is accepted into Lowood School. At first, she appears unruly and undisciplined however she shows her versatility and soon adapts to the strict regime. For the first time, Jane meets a friend, Helen Burns. She is amazed at Helen’s restraint and acceptance of unjust punishment, “Burns made no answer: I wondered at her silence.” In these three, very similar occurrences in Jane’s early years, we can establish through passionate outburst and a reluctance to be intimidated that Jane was most definitely a strong, female, central character.
“You are too compulsive; too vehement!”
Wise words from Helen burns, Jane’s earliest friend who taught her many life lessons.
It was shortly after Helen's death that Jane felt ready to leave Lowood for she, “desired liberty; for liberty (she) gasped.”
In typical ‘Jane manner’, she acted upon her impulses and advertised her services in the newspaper as a governess. At this point in the essay, it is interesting to note the social and ‘conventional’ position of women at this time- the 1840s. In Victorian Britain; young, poor women such as Jane would have had two options- become a ‘full time’ wife and mother or become a governess; it would be morally improper for a female to do anything else. While doing a study into the lives of women in the 1800s, Joyce Carol Oates discovered that women were, “Imagined as merely inhabiting bodies meant to bear children and, being in other respects, tasteless without appetite.”
It is also widely believed that Bronte mirrored Jane upon herself.
This is evident as, “Bronte and Eyre share a passion for a wider life and unconventional viewpoints.” Also Bronte, like Eyre, worked as a governess however did not enjoy the “Wearisome duties (she) had to fulfil.” At Thornfield, prior to the arrival of Mr Rochester, Jane finds the situation and conversation with housekeeper, Mrs Fairfax rather monotonous and she came to, “desire more of intercourse with (her) kind.”
It is at this time when Jane has one of her most famous yet controversial outbursts to date,
“Women are suppose to be very calm generally but women feel just as men feel…and it is narrow minded…to say that they ought to confine themselves to making pudding and knitting stockings…it is thoughtless to condemn them…if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.”
It is through this quote that we can establish Jane to be largely ‘pre-feminist’. She does not wish to have equal rights acted out in life; she simply does not want to be condemned for seeking to do more as a female. When Jane meets Rochester for the first time, he is dependent on her as he is injured. This proves to set a trend for things to come…
Throughout the early part of their platonic relationship, we witness a humorous power struggle between the two. It is here we see Jane really meet her match and she enjoys developing her passionate, argumentative side with Rochester. Needless to say, Jane won over Rochester many times!
. When Jane finds out about Rochester's attempted bigamy, she is faced with a huge decision, however her inner strength pulls her through in the end when, “The answer (her) mind gave-leave Thornfield at once.”
On telling Rochester of her forthcoming departure, she once again displays great courage and self-sufficiency and chooses the course of action which will maintain her self respect, “I must part with you for my whole life…if I live with you as you desire, I should then be your mistress: to say otherwise is sophistical- is false.”
When Jane got her teaching job at Morton, she gained an overall good impression of St. John yet when he proposed marriage she detected an immediate threat to her freedom and her anger, “made her (feel) his imperfections and (take) courage.”
As we can presume by what we know of Jane’s character, she did not marry St. John she, “(scorned) the counterfeit sentiment (he) offered.”
On rejecting St. John’s, “scheme of marriage,” she leaves Morton to seek, predictably, her soul mate Rochester. When she meets Rochester once again, Jane discovers he is crippled. However, this far from deters Jane because they were always meant to be. She takes great pride in telling him, “I am independent sir, as well as rich: I am my own mistress.”
Jane Eyre does not sell out by marrying Rochester. She, for a start, was never a ‘fully fledged’ feminist. I agree with 1966 critic, R.B Martin that, “there is not a hint in the book of any desire for political, legal, educational or even intellectual equality between the sexes.”
However I do agree that Jane Eyre marks the beginning of the feminist movement in 19th century Britain. Jane completely rebels all conventionality by sudden outbursts the whole way through her life. In answer to the question, does Jane ‘sell out’ by marrying Rochester thus enabling a conventional, romantic ending? The answer is no.
It is impossible for Jane to ‘sell out’ because she has already left Rochester after finding out about Bertha Mason, “I must go: that I perceived well.” Pg 312
Therefore, Jane has already found the strength to leave. She is free to marry him now for she is rich, independent and ready. I believe Rebecca Kivak was right when she said in 2000, “After achieving independence financially through her fortune, Jane is now free to return to Rochester to complete her triumph.”
Also, in my opinion, it is difficult to predict any other ending to the novel. Jane and Rochester, I believe, were always meant to be together and my opinion was echoed by one of Rochester’s oldest employees, Mary. When Jane informed her that Rochester and herself had been married she simply replied, “Have you miss, well for sure!”
It was as if Mary had expected the news and I thing Bronte portrayed this successfully.
Furthermore, we have to consider the audience Jane Eyre was written for. In Victorian Britain, these so called ‘ conventional, romantic endings’ were not uncommon and in fact were almost expected of books such as Jane Eyre. No doubt that ‘Currer Bell’s’ first and foremost objective was to please her readers.
An example of a similar romantic outcome can be viewed in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Height; also published in 1847, shortly after Jane Eyre. This book was, and still is, a best seller because of its traditional, habitual ending.
We have established that Jane is unquestionably a strong, female, central character. As you have read she displays her emotive and controversial views on more than one occasion and finds courage when she needs it the most. These are all factors which contribute to my argument that Jane does not ‘sell out’. However, in my opinion, the most important argument is; how could she have ‘sold out’ if she is happier than she has ever been in her life? I can understand where critic, Sally Mitchell was coming from in 1983 when she said that, “their subsequent marriage not only ends the many conflicts involved, but also fulfils every woman’s wish of achieving both independence and love.”
The overwhelming bliss combined with the strong feeling of self-reliance can assure us that Jane has sold out on nothing apart from the misery with which her life began.
