Jane eyre

（1816-1855）Publishedin1847HerLifeTheirhomelifewasdifficult.TheirmotherdiedwhenCharlotte,Emily,Anne,andtheirbrotherBranwellwerechildren;thetwooldestsisters,MariaandElizabeth,diedyoung.BranwellwasadrugaddictandanalcoholicwhomCharlotte,Emily,andAnnenursedthroughhiscollapses,hispsychosis,andhisfinaldays.Thedevotedsistersfoundsupportandcompanionshipinoneanother;atnight,theyreadtheirnovelsandtheirpoemstooneanother.Theirsocietydidnotencouragewomentofulfilltheirtalents.ThepopularimagefortheidealwomanwastheAngelintheHouse,whowasexpectedtobedevotedandsubmissivetoherhusband.TheAngelwaspassiveandpowerless,meek,charming,graceful,sympathetic,self-sacrificing,pious,andaboveall--pure.CharlotteBronteCharlotteBronteBornofIrishancestryin1816•LivedatHaworth,aparsonageSchoolingDuringtheearly19thcentury,itbecamefashionabletoeducatefemales.However,freeeducationwasnotyetavailableforeithersex.Onlytheveryrichcouldsendtheirdaughterstoelegantgirls’schoolsGovernesses1.Lesscostlyschoolswereformedbywell-meaningbenefactorsinordertoeducatepoorfemales.2.Illnesswascommonbecausetherewasnotaclearunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweendirt&disease3.Withthenewstressonfemaleeducation,governesseswereindemand.4.Paywaspoor,butitwasoneoftheonlyjobsavailabletoeducated,yetimpoverishedyoungwomen1847PublishedthenovelJaneEyre1849PublishedthenovelShirley,astorysetduringanti-industrialriotsthattookplaceinthefinalyearsoftheNapoleonicWars1853PublishedthenovelVillette,whichshebasedonherexperiencesinBrussels1854MarriedtheReverendArthurBellNichollsAschildren,Brontëandherbrother,Branwell,wrotevolumesofstoriessetintheimaginarykingdomofAngria;sistersEmilyandAnnecreatedtheirownimaginarykingdomofGondal.TheBrontësisters'PoemsbyCurrer,Ellis,andActonBellsoldonlytwocopies.Brontë'sfirstnovel,TheProfessor,wasturneddownbynumerouspublishers,andsheeventuallywithdrewthebook.Itwasfinallypublishedafterherdeathin1857.Brontëlostthreeofhersiblingsinatwo-yearperiod:Anne,Emily,andBranwelldiedbetween1847and1849.Brontëwaspregnantatthetimeofherdeath.CharactersJaneEyreThedevelopmentofJaneEyre’scharacteriscentraltothenovel.Fromthebeginning,Janepossessesasenseofherself-worthanddignity,acommitmenttojusticeandprinciple,atrustinGod,andapassionatedisposition.Herintegrityiscontinuallytestedoverthecourseofthenovel,andJanemustlearntobalancethefrequentlyconflictingaspectsofherselfsoastofindcontentment.Anorphansinceearlychildhood,Janefeelsexiledandostracizedatthebeginningofthenovel,andthecrueltreatmentshereceivesfromherAuntReedandhercousinsonlyexacerbatesherfeelingofalienation.Afraidthatshewillneverfindatruesenseofhomeorcommunity,Janefeelstheneedtobelongsomewhere,tofind“kin,”oratleast“kindredspirits.”Thisdesiretempersherequallyintenseneedforautonomyandfreedom.Inhersearchforfreedom,Janealsostruggleswiththequestionofwhattypeoffreedomshewants.WhileRochesterinitiallyoffersJaneachancetoliberateherpassions,Janecomestorealizethatsuchfreedomcouldalsomeanenslavement—bylivingasRochester’smistress,shewouldbesacrificingherdignityandintegrityforthesakeofherfeelings.St.JohnRiversoffersJaneanotherkindoffreedom:thefreedomtoactunreservedlyonherprinciples.HeopenstoJanethepossibilityofexercisinghertalentsfullybyworkingandlivingwithhiminIndia.Janeeventuallyrealizes,though,thatthisfreedomwouldalsoconstituteaformofimprisonment,becauseshewouldbeforcedtokeephertruefeelingsandhertruepassionsalwaysincheck.CharlotteBrontëmayhavecreatedthecharacterofJaneEyreasameansofcomingtotermswithelementsofherownlife.MuchevidencesuggeststhatBrontë,too,struggledtofindabalancebetweenloveandfreedomandtofindotherswhounderstoodher.Atmanypointsinthebook,Janevoicestheauthor’sthen-radicalopinionsonreligion,socialclass,andgender.RochesterDespitehissternmannerandnotparticularlyhandsomeappearance,EdwardRochesterwinsJane’sheart,becauseshefeelstheyarekindredspirits,andbecauseheisthefirstpersoninthenoveltoofferJanelastingloveandarealhome.AlthoughRochesterisJane’ssocialandeconomicsuperior,andalthoughmenwerewidelyconsideredtobenaturallysuperiortowomenintheVictorianperiod,JaneisRochester’sintellectualequal.Moreover,aftertheirmarriageisinterruptedbythedisclosurethatRochesterisalreadymarriedtoBerthaMason,JaneisproventobeRochester’smoralsuperior.LoveversusAutonomyJaneEyreisverymuchthestoryofaquesttobeloved.Janesearches,notjustforromanticlove,butalsoforasenseofbeingvalued,ofbelonging.Yet,overthecourseofthebook,Janemustlearnhowtogainlovewithoutsacrificingandharmingherselfintheprocess.HerfearoflosingherautonomymotivatesherrefusalofRochester’smarriageproposal.2.ReligionThroughoutthenovel,Janestrugglestofindtherightbalancebetweenmoraldutyandearthlypleasure,betweenobligationtoherspiritandattentiontoherbody.Sheencountersthreemainreligiousfigures:Mr.BrocklehurstHelenBurns,andSt.JohnRivers.EachrepresentsamodelofreligionthatJaneultimatelyrejectsassheformsherownideasaboutfaithandprinciple,andtheirpracticalconsequences.AlthoughJaneendsuprejectingthreemodels,shedoesnotabandonmorality,spiritualism,orabeliefinaChristianGod.Janeultimatelyfindsacomfortabl