"Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead and subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life than Victorian society traditionally allowed."
I have read Jane Eyre a million times, but I never tire of
the story. I know Jane almost as well as myself. I love how Jane never backs
down on her morals or views but always stand strong against things she believes
wrong and immoral. She is a true role model.
One of my favourite passages:
“I can live alone, if self-respect, and circumstances
require me so to do. I need not sell my soul to buy bliss. I have an inward
treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights
should be withheld, or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give.”
Jane Eyre is the quintessential Victorian novel. It
literally has everything that was typical of the period, but, unlike other
novels, it has all the elements in one story. At the centre is the romance
between Jane and Rochester, which is enhanced by gothic elements such as the uncanniness
and the spectre like qualities of Bertha. In addition, it is also a governess
novel; these were an incredibly popular type of storytelling in the age and for
it to be combined with gothic elements, which are interposed with a dualistic
relationship between realism and romance, is really quite unique. The correct
term for this is a hybrid, in which no genre voice is dominant; they exist
alongside each other creating one rather special book.
This is so, so, special; it’s an excellent piece of
literature. Jane’s journey is gut wrenching and emotional. Through her life she
experiences real sorrow, the kind that would make a lesser person give up. She
also experiences real friendship, the type that comes across perhaps once in a
lifetime. But, most significantly, she experiences true love and the
development of independence to form he own ending. I really do love this book.
Bronte utilises the first person narrative, which creates a high degree of intimacy
with her character; it makes me feel like I know Jane as well as she comes to
know her own self.
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