Jane Eyre Themes Love vs Autonomy a quest

Jane Eyre Themes

Love vs Autonomy � a quest to be loved, to be valued 1, while remaining herself � when she finds it (Rochester’s proposal) she refuses it for fear of losing her integrity in favour of emotional gratification

� at Moor House: economically independent, but she’s offered a loveless partnership � events at Moor House: tests of Jane’s autonomy, until she’ll prove her selfsufficiency to herself and will be able to engage in a completely symmetrical relationship with Rochester

Religion � three main religious figures: Brocklehurst Helen Burns St. John Rivers each representing a model she refuses

� Brocklehurst: Evangelicalism � full of false rhetoric; inflicts privations and humiliations on the girls while living in luxury � Helen Burns � recognizes the holiness of her behaviour, but also knows it is too passive to be adopted by herself

� St. John Rivers � sacrifice, but also ambition, glory, self-importance � urges Jane to sacrifice her emotional fulfilment in favour of moral duty � by adopting that model she would be disloyal to herself

Religion as a personal choice � she refuses those models of religion but not Christianity and morality � several examples in which she relies on God for help and comfort � finally she finds her own way: a religion not hateful and oppressive like Brocklehurst’s, nor self-effacing and ambitious like Helen’s and St. John’s � a help to keep immoderate passions under control; a spur in worldly efforts and achievements

Social Class � criticism of Victorian social hierarchy � exploration of the complex social position of governesses � contrast between her refined manners and her low social standing � tension reaches its climax in Jane’s relationship with Rochester: equal intellectually, but not socially 1 � however, she never really questions the organization of society

Gender Relations � constant fight against patriarchal domination, against the idea of the inferiority of women, embodied by three different figures: Brocklehurst, Rochester, St. John � each of them tries to dominate her � in her quest for independence she escapes Brocklehurst, rejects St. John, comes to Rochester only after they can marry as equals � she will not depend on him either emotionally or financially � articulates what at the time was felt as a radically feminist philosophy (Chapter 12)1