Religion - with a twist of being true to yourself

"I like Revelations and the book of Daniel, and Genesis and Samuel, and a little bit of Exodus, and some parts of Kinds and Chronicles, and Job and Jonah." (92)

Charlotte Bronte creates Jane to be a character who is trying to live her own life but constantly being told to do otherwise in the process. Religion is a part of her life although it is much different then what religion is to others in the novel. Jane develops her own religion and spiritual thoughts based on little of what she hears and a lot of what she thinks up. In the novel it makes various references to St. John Rivers and Helen Burns who represent religion.

"Revelation 1 - Passage." BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50 languages. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. .

Bertha Mason

"Bertha Mason is mad; and all she came of a mad family: - idiots and maniacs through three generations!" (379)

Charlotte Bronte has Bertha Mason serve as a catalyst in Jane Eyre. Although she may be made, she is what truly sparks Jane's growth as a person. Bertha foreshadows what could happen to Jane if she decided to live a submissive lifestyle that was being pushed upon her. The reason behind Bertha's madness may be because of all that she holds inside and yearns to express aloud.

Fire/Ice

"Man and horse were down; they had slipped on the sheet of ice which glazed the causeway." (181)

A key symbol in Jane Eyre is fire vs. ice. There are many ways to analyze this theme. Some say that ice stands for tradition while fire represents rebellion. Others say that fire is a symbol for vitality while ice stands for isolation.

Charlotte Bronte has Jane connected with fire. She has her own opinions, goes against others opinions and disagrees with society. Jane is a strong feminist stuck in a "mans world." She burns with passion for equality. Society, Mr. Brocklehurst and Edward Rochester represent ice. They are traditional and believe that women are the best when they are not speaking. Their "icy" ways try to cool Jane's "burning" thoughts. Although each element or belief is strong and powerful, everyone knows it is hard to contain a fire that is already out of control - meaning that as hard as the men try to make Jane a soft-spoken and submissive women, she has developed her own thoughts and stands by what she believes in.

Biterman, Aaron. "Ice and Fire in Jane Eyre." Web.

"en regle"

". . . I wished the result of my endeavours to be respectable, proper, en regle." (155)

En regle means "by the rule." In Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte has characters and the outside world trying to force Jane into a cookie cutter lifestyle. As a female in the early nineteenth century, she is expected to not to have her own opinion or ever to share with anyone how she is feeling. However, although Jane is considered a dependent women, she does have her own opinions and beliefs. She stands for many things that at this time were unheard of and frowned upon. Although Jane is expected to live life en regle she decides to fight for what she believes in.

Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Peterborough, Ont: Broadview, 1999. Print.

Mr. Brocklehurst

"Mr. Brocklehurst, who, from his wealth and family connections, could not be overlooked, still retained the post of treasure. . ." (149)

Mr. Brocklehurst is an important character in Jane Eyre. He represents social class as well as anit-equality which is what Jane feels so strongly about. He is considered to be among the highest of the social classes and works to make sure that he keeps that image. Instead of working hard the old fashioned way, he steals from the school he works for to keep up with his "Luxurious" lifestyle. In the novel, Charlotte Bronte stresses the importance of social class at the time of this story.

Charlotte Bronte also stresses the theme of equality. Mr. "B" was one man who felt strongly that women were inferior to men. Jane fought with these men to overcome her unhappiness and achieve equality.

"Jane Eyre, Proto-Feminist vs. "The Third Person Man"" The Victorian Web: An Overview. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. .

Motherly Bonds

"Bessie and I conversed about old times an hour longer, and then she was obliged to leave me. . ." (159)

Jane was an orphaned child who had many mother figures throughout her life. One major character that Charlotte Bronte includes to play a huge role in Jane's life was servant Bessie. Bessie soothed her when she was upset and calmed her when she was angry. Jane had never known her real mother, and that is why her relationship with Bessie was so important. Other women that also share a motherly bond with Jane are Mary River, Helen Burns and Diana.