In Jane Erye by Charlotte Bronte the main character, Jane Erye, is a very distinct and complex person. This distinction is magnified in that the book was written during the Victorian Era, a time when women were thought to be dim and fathomable. The reader can detect a definite change in the nature of Jane's personality as she grows older and goes through many experiences during life.

One of Jane's personality traits first revealed in the book is her rebellious nature and her reluctance to submit to authority. This is evident even in the first chapter of the book. Many times she talked to Mrs. Reed as an equal. Mrs. Reed of course did not like this practice. "There is something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner . . . Until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent" (5). Jane also went against authority when John was...