This section contains 392 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
Jane Eyre
From the beginning of the book, Jane had a sense of her self-worth and dignity, a commitment to justice and principle, and a trust in God. Jane had to learn to balance the frequently conflicting aspects of her. Jane was an orphan since early childhood, and felt exiled at the beginning of the novel. The cruel treatment Aunt Reed and her cousins gave her only increased her feeling of alienation. She felt the need to belong somewhere. She also wanted freedom. In her search for freedom, Jane struggled with the question of what type of freedom she wants. While Mr. Rochester offers Jane a chance to have her passions, Jane realizes that that kind of freedom could also mean enslavement--by living as Rochester's mistress, she would be sacrificing her dignity for the sake of her feelings. St. John Rivers offers Jane another kind of freedom: the freedom to let her go by her principles. Jane eventually realizes, though, that this freedom would also have a form of imprisonment, because she would be forced to keep her true feelings and her true passions always in check.
Jane Eyre's major conflict is her social class and Mr. Rochester's social class. Mr. Rochester is a wealthy man and Jane is far below his level in social status.
This section contains 392 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |