JANE PORTRAIT AND VICTORIAN CLASS DISPARITY (KHOẢNG CÁCH
GIAI CẤP ẢNH HƯỞNG ĐẾN TÌNH YÊU CỦA JANE…..) IN THE CHAPTER 36
OF JANE EYRE BY CHARLOTTE BRONTË
I.
II.
Introduction
Body
1. Background and summary
Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855) holds a distinguished place among the leading English
novelists of the nineteenth century. Born in Thornton, Yorkshire, she moved with her
family in 1820 to the remote village of Haworth, amid the moors, where her father
encouraged Charlotte and her five siblings to engage in creative play and to immerse
themselves in the quiet beauty of the surrounding meadows. These early imaginative
pursuits with her siblings likely shaped the language, rhythm, and narrative style of her
later novels. During these childhood years, Brontë also endured great personal loss most notably the deaths of her mother and two sisters - which deeply influenced the
emotional depth of her fiction. Charlotte Brontë’s works strongly captivated readers
through their intense psychology, confessional narrative voice, and skillful blend of
Gothic elements with realistic detail. Her novels emphasize key themes such as female
agency, moral independence, and the challenge to patriarchal structure, securing her a
lasting place in the literary canon of the nineteenth century.
Jane Eyre is Charlotte Brontë's most renowned novel, marking a significant milestone
in her literary career. Completed in 1846 and published in 1847 under the male
pseudonym "Currer Bell", the novel emerged during a period when women’s voices
were often marginalized in literature and society. The adoption of a pseudonym reflects
the considerable challenges female authors faced in achieving recognition and respect
in a patriarchal literary world. Jane Eyre transcends the mere narration of an orphaned
girl’s life; it engages critically with the rigid gender and class expectations prevalent in
Victorian society. Through the character of Jane, whose voice is both emotionally rich
and morally resolute, Brontë delivers a pointed critique of the male-dominated systems
that governed her time. The novel remains a key literary achievement, not only for its
narrative complexity but also as an early expression of feminist ideals. With Jane Eyre,
Brontë helped redefine the boundaries of the novel by creating heroines whose moral
agency and emotional depth challenged the conventions of Victorian femininity
(Showalter; 1977; p. 123).
Jane Eyre traces the life of an orphaned girl who, despite enduring immense adversity,
ultimately achieves personal growth, autonomy, and love. After being mistreated by her
aunt and sent to the strict environment of Lowood School, Jane experiences both
physical and emotional suffering. However, she finds comfort and strength in her
friendship with Helen Burns. As she grows, Jane develops intellectually and
emotionally, and later becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she forms a deep
and gradually evolving relationship with Mr. Rochester, her employer. On the eve of
their wedding, Jane learns that Rochester is already married to Bertha Mason, a mentally
ill woman locked away in the attic. Rejecting the prospect of a morally compromised
marriage, Jane leaves Thornfield to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Eventually,
she inherits a fortune and returns to Rochester, now blind and disabled after a fire. This
paper focuses on Chapter 36, in which Jane reflects on her supernatural experience, her
decision to return to Thornfield, and the shocking revelation of the mansion’s
destruction by fire - an event that has forced Rochester into a reclusive life at Ferndean.
2.1. The title “Jane Eyre”
The original full title, “Jane Eyre: An Autobiography”, suggests that the novel is a
genuine account of Jane’s life. The term “autobiography” enhances its realism and
credibility by adding depth to the narrative and creating a sense that readers are
witnessing an authentic account of Jane’s life. The name “Jane”, often associated with
the phrase “plain Jane”, is used as a generic term for women, which implies an
unremarkable appearance. Jane is a name that exudes its simplicity, elegance and
strength. This partly helps readers visualize a resilient girl, small but extremely strongwilled and independent. The word “plain” and its derivatives appear numerous times in
this work. However, this plainness reflects Jane’s own unadorned, humble nature, both
physically and socially. This helps readers, especially girls and women, relate to them
as she becomes a symbol of female dignity and resilience. Apart from that, “Eyre”
carries a symbolic significance, especially when it comes to its pronunciation. When
pronounced like “air”, it alludes to Jane’s desire for freedom and breaking societal
constraints. However, when similarly pronounced to “heir”, it introduces another
connotation linked to Jane’s inheritance, one of the key elements affecting her decision
for her self-discovery in love. The novel is titled by her name, which shows the author’s
intention in asserting Jane’s voicing and ownership of her story. More specifically, this
work emphasizes the feminist with the title regarded as a bold declaration that this
woman’s voice matters, notably in a time when women are expected to be silent and
obedient and their roles are not valued.
2.2. Jane Eyre portrait
In the early chapters, the author establishes the little girl Jane Eyre through her
confrontations with John and Mrs. Reed, at Gateshead Hall, in which Jane is kindhearted but strong-willed, determined, intelligent and passionate. Despite the fact that
she is young and orphaned, along with being physically abused and mistreated by her
aunt Mrs. Reed and her cousins, she shows a strong sense of justice. This is indicated
in the chapter 4, when Jane stands up to her cruel aunt Mrs. Reed, “I am not deceitful:
if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you the
worst of anybody in the world except John Reed; and this book about the liar, you may
give to your girl, Georgiana, for it is she who tells lies, and not I.” Even as a child, she
still shows her fierce commitment to the truth and justice and resists oppression. Mrs.
Reed’s cruelty makes little Jane’s life more challenging as she is excluded from family
life. It is evident at the beginning of the work with the presence of the Red room - a
cold, dark, and unused chamber where she experiences the horror and emotional trauma
like a punishment. Jane scarily screams ““Unjust!—unjust!” said my reason, forced by
the agonising stimulus into precocious though transitory power: and Resolve, equally
wrought up, instigated some strange expedient to achieve escape from insupportable
oppression…”. The Red room does not only serve as a powerful symbol of family’s
trauma, secret but also the deep psychological scars that haunt Jane. Moreover,
mistreatment from Mrs. Reed also lead to her miserable living at Gateshead Hall,
especially when her aunt always considers her a dangerous and deceitful girl “I was a
precocious actress in her eyes; she sincerely looked on me as a compound of virulent
passions, mean spirit, and dangerous duplicity.”
Jane is resilient, disciplined and morally strong through her childhood at Lowood
School where she meets Helen Burn, a fellow student - a gentle and forgiving girl who
is regarded as a moral compass for Jane. She teaches her the value of patience and self-
control. Despite the hardships, Jane remains resilient and determined to make the most
of her education. Jane’s resilience and moral strength are clearly shown in a saying “I
was not quite happy, but I was not miserable; I had my work to do, and that was enough
to keep me from despair.”, or in a soliloquy “Do you think I am an automaton? — a
machine without feelings?, or “ Do you think I can live to no purpose?”
The protagonist, Jane Eyre, is portrayed as a young governess in Thornfield Hall, where
she enters the stately, upper-class realm of this place, turning a new stage of her life.
She steps into the house in the hope of seeking freedom and emotion. This is clearly
shown in the following quote “I longed for a power of vision which might overpass that
limit; which might reach the busy world... which might give me a sense of liberty.” This
reflects the emotional depth and broader experience that she is not content with just
being comfortable, but she seeks for more intense and fulfilling experience. The young
woman with deep inner feelings always stay reserved and serious, as she is falling in
love with Mr. Rochester, the owner of Thornfield Hall, but guarded. While at this place,
she experiences the gradual emotional growth for him, from respect to affection, and
eventually realization of independence. Jane, with self-respect and self-worth, is shown
in the following quote ““I am not an angel, I asserted; and I will not be one till I die: I
will be myself.” It is an emphatic statement that shows her resolve to stay true to herself,
even when she is in the face of challenges in her love due to social pressures and
constraints. Jane’s rejection reflects her internal strength and emotional growth. Her
emotional maturity can be seen in the quote “I care for myself. The more solitary, the
more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” This is
when she realizes the truth and refuses to become Rochester’s mistress, as she chooses
integrity over desire, principle over passions. In other words, she chooses moral
principles and her dignity over her own love and individual aspirations.
During her time at Moor House, despite being physically isolated, Jane learns of her
inheritance from her uncle, which is a turning point in her life. This stage symbolizes a
return to her roots that she is a free, respected, and self-sufficient woman. Now that she
has her own inheritance, she still works and lives simply, along with plain physical
appearance such as simple clothes and a demure presence. Such personality traits show
that her beauty lies in her intelligence, moral strength and independence, rather than
external appearance as well as how far she has grown. Additionally, Moor House is a
place where she questions herself with her true love and self-worth. Despite the fact that
living with St . John Rivers offers her stability and comfort for the rest of her life; she
chooses not to marry him as she realizes and knows what to do and what aligns with her
beliefs.
The emotionally mature woman now gains her financial independence and family ties,
ultimately leading her to return to Mr Rochester on her own terms. She is confident and
2.3. Social class and Inequality
3. Literary devices
References
Brontë, C. Jane Eyre (n.d.). Full Text Archive. Retrieved from
https://www.fulltextarchive.com/book/Jane-Eyre/
Brontë, C. Jane Eyre (n.d.) . SparkNotes. Retrieved from
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/
Showalter, E. (1977). Feminine Heroines: Charlotte Brontë and George Eliot. In A
Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontë to Lessing. Princeton
University Press.
GROUPWORK CONTRIBUTION ASSESSMENT SHEET
Date: 18/04/2025
Class: 1VBA-221
Subject: English Literature
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