Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre: A Review

As one of Bronte’s most popular works, Jane Eyre has always been on my list of books to read, and I have to admit that it did not disappoint. Its Bildungsroman structure follows the development of the young and misunderstood protagonist, Jane, and her journey to becoming a respected teacher and mistress, whilst grappling with the romantic affliction she encounters with Mr Rochester. Bronte’s ability to intermittently inject Romantic language within such a critically acclaimed Gothic novel was perhaps the aspect that I enjoyed most about this read and, for this reason, it is definitely a text that I wish to analyse in more depth in the future, beginning with the exploration of the masculine sublime throughout the novel.

I think, predominantly, the power of this novel lies in the transparency of the protagonist; whilst we may sympathise with Jane’s repressed upbringing at the hands of Mrs Reed, Bronte strips Jane’s character of any unwarranted self-pity, leaving us with a female whose quest for independence and happiness upholds the values of feminist desire during the Victorian era (freedom, equal social standing, self-worth etc.). Her realisation of these attributes is perhaps constituted by the constant decision-making she faces throughout the text, from her rejection of St. John Rivers to leaving Thornfield after uncovering the truth about Rochester’s past. Jane never seems to “have it easy” (arguably right up until the end of the novel) and it is this that encourages the reader to ultimately find out if she came become emotionally fulfilled. So, if Victorian melodrama, romance, grief, and a mad-woman in an attic sounds like your kind of novel, Jane Eyre is a must read.

(Apologies for the missing diaeresis on the ‘e’ of Bronte- Blogger would not allow me to publish it like this.)

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