After Jane Eyre accepts Mr. Rochester's proposal for marriage, Jane states, “I shall continue to act as Adele's governess; by that, I shall earn my board and lodging, and thirty pounds a year besides. I'll furnish my own wardrobe out of that money, and you shall give me nothing but… Your regard…” (Chapter 24, pg 315) This is an unusual statement to be made by an upper class woman of the Victorian era, because generally, they did not hold occupations. The fact that Jane tells Rochester this signifies that she neither wants to be, nor needs to be, dependant on a man. She feels that she is equal to him and is capable of carrying her own weight. Charlotte Bronte's radical portrayal of this Victorian woman marked the start of a new movement, known as feminism.
A major theme in this work of literature is the gender obstacles for women of that time period. Bertha Mason, an important character of the novel, represents the confined wife of the nineteenth century, who's only job is thought to be in the kitchen. She symbolizes what would happen to a woman after being pent up for so long. Throughout the story, Jane must overcome this barrier. She must prove herself to be both equal to men, and also autonomous. She accomplishes this by running away from Thornfield and acquiring a job as a teacher of poor children. Once she confirms to herself her independence, she then marries Mr. Rochester, now confident that she is his equal.
Another theme in Jane Eyre is the barriers of social classes in the Victorian era. Even as a child, Jane is criticized for being poor, such as when John Reed states, “You are a dependent… You have no money… You ought to beg, and not live here with gentlemen's children like us…” (Chapter 1, pg 15) This quote shows that children as young as fourteen, like John, are already criticizing people of lower social status. Furthermore, Blanche Ingram openly detests Jane for her low position in society, as well. Moreover, the treatment Jane received when Hannah answered the door at Moor's End also suggests this theme. Seeing her as a beggar, Hannah presumed she was a bad person. After becoming acquainted with her, she apologized to Jane for her prejudice. By the end of this novel, Jane proves that her poverty does not make her an inferior person.
Many times throughout this work, Bronte even criticizes the upper castes through the personalities of the people in them. Miss Ingram's character is snobby, greedy, and unkind. She only wants to marry Mr. Rochester for his money, and therefore is portrayed as a nasty person. Jane's cousin, John Reed, was cruel and abusive to her as a child, and later developed gambling problems. Mrs. Reed is an unjust and heartless woman, who treated Jane with contempt. All three of these characters are in the upper class, and they are all used by Charlotte Bronte to express her opinion of that caste.
The red room, which Jane gets locked in as a child, symbolizes both imprisonment and also what a marriage to St. John Rivers would be like. When Jane is trapped inside the third story room of Gateshead, the very room that her Uncle Reed died in, she experiences emotional and physical imprisonment. Nobody listens to her cries or lets her out of the room; her terror builds up until she eventually faints. If she accepted St. John's proposal, and traveled with him to India, Jane would also be emotionally confined. She knew that if she married him, she must abandon love and passion forever. And yet, when speaking to her Diana Rivers about St. John, she states, “Yet, if forced to be his wife, I can imagine the possibility of conceiving an inevitable, strange, torturing kind of love for him, because he is so talented…” (Chapter 35, pg 481) And if she did develop this love for him, Jane continued, “He would not want me to love him; and if I showed the feeling, he would make me sensible that it was a superfluity, unrequired by him, unbecoming in me.” (Chapter 35, pg 481) Therefore, Jane feels that if she married him, she would have to conceal any love her heart felt forever; that is, if such feelings were felt at all. So, due to this imprisonment that she'd experience if she married St. John, Jane refuses his proposal.
Throughout her work, Bronte uses incredibly detailed descriptions to help her readers form a better picture of whatever is described. One such example is, “the stream descending the ravine, swelled with past spring rains, poured along plentiful and clear, catching golden gleams from the sun, and sapphire tints from the firmament.” (Chapter 34, pg 464)
However, she uses imagery not only to describe the environment, but also to describe people. Mr. Rochester is often described as being fiery. On the other hand, Charlotte Bronte frequently compares St. John Rivers to ice, not only in his actions, but also in his feelings and speech.
Charlotte Bronte treats Jane with a compassionate and hopeful tone. Whenever Jane is experiencing hardship and trial, this becomes more noticeable. Bronte begins to describe Jane's emotions in such situations to help the audience better understand the way she's feeling. This is not only during physical hardships, but during emotional suffering as well, such as when Jane flees from Thornfield Hall, while she is still in love with Rochester. Charlotte Bronte chooses this attitude towards Jane to influence the readers into viewing her through the same sympathetic perspective.
The same night that Mr. Rochester proposes to Jane for the first time, half of the great horse-chestnut tree splits away, due to a bolt of lightning. This is foreshadowing of Jane “splitting” away from Mr. Rochester. Additionally, Jane's dream, in which she sits atop the remnants of Thornfield Hall, foreshadows its future destruction. Charlotte Bronte uses these two instances of foreshadowing to add excitement and anticipation to her novel, making it much more interesting to read.
