Jane Eyre’s parents left her almost immediately after her birth, leaving her as an

orphaned child under the protection of her Uncle Mr. Reed. However, after the death of

her uncle, Jane is left to be raised by Mrs. Reed, who has never quite liked young Jane.

Jane’s childhood is subjected to abuse and neglect by her Aunt Mrs. Reed and her son

John. In an effort to get rid of Jane, Mrs. Reed whisked her off to Lowood, a charity

school, to receive her education. After spending eight years at Lowood, Jane yearns for

new experiences. She accepts a job as a governess to teach a lively young French girl

named Adele in Thornfield. There, not only does she find happiness and romance, she is

also whisked into a dark secret that puts her and those she loves in grave danger.

Before I read Jane Eyre , I heard many rumors about it. Some students said it was

boring and tasteless, while some argued it was one of the best books they had read. I

have to admit, the beginning of Jane Eyre is slow. Bronte takes roughly 20 chapters to

move from Jane’s early life to the climax of when she develops into a woman. In my

opinion, it sure was a long wait, but it was worth it.

My favorite character from Jane Eyre is Helen Burns. She was Jane’s first friend in

Lowood. I admire her kind-hearted spirit and strong faith in God. Helen acts as a foil

character for Jane in terms of how Jane seeks the love of others and horde hatred for

her enemies, while Helen only seeks the love of God and learns to forgive those who

wronged her. Her in-depth discussions with Jane about goodness, love, and religion

unleashes these same questions in my own head.

‘Hush, Jane! you think too much of the love of human beings; you are too impulsive,

too vehement; the Sovereign hand that created your frame, and put life into it, has

provided you with other resources…Besides this earth, and besides the race of men,

there is an invisible world and a kingdom of spirits;…those spirits watch us, for they

are commissioned to guard us…and God waits only the separation of spirit from flesh

to crown us with a full reward.’

Other than religion and love, another main theme of the novel is the role of women.

Jane Eyre is one of the first books published written from the perspective of a woman.

Jane, a fierce, opinionated woman, is compared to the model Victorian woman. From as

early as her childhood, Jane has had to overcome societal judgements about who she

should become. Never has she listened to the destiny they paved out for her.

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent

will...

All in all, I would rate Jane Eyre a 8/10. Though I love Bronte’s beautiful use of syntax

and Jane’s character development, I am more of a fantasy romance lover who prefers

more face-paced action. I would recommend this novel to lovers of historical fiction as

Jane Eyre is set in a Victorian society and touches many pressing issues at the time

including gender roles, diseases, and religion.

Checkout Jane Eyre from the Newport Beach Public Library.