Approach for Jane Eyre: Philosophical Approach

A. Jane's view of life is to abide by God, and make choices that follow the church. Jane follows this view of life because she will not marry Rochester because it is against the church's rules to marry someone who is already married.

B. Jane respects God and is committed to the church. The universe is not as big of a factor as God in this novel.

C. The moral statement of this story is that to Jane, following the church was more important then love. It is explicit because Jane makes the decision to leave Rochester.

D. The author thinks that fate will play a big role in life. Jane hears Rochester calling for her. Therefore she goes back to him and they are free to get married. The author appreciates fate making a happy ending. The author also respects God because Jane is strict about the rules of the church.

E. The conception of good and evil in this novel was Jane choosing Rochester over St. John. Jane chose the good choice, Rochester, instead of the evil side, St. John.

F. The novel had no obvious section with defining good and evil.

G. The work suggests that everyone makes mistakes, which is a big part of being human. Also, it shows that humans return to what feels right. Jane returns to Rochester in the end, because it felt like the right thing to do.

Thesis: Love is hard to maintain with morals and values lingering in the mind, but in the end love will always find its way.

Jane Eyre Post #11: Coflict and Climax

A conflict is the forces that go against the protagonist and prevents them from accomplishing their goal. The conflict in the novel is that Jane cannot be with Rochester because she cannot lose her integrity, or marry him without moral regret. The reason of the conflict is Bertha Mason. As long as she remains in the story, they cannot get married. Therefore, the conflict is external because of this women standing in the way. An external conflict is when outside forces conflict with the protagonist. The conflict can only be resolved is Rochester ends his marriage somehow, or if Bertha dies. Eventually, Bertha dies in a fire, so the conflict can finally be resolved.

The climax is the highest point of action. The climax in this novel is when St. John asks Jane to go to India with him and marry him. Since Jane is being controlled by St. John, she almost agrees. However, she hears a voice in the distance. The voice is Rochester's, calling her name. She suddenly realizes that marrying St. John would be a mistake. If she would have gone with St. John, then her life would have become bitter and cold. She then goes to find Rochester, and resolves the conflict completely.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eye Post #10: Minor Character Overview

St. John Rivers was a cold and distant man. He was consumed in doing religious tasks. He was very controlling of Jane, as well. He was going to go to India to do missionary work, and he wanted poor Jane to go with him and be his wife. St. John seemed to be one of the darkest characters in the novel because he almost caused Jane to have a horrible and bitter life. However, Jane denied his request and he went to India alone. He was a big antagonist in the story.

Another antagonist in the story was Mr. Brocklehurst. He was not a big role in the story, but he made Jane's life very unpleasant. He was the principal of the school Jane attended. When Jane drops a trey near Mr. Brocklehurst, he erupts at her. He places her on a stool and declares in front of the whole school she is a liar and careless. He also tells the students not to talk to her for the rest of the day. This influences Jane a lot because now she is very self conscious. Mr. Brocklehurst made Jane's life horrible.

Instead of an antagonist, this character is kind to Jane. Helen Burns is a dear friend to poor Jane when she attends school. Helen represents one of few people who befriend Jane and care for her. She is important to the story because she is one of Jane's only friends. However, she falls ill and this is a very sad moment for Jane. Helen says that she is happy that she is dying with no pain, and teaches Jane a lesson about death. When Helen dies, Jane is holding her. Helen was a big deal in Jane's childhood.


Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #9: Main Character Overview

Jane Eyre was the protagonist. She was raised by a cruel aunt and bullying cousins. Eventually, she went off to school. She was very smart and taught at the school after she completed her learning there. She then went to Thornfield to be a governess. She meets the owner of Thornfield and does not like him much to begin with. Overtime, she warms up to Rochester and then develops feelings for him. When she is to marry him, she learns he is already married. She cannot lose her integrity and marry an already wed man. She leaves him, but she remains in love with him. Jane ends up being cared for by three siblings. They are the Rivers. She learns they are their cousins and shared her inheritance from their uncle with them. She is tempted to marry St. John, but she is lured away from him because she hears Rochester's voice in the distance. She goes to find him and finds out his wife dies. They can finally marry and they have a son together! She went from lonely orphan, to a women with a family and friends. She never lost her integrity, but still remained able to marry her love!

Edward Rochester was a rich man who fell in love with his governess, Jane. He started out as a heir to his brother who owned Thornfield. He was forced to marry by his father. He married Bertha Mason, who went insane few years later. Rochester tried to marry Jane, but he was stopped by his brother-in-law. Mr. Mason told everyone the truth of Rochester's current marriage. This caused Jane to leave and his life to become bitter. However, during a fire, Rochester tried to save all in his manor, but he did not manage to save Bertha. Bertha died, and Rochester was blinded and lost a hand, but he was allowed to wed Jane. He called for her, but knew should would not hear it. Little did he know, she did. Jane came to him and they got married and has a son. He gained sight in one eye to see his son. He eventually got to marry his true love!

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #8: Novel Reflecting History

There are many subjects in this novel that can reflect the time frame in which it was written. One historical value I saw in the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte was mistreatment of lower class. Orphans were considered low class. When Jane went to Lowood, the school for orphan girls, the treatment there was not very good. They often got sick in the school because of the low health conditions. One of Jane's friends died because of the conditions there! However, they got a new principal and that made conditions much better.

Another historical reflection the novel had was religion. The novel showed how important religion was in that time. There were many times when Jane prayed and praised to God. There were also many other references to religion. St. John went to India to fulfill his religious duties. Also, when Jane went to marry Rochester both times, it was in a church. Nowadays, people can marry wherever they please. Jane also had a moral conflict to marry Rochester since he was already married. This shows Jane knew religion was important enough to not marry a man that is already wed. Another historical reference to religion was when Jane's cousin, Eliza, went to join a convent. She eventually became a important nun. Obviously, religion was very important in that time.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #7: Author's Techniques

There are many techniques an author can use to keep the readers attentive in a novel. In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, she uses many techniques. One technique Bronte uses is suspense. The reader must keep reading the novel to find out the fate of Jane. The suspense starts after Jane's attempted marriage. The reader must keep reading to find out if Jane and Rochester ever meet again, or if they die alone and unhappy.
Mystery is also used. Mystery is much like suspense in a novel. The mystery is overpowering and the reader must find out what is happening behind the mystery. The mystery in the novel that kept me reading was when Mr. Mason declared that Rochester was married to his sister. Rochester led the audience of the marriage to his home, where Bertha was hidden away. This mystery needed to be solved, so the reader had to keep reading. Another part of the novel when mystery was used, was around the climax. St. John wanted Jane to come with him to do missionary work in India. The mystery was mixed with suspense, so the reader had to see if Jane would really go to India with St. John. Suddenly, Jane heard the voice of her forbidden lover, and knew it was the wrong choice to go to India with St. John.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #6: Why is the Novel Timeless?

What makes Jane Eyre timeless? A novel is timeless for many reasons. The theme, characters, conflict, or other things. This novel represents a love story that is ripped apart by self respect and lies , then pieced back together in the end. It is one a few novels that has a truly happy ending that people love to read, although it is over one hundred years old! I believe that the characters in this novel help make it timeless.

Jane is an orphan. She is an underdog who gets mistreated by her aunt and cousins. That is not a huge problem for Jane because she stands up for herself. Jane is also plain and intelligent. I think that many people can relate to her because she is an average girl rising up from a bad situation. Anyway, Jane falls in love with Rochester. She is lied to, and refused to break her morals by marring a man that is already married. More people can relate to Jane since she is practically being cheated on. However, she forgives him in the end. There are many people out in the world that can read this book and feel the same that Jane felt. Therefore, she is a timeless character that can always remain a character readers can relate to.

Rochester is also a timeless character. He is trapped in a marriage he does not want to be in. Not only does he not love Bertha, she is completely insane. Rochester falls in love with Jane, knowing he is still married. He loves Jane, so he tries to marry her anyway. When his secret is uncovered, he does not care, he still wants to marry Jane. However, Jane leaves him. He waits for her. The common reader can relate to Rochester, because anyone who has tried to cover up a lie, will know how he feels. Rochester's character also relates to the novel being timeless, as you can see.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #5: Behavioral and Social Issues + Symbolic and Thematic Significance

There are few behavioral issues in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. One is the strange way Rochester denies Jane to know about his marriage. Rochester asks Jane to ignore his marriage. This is strange behavior because if Rochester would have acted differently upon the situation, Jane might have stayed with him. Another behavioral issue in the novel is about Bertha. Bertha behaves badly since she has gone mad. Her behavior leads to her death and the blinding and lose of a hand to Rochester. Her behavior was insane, so it hurt many people. Some social issues of the story was when Jane was jealous of Blanche. Jane though Rochester would marry Blanche because of her social class. This showed that social class was very important in that time, even so important that one might choose it over true love.

This book symbolized few things as well. It symbolizes that if you are kind and selfless, you can have a happy ending. Jane never let anyone walk on her, and she never took advantage of someone else. She also shared her wealth with her cousins. Therefore, she got the happy ending with Rochester she did not expect. This book symbolizes that one can have a happy ending if they are kind and do not expect anything in return. Another thing the book symbolizes is you can keep integrity and love in the end. At first, Jane did not marry Rochester because she did not want to lose her integrity although she was in love. In the end, she had her integrity, and gained her love back. The thematic significance is basically the same as the symbolic significance. One can keep love and integrity in the end, as long as you never gave it away.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #4: Hero

In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the hero is obviously Jane Eyre. Jane is independent and intelligent. She also is mild-mannered and plain. She does not let people walk all over herself, which is very admirable. She is not afraid to love, but she does not want to lose her integrity in the process. These traits are one of a hero because they help her accomplish goals in the novel. She accomplishes winning the heart of Rochester, over the shallow and beautiful Blanche. She also does not let Rochester off easy when he kept his wife secret from her. She left him because she is strong and wanted to keep her integrity. This was a hard thing for Jane to do, so the readers should admire her self respect. She also is caring and accomplished winning the love of her cousins when she shares her fortune with them. This is a selfless act of a hero in my opinion. Jane is definitely the hero in the novel because she constantly fights the conflict of her forbidden love with Rochester. In the story, she is portrayed as an underdog who ends up with a happy ending. Jane is a great and heroic figure in the story.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #3: Universal theme and Human Nature

The theme of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is love and integrity. The theme relates to Jane and Rochester's marriage conflict. Jane wants to marry Rochester, but she does not want to lose her integrity. If she marries a man with a wife, she will be considered a mistress. A mistress seems to be a women who is not as good as a wife. That is not what Jane wants to be considered, so she will not marry Rochester until he is not married to Bertha any longer. Therefore, the theme would be: Would you rather possess love, or maintain integrity?

Charlotte Bronte understands human nature very well. She knows that many women would not like to marry a man that is currently married. She understands that there are many independent women that would not stand to have a man that lied to them and wants to be married to two women, although one is not in the right mental state. Bronte also understands that a man with a insane wife would want to hide her as long as possible from a women he wants to marry. Bronte knew that a man would just put it off until the truth was uncovered. She also knew that true love cannot be separated forever. Therefore, Bronte knew much about the works of human nature.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #2: Causes, Gains, and Losses

There are many losses in the novel Jane Eyre. One loss in the novel deals with Jane losing one of her good friends to illness. Jane did not have many friends, so the loss of, Helen, was a big deal to Jane. Helen looked at the situation positively. She said she would like to die with minimal pain, and she did. This was still a big loss to Jane. Another loss that occurred in the novel was Rochester losing Jane. During their wedding, Rochester's big secret was revealed. He could not marry Jane since he already had a wife. Therefore, Jane left him and set off on her own. Rochester did not marry anyone else when Jane was gone, because he only loved her. This was a huge lose to Rochester because he lost the love of his life.

There were many gains in the story as well. One gain was when Jane learned that she had family. When she left Rochester, she ran into the three Rivers siblings. They took care of her and helped her make a living. One day, St. John tells Jane that a women named Jane Eyre had a uncle that left her inheritance. Jane was hiding her true identity, but then uncovered her true self once St. John told her this. They discovered that Jane's Uncle John was the same Uncle John the River's siblings had. Jane gained cousins! Jane had a huge gain when she learned she had family. Another gain was when Rochester and Jane finally married each other. After a year, Rochester's secret wife, Bertha, had tragically died in a fire. Therefore, Jane could finally marry him. This was a huge gain because true love could finally reunite! As you can see, there were countless gains and losses in the novel!

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Post #1: Author's Attitude and Values

An author's attitude can be related to the tone of the author. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, her tone is fanciful and erudite. The attitude Bronte has is fanciful because she uses imagination when she writes. Bronte does not write directly and plainly to get to the point. She uses figurative language that remains imaginative and creative. She also writes with an erudite attitude because she writes like she knows what she is talking about. Although she uses creativity, she remains scholarly and intelligent. Therefore, she writes with a fanciful, yet erudite attitude and tone.

Bronte has many common values she shared within the novel. In the beginning of the story, Jane is headstrong and does not let herself be bullied by her cousins. When her cousin, John, throws a book at her, Jane gets angry with him. Jane insults him and yells at him, therefore she is standing up for herself. Obviously, Bronte values the bullied to stand up for themselves. Another value of Bronte's was inner beauty. She showed this when Rochester chooses plain Jane over the beautiful Blanche. Rochester valued Jane's intelligence and charm over Blanches beauty and social class. One last value Bronte has is love. When Jane and Rochester are forbidden to marry because of Rochester's secret marriage to Bertha, they still hear each others voice after a year and carryout their marriage. This shows that they are truly in love when they hear each others voices, almost magically.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.