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A review by izythebizybee
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
4.0
Though Jane Eyre can be considered a romance novel, simply leaving it at that would be doing it a disservice.
When Jane first left Mr. Rochester after finding out about Bertha, I couldn’t help but feel inspired by her strength (and, consequently, ashamed at my lack thereof). I admired how she prioritized her needs not in a way that was selfish, but one that was righteous. When she returned to him, I felt dismayed at first. She had always longed for freedom and escape — things that I also often find myself drifting towards — and dismissing her earlier desires of fleeing temptation felt like a betrayal. But, even though she went back to him, this act, in the context of the book, demonstrates growth more than anything else. Yes, she longed for freedom and escape, things that couldn’t be realized if she married Mr. Rochester as a governess. These aspirations arose from her independence and self-reliance.
I don’t see Jane Eyre as a novel that I will remember for its romance. I think I will remember Jane Eyre for her strength and her mind’s originality.
P.S. I hate St. John. He is the true villain, worse than Mrs. Reed or Mr. Brocklehurst. While I do think his discipline is admirable, I find his narrow-mindedness to be stifling. Life is a balance between desires and duties, and he has all but forsaken the former. His painting of everything he wants as righteous and anything else as sinful is despicable. I was crying out loud for Jane not to join him and for her to see through his manipulation. “‘… do not forget that if you reject [my offer of marriage], it is not me you deny, but God… Refuse to be my wife, and you limit yourself forever to a track of selfish ease and barren obscurity.’”
P.P.S. I don’t think we talk enough about Bertha… I read that Mr. Rochester represented England and Bertha represented all the countries that Britain was trying to conquer; how, much like Mr. Rochester locked Bertha up and probably worsened her symptoms by doing so, Britain was forcing countries to be subservient and causing great harm. I can’t help but feel like Mr. Rochester’s role is overlooked in the story.
When Jane first left Mr. Rochester after finding out about Bertha, I couldn’t help but feel inspired by her strength (and, consequently, ashamed at my lack thereof). I admired how she prioritized her needs not in a way that was selfish, but one that was righteous. When she returned to him, I felt dismayed at first. She had always longed for freedom and escape — things that I also often find myself drifting towards — and dismissing her earlier desires of fleeing temptation felt like a betrayal. But, even though she went back to him, this act, in the context of the book, demonstrates growth more than anything else. Yes, she longed for freedom and escape, things that couldn’t be realized if she married Mr. Rochester as a governess. These aspirations arose from her independence and self-reliance.
I don’t see Jane Eyre as a novel that I will remember for its romance. I think I will remember Jane Eyre for her strength and her mind’s originality.
P.S. I hate St. John. He is the true villain, worse than Mrs. Reed or Mr. Brocklehurst. While I do think his discipline is admirable, I find his narrow-mindedness to be stifling. Life is a balance between desires and duties, and he has all but forsaken the former. His painting of everything he wants as righteous and anything else as sinful is despicable. I was crying out loud for Jane not to join him and for her to see through his manipulation. “‘… do not forget that if you reject [my offer of marriage], it is not me you deny, but God… Refuse to be my wife, and you limit yourself forever to a track of selfish ease and barren obscurity.’”
P.P.S. I don’t think we talk enough about Bertha… I read that Mr. Rochester represented England and Bertha represented all the countries that Britain was trying to conquer; how, much like Mr. Rochester locked Bertha up and probably worsened her symptoms by doing so, Britain was forcing countries to be subservient and causing great harm. I can’t help but feel like Mr. Rochester’s role is overlooked in the story.