Although most readers of Jane Eyre are enthralled by the illusion of suspense surrounding the climax of the novel and its subsequent falling action, Charlotte Brontë has, in fact, already delivered a subtle clue concerning her Jane’s fate through her use of a first-person narrative and her personal experiences in nineteenth century Victorian society. During this era, women were relegated to domestic tasks and frivolous hobbies meant to distract them from more satisfying aspirations such as authorship, which Jane, the novel’s protagonist, desires. However, the mere existence of the novel Jane Eyre foreshadows Jane’s eventual achievement of the personal agency that enables her to explore creative and intellectual gratification through her memoir …show more content…
While the Reeds, Jane’s closest relations, reluctantly accommodate young Jane at Gateshead, she misconstrues the concept of love as dependent on servitude and emotional restraint. Jane adapts this course of action following an altercation with her malicious cousin, John Reed, in retaliation for the years of injustice she has endured at his hands. Prejudiced maids haul Jane to the red-room for punishment, and in the midst of the transit, Jane blurts a question that identifies her innermost fear and frames the progression of the plot. “‘Master! How is he my master? Am I a servant?’” (Brontë 12). Jane’s outburst expresses the thematic premise of the novel and represents the initiation of growth along her character arc as she propels herself in the direction of her desires, whether or not she recognizes her intent to achieve them. Miss Abbott then responds that Jane holds a position even lower than a servant because she makes no contributions to the household that fosters her. Bessie, the second nursemaid, advises Jane to be “‘useful and pleasant’” instead of “‘passionate and rude’” (Brontë 13) if she wishes to remain at Gateshead in the good graces of her aunt, Mrs. Reed. Bessie’s guidance identifies the obstacles that prevent Jane from obtaining the desires she …show more content…
Jane’s lowly position in the Reed household cultivates her desire to break free from the Reed’s authority; consequently, Jane speaks frankly of her hatred for Mrs. Reed following her aunt’s pronouncement of Jane as a liar to Mr. Brocklehurst, the headmaster of Lowood School. Jane’s tirade shocks Mrs. Reed as well as herself in its vehemence, but her declaration and subsequent enlightenment demonstrate her potential for change along her character arc. “My soul began to expand, to exult, with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt. It seemed as if an invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into unhoped- for liberty” (Brontë 38). This victory strengthens Jane’s abhorrence for authority and encourages her to defy Victorian conventions on her quest for autonomy. At Lowood, Jane’s friend informs her that Miss Temple, the teacher in charge of the institution during Mr. Brocklehurst’s absences, “‘is above the rest, because she knows far more than they do’” (Brontë 53). As a result, Jane affirms that the path to autonomy can be achieved through a greater grasp of knowledge, and seeks to emulate Miss Temple in her pursuit of education. Eight years later, Miss Temple’s departure evokes