'The main interest of this novel is to be found in its depiction of social class'
Explore the methods in which writers use to present social class in light of this statement.

In the novel Jane Eyre there is an obvious divide of status between characters according to their class. To begin with, we learn that Jane is an orphan who is living with her aunt due to her uncles dying wish. Although she shares the same blood as her cousins and by relation they are all family, Jane is made to feel like an outsider. This is because she is an orphan being bought up in a wealthy family. "You ought to be aware, Miss, that you are under no obligations to Mrs.Reed: she keeps you: if she were to turn you off, you would have to go to the poor house." Throughout Jane's childhood she is constantly reminded by people around her that she is poor. Jane's own aunt and cousins consider her as a lower class than themselves and Jane recognises this believing that she is beneath others, even those living in the same household as her.

Living with the Reeds leads Jane to have a negative association with poverty, she believes it is always accompanied by unpleasantness. " Poverty looks grim to grown people; still more so to children: they have not much idea of industrious, working respectable poverty, they think of the world only as connected with ragged clothes, scanty food fire less grates , rude manners and debasing vices: poverty for me was synonymous with degradation." Even though Jane feels no love towards any of the Reeds she would refuse to live with poor relatives, even if she had any that expressed love towards her which is something she craves whilst living at Gateshead. The Reeds have taught Jane that poverty is immoral and she is lead to believe that poor people will always be degraded. Jane also expresses that she feels like a servant whilst living with the Reeds but she states " I should not like to belong to poor people" whilst living at Gateshead Jane does not consider herself to be poor, to Jane she would rather live as an outsider to her relatives that feel no love towards her than be poor.

Jane has access to a number of different economic classes and her status changes from when she is living in the Reed household to when she attends Lowood charity school. At Lowood school Jane is forced to live in a very harsh environment especially in comparison to the life she lived in Gateshead, Jane has to mix with a large number of other poor girls which brings her status in society further down the scale. Although Jane was an orphan at Gateshead and treated like a servant she lived a life of luxury when compared to the charity school. Charlotte Bronte uses Jane's character as an example to show that someone's class in society is not definite and a persons economic class has the ability to change.

Unlike the people around her, Jane does not judge people based on their economic class in society. For example, when living at Gateshead Jane forms an emotional attachment to Bessie. Although Bessie is a servant Jane has a strong attachment to her unlike any of the other wealthier members living in the household. This is because as a child Jane is denied love from her family and servant Bessie is the only one who gives her the affection and attention that she craves. Janes attachment to Bessie is similar to her admiration for Miss Temple at Lowood school who also is not of a high economic class. "Some heavy clouds, swept from the sky by a rising wind, had left the moon bare; and her light, streaming through a window near, shone full both on us and on the approaching figure, which we at once recognised as Miss Temple." Jane describes Miss Temple with a lot of admiration she almost likens her to an angel and her description of Miss Temple is somewhat God like. Jane does not base her relationships with people on economic class, it is almost as if she recognises the economic class system but chooses to look past the system when forming friendships with other people in society.

Although Jane's status has changed from when she was living with the Reeds ton when she attends Lowood school we do not see a change in her character. Jane remains the same person despite this change in class even though her status has dramatically changed. Charlotte Bronte shows that individuals should not be defined by their economic class and she uses Jane to represent that a persons economic class is not always as fixed as perhaps people in society would like it to be. In the novel class plays a big part in the way characters view one another, Jane is constantly degraded by those with a higher economic class than herself and although Jane does not judge people based on their class other characters judge her initially on her low status in society.