The One Against the Many
---- Jane Eyre, a woman who resisted her times

It is a sustaining social problem that the statues of women has remained to be lower than that of men. Although in the late 20th century feminist movements have begun to overspread in some countries, it is hard to change the fact that throughout history, women do not receive as much rights as men do, say nothing of the Victorian times. However, in such an era, there was an outstanding woman who betrayed the times she lived in ----Jane Eyre. All through her life, Jane has been fighting. She fought against her aunt and cousin when she was a little girl; she fought for true love and equality in the face of Mr. Rochester; and she fought to survive on her own as an independent individual. Unlike most of the so-called “ideal” woman of the Victorian era, she is a woman with conceptions of adamancy, equality and liberty, which were not features that a woman was supposed to have.
Adamancy
Childhood experiences as an orphan living under other’s roof had affected Jane a lot. It was at Gateshead that Jane learnt to hit back. It can be found at the very beginning of the novel that Jane Eyre had a soul of strong resistance. She fought back when John, who was much older and stronger, scolded her and hit her. She never gave in even when facing with her aunt Mrs. Reed. After Jane saw Helen was punished unfairly, she said “I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly. It is as natural as that I should love those who show me affection, or submit to punishment when I feel it is deserved.” These words show us a rebellious and firm girl who never yielded to the arbitrariness in the world. Jane Eyre was such an adamancy girl. Unlike most Victorian women who clung to their families, she dared to say no to people around her. She insisted to search for happiness though her own way and finally, she made it.
Equality
“I’m not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh;----it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal,-----as we are!” These very classic and impressive words are widely liked and quoted through decades because they express a feminist idea that men and women are born to be equal. In Victorian times, there were few women who have the courage to speak for themselves. They were the accessories of families without their own voice. But Jane was different. She was always calling for her right. She requested to be treated as an individual person, not a machine without feelings by saying what she wanted to say bravely to Mr. Rochester, whose social status is much higher than hers. Jane Eyre was a woman with dignity.
Liberty
Jane Eyre is one of the most independent women in lecture world. When she was young, grim life at Gateshead could not chain her. She found another world in books and set her heart free there. After finding out that Mr. Rochester had a mad wife, she chose to leave him to seek for freedom. In Victorian times, women were usually away from work. But Jane was always willing to make a living though her own labor. She worked at Thornfield as a governess, and when she was staying at Moor House, she asked St John Rivers to help her find a job. “I can live alone, if self-respect and circumstances require me so to do.” In these words, Jane Eyre was calling for a world where she could live and gain happiness thought her own efforts.

In conclusion, as a woman of the Victorian era, Jane Eyre is a rebel of her times. Although poor and humble, she fought bravely for her own rights. She had spent all her youth seeking for dignity and finally she had made it. So, Jane Eyre is not only a book about the affecting love between Jane and Mr. Rochester, but also about how a girl’ struggling to find out what makes a woman---- adamancy, equality and liberty. Jane Eyre is a real hero, a woman who dared to stand out and revolt all the locks and chains of her times.