Character development- Jane Eyre

  "And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose" (55).


When Jane was a child, she was impulsive and allows herself to express her feelings. For example, when Jane is talking to Helen Burns about the punishment that Helen is receiving, Jane openly says to Helen that if she were the one to be punished "I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose". As a child, Jane does not accept her place as one to be submissive. Being both a woman and someone of low class, Jane soon realizes that she has to submit to her authority. When Jane is Adele's governess, she obeys her master- as long as the situation is reasonable. When Mr. Rochester has his company over, he commands Jane to sit in the same room as them for the evening. Even though Jane does not wish to watch the company, or even socialize with the other women, she forces herself to obey her authority. The development in Jane's character makes her wise as an adult.

1 comment:

  1. I agree with your idea of Jane growing wiser as she becomes an adult. I believe that this is a development that every child must make if they want to be at all successful in this world. At the beginning of the novel I disliked Jane because of her insolence and lack of respect for authority. As she grew and learned to obey authority as you stated, I started to like Jane.

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