Book: Jane Eyre

Author: Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is the story of a girl who is orphaned at a very young age. She is half-heartedly
adopted by an aunt by marriage. Jane suffers at the hands of her aunt and her cousins, and
later at the hands of the hypocritical headmaster of her school. Jane goes on to find
employment, and falls in love with her employer. The novel is about an intellectual and
passionate young woman, who refuses to surrender her strong sense of principles and
proves herself equal to all challenges.
Social/Historical context:
The novel was first published in 1847, under Charlotte Brontes pseudonym, Currer Bell. It
deals with contemporary issues and has much social commentary and criticism. It depicts
how society condemns women to a life of struggle, poverty and loneliness if they do not
have a male guardian. These women, though well educated, had a very limited choice of
employment. They often had to live on the charity of other people, and were made to feel
that society had no use for them.
My Thoughts:
Jane Eyre is a book that I have read again and again; every time it seems a little new. The
novel was published as an autobiography edited by Currer Bell, though it is actually a work
of fiction. But it seems as real as an autobiography, if we disregard all the coincidences and
clichs so typical of its times. When I read this book I feel like I am reading, and even
writing, a chapter out of my own life. It doesnt matter if the circumstances of Janes life
seem utterly far-fetched, very improbable, or impossibly remote. I can immerse myself in
Jane, and explore myself as she shows the way. Charlotte Bronte wrote fictional accounts of
her own childhood, education, and her experiences as a teacher in almost all of her novels.
The ill-kept school, the long-suffering friend, the passion for the employer- all these belong
in her own life. The character of Jane dominates the entire book. But the other characters
are also unforgettable- who can forget the madwoman in the attic. I hope that the men
who read this review dont get the impression that Jane Eyre is a novel written by a woman,
about a woman, for women, and appreciated only by female readers. It is a proto-feminist
text that deals with the problems faced by unattached women compelled to earn a living in
a hostile world. It is about identity, self-esteem, morality. As such, it has a universal appeal.