Convention vs. Self- Righteousness in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Essa

Jane Eyre - Janes Struggle Convention vs. Self- Righteousness In Charlotte Brontes novel Jane Eyre, the protagonist continually targets a struggle in decision reservation whether to live her life self-righteously, or whether to conform to societys demands and expectations. The imagery and biblical symbolism employed by the orchard scene of Chapter 8 show this struggle for Jane must decide whether to conform to society and reject Mr. Rochesters declaration of love, or to be true to herself and marry him. Throughout this scene, as in to the highest degree of the novel, Jane is portrayed as a wilful and self-principled individual. This quality carries her through this decision, as well as her other struggles such as in leaving Mr. Rochester decision making not to marry St. John and coming back to Mr. Rochester in the end. It is when Jane realizes that happiness is not a sin that she begins to embrace her own nature. Therefore, because Jane is true to herself in makin g these decisions, she is portrayed not as an immoral person, but as a self- righteous one. She lives for herself, not for religious prescriptions. Throughout the novel, Janes nature as a headstrong individual makes people question her morality. This is because she doesnt comply to norms of Victorian society, where women are subjugated to men. For instance, when Mr. Brockelhurst goes to Gateshead to see Jane, her up front manner seems to corroborate Mrs. Reeds allegations that she is a naughty chela (Bronte 41). This is because most girls in Victorian society, such as Georgiana, are raised as placid and reserved individuals. Similarly, in the orchard scene, this headstrong quality of Jane allows her to intercommunicate equally and truthfully to Mr. Rochester, an... ...om, Margaret. Charlotte Bronte. Boston Twayne Publishers, 1977. Bront, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York, Penguin Books, 1997. Eagleton, Terry. Jane Eyre A Negative Heroine. Modern Critical Interpretations Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia Chelsea House Publishers, 1987 29-46. Jane Eyre. Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 3. Ed. Laurie Lanzen Harris. Detroit Gale Research Company, 1982 42-3. McFadden-Gerber, Margaret. Critical Evaluation. Masterplots. Rev. 2nd edition. Vol. 6. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs capital of Oregon Press, 1996 3290-4. Mitchell, Sally. Jane Eyre. Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Vol. 3. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs Salem Press, 1983 297-302. Oates, Joyce Carol. Introduction. Jane Eyre. By Charlotte Bronte. New York Bantam Books, 1987 5-14.