2024年3月16日发(作者：)

An Analysis of Jane Eyre’s Personality in Jane Eyre

对《简·爱》中人物简爱性格的分析

摘 要

《简爱》是英国著名的作家夏洛蒂·勃朗特根据她的自身经历写的一部小说，

也是她的成名作。它在英国文学史上占有重要地位。小说所写的是一位坚强独立

的女性，她追求真爱，平等，是女性的楷模。作者在其作品中成功的塑造了英国

文学史中第一个对爱情，生活，社会以及宗教采取了独立自主积极进取态度和敢

于斗争，敢于争取自由平等的女性形象—简·爱。简·爱鲜明的性格特征给广大

读者留下了深刻的印象。

这篇论文主要结合简·爱的生活经历，分析她正面和负面的双重性格特征，

使人们更深地了解《简爱》及其现实意义。旨在给生活在现代女性提出建议，即

使现在女性地位有所改善，但由于保守的习俗根深蒂固，女性应该更勇敢，更锲

而不舍的反抗那些不合理习俗。

关键词：夏洛蒂·勃朗特；简·爱；双重性格

I

安阳师范学院人文管理学院本科毕业论文

Abstract

Jane Eyre was written in 1846 by the famous British writer Charlotte Bronte,

which was based on her own experiences. It is also her masterpiece. The novel enjoys

a high appraisal in English literature. The novel depicts an independent and tough

woman who pursues equality and true love. The author successfully portrayed a great

female image—Jane Eyre. The bright characters of the heroine give readers a deep

impression.

This paper gives an analytical study of dual characters of Jane Eyre, so as to help

people understand Jane Eyre deeper and comprehend its realistic significance more.

The author of this thesis aims to gives advice to modern women, although women’s

status is improved now, the conservative conventions is deep and ingrained root.

Women should have the courage to fight against the conservative conventions.

Key Words: Charlotte Bronte; Jane Eyre; dual Characters

II

Contents

摘 要 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. I

Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................................................... II

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Introduction to Charlotte Bronte ....................................................................... 1

1.2 Introduction to Jane Eyre .................................................................................. 1

2. An Analysis of the Personality of Jane Eyre .................................................................................... 2

2.1 Jane Eyre’s Positive Personality ....................................................................... 3

2.1.1 Jane Eyre’s Independence ....................................................................... 3

2.1.2 Jane Eyre’s Pursuit of Equality ............................................................... 4

2.1.3 Jane Eyre’s Pursuit of Liberty ................................................................. 4

2.1.4 Her Pursuit of True Love ........................................................................ 5

2.2 Jane Eyre’s Negative Personality ...................................................................... 6

2.2.1 Jane Eyre’ 6

2.2.2 Jane Eyre’s Worship of Traditional Marriage ......................................... 7

3. Causes of Jane Eyre’s Personality ................................................................................................................ 8

3.1 Causes of Jane Eyre’s Positive Personality ....................................................... 8

3.1.1 Influence of Jane Eyre’s Sufferings ........................................................ 8

3.1.2 Influence of Social Background in Victorian Age .................................. 8

3.2 Causesof Jane Eyre’s Negative Personality ...................................................... 8

3.2.1 Influence of Jane Eyre’s Plain Appearance ............................................. 9

3.2.2 Influence of Charlotte Bronte ................................................................. 9

4. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................................................... 12

uction

1.1 Introduction to Charlotte Bronte

Charlotte Bronte (April 21, 1816~March 31, 1855) is an English writer, she is

famous for her novel Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is written in 1847, Charlotte Bronte is

sister of Anne Bronte and Emily Bronte. The three sisters are as famous for their

tragic, short lives as for their novels. In the past 40 years Charlotte Bronte’s reputation

has risen rapidly, and feminist criticism has done much to show that she was speaking

up for oppressed women of every age. Another typical work of Charlotte is Shirley,

Shirley described the workers’ movement in 19 century. Charlotte was born in the

north of England, she is the daughter of an Anglican clergyman. The Anglican

clergyman moved with his family to Haworth amid the Yorkshire moors in 1820.

After their mother and two eldest children died, Charlotte was left with her sisters

Emily and Anne and brother Branwell to take care of their father, their religious, strict

aunt. Charlotte attended the Clergy Daughter’s School at Cowan Bridge in 1824.

Because of the harsh conditions, she returned home next year. In 1831, She went to

school at Roe Head, at there Charlotte Bronte worked as a teacher. However, she fell

bad, suffered from melancholia, and gave up this post. Charlotte’s attempts to earn her

living as a governess.

The collection of poems, Poems by Currer, Ellis And Acton Bell(1846), which

Charlotte Bronte wrote with her sisters, sold only two copies. By this time she had

finished a novel, The Professor, but during her lifetime, it never found a publisher.

Undeterred by this rejection, Charlotte began Jane Eyre, which appeared in 1847, Jane

Eyre became an immediate success. Her works are all about some lonely and

neglected young woman with a fierce longing for love, understanding and a full,

happy life.

1.2 Introduction to Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre has high appraisal in literature history. It is the typical work of

Charlotte Bronte. This work narrates Jane Eyre’s life experiences. Jane Eyre is an

orphan, when she was very little, she is ill-treated. But at last, she became an

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independent woman. When she was born, she is unlucky. She was sent to her uncle’s

family because she lost her parents. In the family, she was ill-treated. She is timid,

little, ugly and is a “little thing”. She has no clear identity. The power presses her,

strangles her personality. Although the reality is cruel, Jane Eyre is not destroyed by it.

And, she learns how to live, she becomes strong. She struggles against the pressure in

life and the cruel, she take her courage to struggle with the reality. She shows a

completely new woman image. She is very brave, independent, calm and ration.

This paper also presents Jane Eyre’s viewpoint about love. Jane Eyre is very

poor, she has nothing but the power of individual spirit. She thinks love must be based

on equality. Love needs equality. Jane Eyre denies the inequality of marriage. Jane

Eyre pursues equality on social status, economy and personality. She believes in

equality between men and women.

2. A Detailed Analysis of the Personality of Jane Eyre

The Industrial Revolution opened up a new world for lower-class women,

offering them new factory jobs. But it did not do much good for the middle class. A

single woman at this economic level still could not have a good job, there are only

one job for these woman: governess. Jane Eyre is pretty attractive. Jane Eyre is a kind

girl with soft heart who always brings love to people around her, she helps Helen

Burns and Mr. Rochester when they are in trouble. Her self-respect is related to her

life environment. She is plain but aspiring, her figure is small but her soul is huge. In

Jane Eyre’s opinion, everyone is the same at God’s feet. Though there are differences

in property, appearance and also status, all the human beings are equal in personality.

Jane Eyre is exposed to a bad environment but continuously and fearlessly struggling

for her ideal life. Jane shows her determination in pursuing her self-esteem and

independence at every stage of her life, both in struggling with social pressure and

resisting the temptation of passion and love. And Jane is a straight person, she never

flatters others, for example, she hates her aunt, so she told her the truth and when Mr.

Rochester asked her if he is handsome, she answered “no” without any hesitation.

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Jane is tolerant, although her aunt hurt her deeply, she can forgive her aunt. She has

sense and morality, when she knows Mr. Rochester was a married man, she leaves Mr.

Rochester resolutely. Jane is strong and brave, she is very kind. Her idea of equality

and self-respect impress us so much and let us feel the power inside her body. Under

the pressure of life, Jane Eyre is hard-working. She is wisdom. Although Jane Eyre

has little figure, she never gives in on her way. She is very loyal to her true love. She

is the master of her own life. She deserves to be loved.

Jane Eyre has the character of female consciousness. She is a small, plain-faced

orphan-girl, but she is smart, independent and passionate. In the novel, Jane Eyre’s

bright characters give readers a deep impression

.

On the one hand, Jane Eyre is calm

and independent. On the other hand, she is self-abased and conventional.

2.1 Jane Eyre’s Positive Personality

Jane is independent and brave. After she knows she has fallen in love with her

host, whose condition differs from hers deeply, she thinks that people are equal

spiritually. Her courage to love a rich gentleman is like a beggar hopes to be the king.

2.1.1 Jane Eyre’s Independence

Being an orphan, she is poor and lonely in the world. She seems doomed to have

a life of failure. Her aunt Reed and her cousins treat her cruelly as an alienation. They

deepen her determination of rebellion. She realizes that she will never find a true

sense of home, she will never find a true sense of community, she feels the need of

belonging, to find “skin,” or at least “kindred spirits.” The “red-room” life deepens

her courage in resisting her aunt’s unfair punishment, which foreshadows Jane’s

independence or rebelliousness. The experience at Gatehead makes her realize that

she needs equality and freedom. The unfortunate experience at Gatehead makes her

realize it is not necessary to fear authority. As an orphan, she was sent into Gateshead

Hall of her uncle Mr. Reed. However, after Mr. Reed’s death, her aunt, Mrs. Reed

treats her cruelly. Jane suffers lots of abuse, her cousins also found pleasure in teasing

and mocking her. Though living under this circumstance, Jane did not surrender. After

a series of sharp conflicts with the families, Jane was sent to Lowood school, a school

for orphans. Jane studied as a student for 8 years and worked as a teacher for 2 years

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there. Later, she accepted a governess position at a manor called Thornfield, where

she taught a lively French girl. She rarely gained love and warmth from the family

and lived her childhood unhappily. In a word, Jane Eyre starts her life without parents,

money and good family environment.

2.1.2 Jane Eyre’s Pursuit of Equality

Jane Eyre insists on pursuing equality throughout her whole life. She struggles to

overcome oppression and achieve equality. Because of the class hierarchy, she has to

fight against those who believe women are inferior to men. There are three people

who threaten her, Mr. Brocklehurst, Edward Rochester, and St John Rivers, who want

to keep Jane Eyre in a submissive position, make her unable to express her thoughts

and feelings. In her quest for independence, she has to escape Brocklehurst, reject St

John and comes to Rochester after ensuring that they may marry as equals. She

spends at Moor House during this time. She doesn’t depend on Rochester for love, she

can be financially independent. Finally, Rochester is bind, Jane becomes his wife.

Women are supposed to be ordinary, they need to stay at home. If they want to do

more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex, they are not

allowed. After a long time, Jane becomes a maternal, independent, sensitive and

artistic young women. Jane refused to marry to Rochester because she understands

she must forfeit her independence in the unions and marry Rochester when she has

attained financial independence to maintain a marriage of equality.

2.1.3 Jane Eyre’s Pursuit of Liberty

In order to lead a life of independence, Jane Eyre worked at Thornfield Hall. She

was looked down upon by the rich ladies of the society, but Jane never despised

herself. She was proud of her work. Rochester was attracted to her qualify, strong

personality, courage, and independence, he even fell in love with her. But Jane makes

it clear to him, “ Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am

soulless and heartless?” she cries, “You think wrong. I have as much soul as you—

and full as much heart! And if god had gifted me with some beauty, and much wealth,

I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I

am not talking to you through the medium of custom, conversation, nor even of

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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!” (Charlotte Bronte,

2006:9). Equality is what she strives for, and in him she strives for. Without Rochester,

her material life can’t be affected, but she can not part from Rochester in spirit and

emotion. Jane loves Rochester, she feels they are kind by nature, Rochester is the first

person to offer Jane lasting love. Rochester offers Jane a real home. Rochester is

superior to Jane socially and economically. In Victorian period, men were considered

to be naturally superior to women. Jane decides to leave Rochester after she knew

Rochester has a mad wife, she doesn’t want to be his mistress, she doesn’t want to

lose her dignity.

In Victorian era women was arranged by wealth and class. Jane’s independence

could have been considered a huge accomplishment. If Jane had stayed at Lowood,

she could have never met Rochester. In a Marxist point of view Jane’s separation from

her social structure, marked by her unique boldness, helps her succeed over the

average woman in Victorian era. If Jane had stayed at Lowood, she would have never

met her emotional success. She is searching for the strong bonds in family. Jane

naturally could not be confined to a dull place. In a Marxist point of view, the average

woman would be content with her position in life. She had food and a roof over her

head. Before this, she had nothing. Jane’s idea of success led her to Rochester and the

love she never had. Jane’s unique traits of boldness, courage, strong will all help her

succeed in her time. But Charlotte Bronte wants to express the restrictions upon

women during that time. By expressing these hardships she writes a work and defines

the hardship of her social structure due to the economic base of its time. Although

Victorian era has long since passed, Jane Eyre’s character traits have not. In each

person, we can find strong will, courage, and boldness. Though her story, her traits

still live on, and still lead to success.

2.1.4 Her Pursuit of True Love

Love is the most beautiful thing in the world. There is no difference in front of

true love. True love should not be measured by social status, fortune, age, rights. Most

people like to pursue very romantic love. But I think, it is very important for a man

5

and woman to have the same aim and find a perfect response. Shakespeare said, “The

course of true love never did run smooth.” (Shakespeare,1996:31) Jane and Rochester

find true love after a lot of sufferings.

When Jane finds her falls in love with Mr. Rochester, who has wisdom and rich

experience, she is not afraid. Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester have large social status

disparity, but Jane dares to love Mr. Rochester. She believes everyone is equal. Mr.

Rochester does not know whether Jane loves him, so he pretends to marry a rich

woman. And the woman is very noble. When Jane hears this news, she is very angry.

She pursues equality, not wealth; She pursues the equal combination of two hearts,

not position. After she knows Mr. Rochester has a wife, she leaves Thornfield, but she

finally goes back to Thornfield. At that time. Mr. Rochester has bad health and

becomes blind, she still loves to accompany him.

2.2 Jane Eyre’s Negative Personality

On the one hand, Jane Eyre is calm, rational, and independent. On the other hand,

she is self-abased and conventional.

2.2.1 Jane Eyre’s Self-abasement

Self-abasement is a normal psychology for every person. To some extent, it can

make us have a clear judgment on ourselves. Self-abasement is not frightening. The

vital thing is how we defeat it and walk out of its shadow. But Jane Eyre can not go

out of this shadow, it surpasses the normal degree, it becomes a fixed factor in her

character. It always perplexes her.

Jane Eyre feels she is not good-looking, she feels tiny and low about her

out-looking. It shows that she is self-contemptuous. In Thornfield, When Rochester

shows her his love she shows self-contemptuous again. What makes her suspect

Rochester’s love is her self-abased mood. When she faces Miss Ingram, Jane is

hesitant. Miss Ingram is beautiful and wealthy. Jane Eyre compares herself with Miss

Ingram, then makes a conclusion “He can not love me forever”. Jane is not brave

enough, she pursues the equality. After Jane and Rochester fall in love with each other

and get ready to got married, she unfortunately come to know that Rochester had got a

legal wife, she seems to be the shadow following Rochester, and it leads to

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Rochester’s moodiness all the time. At that time, the wedding is canceled. Rochester

wants Jane to accompany him to the south of France, at France they would live as

husband and wife, though they could not be married. Although Jane still loves

Rochester, she refuses. She refuses to betray the God-given morals and principles she

has always believed in—“I care for myself. Not having a friend more as being lonelier,

the more wanting self-respect, as not having person help, our more” (Charlotte Bronte,

2006:11). Most of us think the sentences express Jane as the master of herself, and she

is very independent. But I think, the action shows her inactive attitude towards her

love. For the future, she is not confident. She loves Rochester but she is not brave

enough. She is not brave to express her love, the love is not strong enough to let her

fight against convention and secular vision. So, she chooses to flee from there.

Knowing Rochester’s misfortune, Jane decides to stay with him forever. But Jane

still chooses to leave when Rochester needed her most. So, we can see, Jane is not

brave to fight for her love. She compromises to the traditional concept of marriage.

Jane’s love is controlled by other things and other people.

2.2.2 Jane Eyre’s Worship of Traditional Marriage

Jane resists to put her marriage on the religious. She can’t give up her deep love

to Rochester, she can’t stand a marriage without love. Her love for Mr. Rochester has

nothing to do with appearance, prosperity, social status and other such things, just for

love. Her love needs courage to break traditional concepts. She dares to speak out her

love for Mr. Rochester but gives up the love for personal quality.

But Jane Eyre yields to traditional marriage which lets us feel disappointed. Jane

thinks Bertha Mason represents the will of law. What she needs to do is to give up.

She has no chance to strive for love. Because of her worship of traditional marriage,

she has no courage to pursue her love. She decides to leave Rochester. At the end, she

becomes the loyal defender of traditional marriage.

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3. Causes of Jane Eyre’s Personality

3.1 Causes of Jane Eyre’s Positive Personality

Jane has a plain character, she is attractive. She is a kind girl with soft heart. She

pursues equality and the equal combination of two hearts. She is poor but aspiring,

small in figure but huge in soul.

3.1.1 Influence of Jane Eyre’s Sufferings

Jane Eyre is an orphan, since early childhood, she feels deserted, exiled. The

cruel treatment she receives from her cousins and her Aunt Reed makes her feel lonely.

Being worried about not going to find a true sense of home, Jane feels the necessity of

finding a home. Then, Jane is sent away to Lowood School, at there she wants to

enrich herself with knowledge and learns practical skills for women in that age. In

order to cover her shortage, Jane smartly endeavors to gain more aesthetic female

accomplishment, which includes speaking French, playing the piano. In the end, Jane

is almost versatile.

3.1.2 Influence of Social Background in Victorian Age

In Britain, Victorian time is a great era. Victorian spirit is still influencing Britain

until now. The former British prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher has ever said that

Victorian value is the value of British prosperous age. Because the prosperity of the

society, the release of productive forces, those middle class has leisure time, so they

can arrange their time. People are influenced by the leading ideological trend of

utilitarianism, seeking the spirit of universal fraternity and democracy.

In Britain, at that time, the only occupation for women was teaching as school

mistresses or serving as governesses in private families. In Victorian time, the moral

code for women was that they should remain ignorant. So, in the novel, young girls,

who went out alone in the world and suffered various trials, temptation and miseries,

had been popular in England for over a century. Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre

challenged the traditional discrimination to women.

3.2 Causes of Jane Eyre’s Negative Personality

Jane Eyre’s plain appearance and the author’s personal experience lead to Jane

8

Eyre’s negative Characters.

3.2.1 Influence of Jane Eyre’s Plain Appearance

Appearance is very important for woman. When people evaluate a woman,

appearance is very important. Jane Eyre is weak and short. In childhood, Jane Eyre is

deeply self-abased for her appearance. When she sees her beautiful cousins, she thinks

“I know that had I been a sanguine, brilliant, careless, exacting, handsome, romping,

child-though equally dependent and would have endured my

presence more complacently; her children would have entertained for me more of the

cordiality of fellow-feeling; the servants would have been less prone to make me the

scapegoat of the nursery.”(Charlotte Bronte, 2006:44) She thinks the reason why

people do not like her is because her appearance. It makes her feel more self-abased.

When punishes her, she thinks it is very natural. She thinks Ingram is very

beautiful. She feels self-abasement. She thinks she cannot complete with Ingram. She

hides herself.

3.2.2 Influence of Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre has lots of similarities with Charlotte Bronte. Her experiences are the

mirror of Charlotte Bronte. They have similar family background, similar boarding

school experiences, similar feminism, similar vision of love and similar appearance.

They are both normal, Jane is an orphan, Charlotte Bronte’s mother died when she

was very young. They both live their life by working as a governess. In a word, Jane

Eyre reflects Charlotte Bronte in many ways. She is eager to have a warm family even

though she had experienced so many difficulties before that. She puts her experiences

to Jane’s growth to make her strong and tough, letting her overcome hardship before

she got her happiness. Jane Eyre’s life was Charlotte’s ideal life. Though there are a

lot of sufferings, there are still a happy ending waiting for her, which is the reward of

her determination.

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4. Conclusion

Jane Eyre is the famous work of Charlotte Bronte. Jane is such a great woman, for

she dares to challenge people’s traditional opinions. Her so many beautiful

personalities make her a charming woman. From a weak small orphan girl in lower

class. Jane Eyre ultimately gains a happy life. It is seldom is British society as that

time, especially she owns nothing, has a plain appearance. The success she has gained

wholly decided by her hardworking and lasting pursuit. In Jane’s path of life, Jane

dares to rebel and struggle for equality, freedom and happiness. When Jane knows

Rochester has already got married, she is able to control herself better than many men

who would never be able to. Jane does not want to be Rochester’s mistress. Although

Jane gets heavy hit, but she leaves resolutely, poor, lonely and homeless. She thinks

she can live by herself. She is not only realistic but also ideal, self-confident but shy

before strangers. Charlotte Bronte gives Jane a character that full of contrasts, and

Jane Eyre really has a complex character. She learns how to live because of her

childhood’s environment. And Jane Eyre’s growing experience makes her wise and

smart. She thinks self-respect is necessary. Jane Eyre denies the inequality of

marriage. She pursues the equality between man and women. Though social condition

influenced her, she has some negative characters—too devout, self-contemptuous. She

is still a great woman. Although Jane Eyre is a girl with little figure, she is strong

inside. She never gives in to pursue her true love.

10

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Acknowledgments

First of all, I would like to express my thanks to all those people who helped me

during the writing of this paper. Without their help, this thesis would have been

impossible.

I am extremely grateful to my tutorXXX for her valuable direction and

suggestion, for her constant encouragement and generosity in spending her precious

time on my paper.

Special thanks also goes to XXX where gives me the opportunity to study

English. Therefore I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the respectful

teachers who have taught me during my undergraduate study.

Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my dear parents,

for their encouragement and always supporting to finish this paper.

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