Just Imagine: Tribute to Jane Eyre

Tribute to Jane Eyre

I was inspired by the book "Jane Eyre", a 19th-century heroine whose enduring popularity lies in its relatable protagonist, its exploration of timeless themes, and its blend of romance, suspense, and social commentary.

The best quotes from Jane Eyre on love and connection

"All my heart is yours, sir: it belongs to you, and with you, it would remain, were fate to exile the rest of me from your presence forever."

“I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, great and strong!”

“You are my sympathy–my better self–my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong attachment.”

“I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my center and spring of life, wraps my existence about you–and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one."

"I have little left in myself—I must have you. The world may laugh—may call me absurd, selfish—but it does not signify. My very soul demands you: it will be satisfied, or it will take deadly vengeance on its frame."

"Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear."

"I ask you to pass through life at my side—to be my second self and best earthly companion."

Jane Eyre, an orphan raised in a cruel and loveless household by her aunt Mrs. Reed, endures a harsh childhood. She is eventually sent to Lowood Institution, a harsh boarding school where she befriends Helen Burns, a girl who advocates for Christian stoicism in the face of hardship. After several years, Jane becomes a governess for a young French girl, Adèle Varens, at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets her enigmatic employer, Mr. Rochester, a brooding and wealthy gentleman.

The best quotes from Jane Eyre on self-respect and independence

"I am no bird, and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will."

"'I am not an angel … and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.”

"I can live alone if self-respect, and circumstances require me so to do. I need not sell my soul to buy bliss."

"I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have."

“I could never rest in communication with strong, discreet, and refined minds, whether male or female, till I had passed the outworks of conventional reserve, and crossed the threshold of confidence, and won a place by their heart’s very hearth-stone.”

"Do you think I am an automaton?—a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you—and full as much heart!”

Jane and Mr. Rochester develop a strong intellectual and emotional connection. Their conversations spark a mutual respect and affection that deepens into love. However, a dark secret from Mr. Rochester’s past emerges – he is already married to a mentally unstable woman named Bertha Mason, kept hidden in the attic. This revelation shatters Jane’s dreams of happiness and she flees Thornfield, heartbroken and alone.

The best quotes from Jane Eyre on gender roles and inequalities

“Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel … it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex."

“I am 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!"

"Flirting is a woman's trade, one must keep in practice."

“He had not imagined that a woman would dare to speak to a man.”

"It does good to no woman to be flattered by a man who does not intend to marry her, and it is madness in all women to let a secret love kindle within them."

Jane finds refuge with kind strangers St. John Rivers and his sisters. St. John, a missionary, proposes marriage, but Jane realizes her heart belongs to Mr. Rochester. She returns to Thornfield to find it a smoldering ruin, Bertha having set fire to the house before taking her own life. Mr. Rochester, blinded and crippled, is now living in a nearby manor.
Jane reunites with Mr. Rochester, their love as strong as ever. Despite his limitations, they marry and begin a new life together, finally finding happiness and fulfillment.The best quotes from Jane Eyre on society and morality.

The best quotes from Jane Eyre on society and morality

"Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour ... If at my convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?"

"Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education: they grow there, firm as weeds among stones."

"We know that God is everywhere; but certainly we feel His presence most when His works are on the grandest scale spread before us; and it is in the unclouded night-sky, where His worlds wheel their silent course, that we read clearest His infinitude, His omnipotence, His omnipresence."

"If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends."

Jane Eyre is a classic coming-of-age story that explores themes of social class, gender roles, love, and self-discovery. Here's a deeper look at some key points:

Social Class: Jane, born into poverty and raised by an uncaring wealthy family, constantly battles against social constraints. She values her independence and intellect, defying the expectations of a woman in her time. Mr. Rochester, though wealthy and powerful, is also burdened by his past and social obligations.
Gender Roles: Jane challenges the Victorian ideal of passive femininity. She is intelligent, outspoken, and passionate. Her journey emphasizes self-reliance and the pursuit of personal fulfillment, regardless of societal expectations.
Love and Morality: The love between Jane and Mr. Rochester is complex, challenged by social norms and his past. Jane refuses to compromise her morals, even for love, but ultimately finds a way to be with Mr. Rochester in a way that upholds both love and integrity.
Gothic Elements: The novel incorporates elements of gothic fiction, such as the brooding Mr. Rochester, the dark secret in the attic, and the fire at Thornfield. These elements create suspense and heighten the emotional impact of the story.
Bildungsroman: Jane Eyre is a classic example of a bildungsroman, a novel that follows the development of a character from childhood to adulthood. Through her experiences, Jane learns about herself, the world, and what truly matters in life.