Life Lessons from Jane Eyre.

Photo by Hannah Smith on Unsplash

Nearly 200 years after Jane Eyre was published, its heroine still offers women an inspiring proposition: that fulfilment must never come at the cost of self-respect. The agency that we have over our lives is what enables us to dictate our own path. In an often overwhelming world, many of us need reminding of that fact. “I am no bird, and no net ensnares me.” Charlotte Bronte’s eternal character asserts her selfhood in words that make perfect sense to us, even after all this time.

Charlotte Bronte’s masterpiece is brimful of substance and timeless wisdom. When we look to the future, what resonates with readers may well be masterful simplicity, as opposed to the acceptance of ever-increasing complexity.

There is no doubt that Bronte weaves parts of her own life and perspectives into the character and story of Jane Eyre, to the point that after reading the novel one thinks of them both almost interchangeably. Their circumstances differ, but many of the passions that ignited Jane were those of her creator – and remain those of her readers today.

Charlotte Bronte was born in 1816 in Yorkshire, and over her lifespan, Britain struggled with widespread unemployment, harsh working conditions, rising food prices and poverty. The themes of difficulty and hardship are mirrored through the tribulations of Jane, and her pragmatic approach to her solitary status is inspiring. Whilst she allows herself to feel the vexations and frustrations of her reliance on others, she is resolute in her determination to make her way in the world, and overcome the obstacles she encounters.

Tuberculosis consumed the lives of Bronte’s mother, her aunt, and five siblings. In the book, Jane’s best friend at boarding school is afflicted by the very same disease and suffers for an extended period, whilst still providing her with a “quiet and faithful friendship, which ill-humour never soured, nor irritation ever troubled”. The relief and strength drawn from such friendships is made clear -  and as readers, we would do well indeed to offer the same constancy to others.

Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre in 1846, at 30 years old. Her two surviving sisters had their first novels published in 1847, under the male pseudonym surname of “Bell” with different forenames for each of them - Currer (for Charlotte’s Jane Eyre), Ellis (for Emily’s Wuthering Heights) and Acton (for Anne’s Agnes Grey). Why submit their work under a masculine name? A sign of the times – when a younger Charlotte had shared some of her writing with a prominent poet, and asked for advice on a literary career, she was told that “literature cannot be the business of a woman’s life: and it ought not to be”.

Jane Eyre’s story follows the life of an orphaned young girl, and her coming of age and experience of love; both in friendships and through a relationship that, conducted principally through words, is palpable in its passion.  We can understand why women of the time hid this book from their teenage daughters – whilst never explicit, the innuendo is both frustratingly vague and tantalizingly clear. The writing is also engagingly personal – at many points in the novel Jane addresses us as readers directly: “Stay till he comes, reader; and, when I disclose my secret to him, you shall share the confidence.”

Her character is believable right from the start, and we find ourselves fervently supporting her handling of her mistreatment at the hands of others, and applauding the various brave stands that she takes. Jane is also stoic and accepting when she deems it necessary to be, and resolute in her tolerance of the harsh conditions that she experiences, particularly at boarding school. Whilst she is tolerant of circumstances which she cannot change, she engages in a mutiny against various masters, and as readers we recognize the strength behind these defiances. They are fueled by a solid self-conviction that many of us would do well to employ more of in our own lives.

The novel encompasses themes of love, self-preservation, dignity, autonomy and the right to be recognized. These themes resonate for women especially, as we continue to make valuable inroads in a world that in the past has been dominated by the prowess of men, and the acceptance of subservience by women. Charlotte was brave in her writing – she was critical socially, and descriptive emotionally – two things that were certainly not expected or accepted by and from females at the time. In the novel Jane says: “Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do”.

Jane reminds us of the calm that time in nature brings, as well as the balance of an appreciation of the present moment.  She states: “I walked fast until I got warm, and then I walked slowly to enjoy and to analyze the species of pleasure brooding for me in the hour and the situation.” She also seeks growth and adventure – she longs to experience things and places, and desires “more of a practical experience than I possessed”.  Her agitation and discomfort galvanizes her to action and forward motion, which is of course still a productive outlet for pain.

Jane takes her destiny into her own hands at every possible opportunity, and believes in the benefits of a consistent and purposeful approach. In response to her employer bemoaning the fact that he is not happy in himself, she tells him quite severely: “It seems to me, that if you tried hard, you would in time find it possible to become what you yourself would approve”.

The question Jane and Charlotte leave us with is not whether change is possible, but whether we are patient and principled enough to pursue it, without surrendering our agency to distraction along the way.