《简爱》中女权主义意识(英文)

摘要

《简·爱》是现实主义时期著名的女作家夏洛蒂·勃朗特的代表作品,她被认为是一位卓越的女作家。因为她在小说中描述的是与传统不同的女主人公简·爱的勇于追求自由、平等和独立精神。它也是作者的自传体小说。通过对简·爱的性格进行剖析，证明了简·爱是一个标准的女权主义者。简·爱这个人物形象，博得读者的爱怜，在英国文学史上是位具有代表性的人物，不仅表现在外表的朴实无华，而且表现在她性格上的独特魅力。简·爱因其性格中所具有的强烈反抗意识而特别地引人注目。她坚持自己的原则去不断反抗不公平的社会。她用尽全力去追求自由，平等，独立和真爱。经过坚持不懈的努力她最终获得自尊，自由和真爱。

关键词：女权, 反叛, 独立, 平等, 真爱

ABSTRACT

Jane Eyre is the most famous work of Charlotte Bronte, who is considered as an extraordinary woman novelist. Because the novel throbs with the heart-beats of its author, both literary critics and the readers have taken great interest in its unconventional heroine Jane Eyre, whose unconventionality is shown in the heroine‘s pursuit of liberty, equality and independence. It is an autobiographical novel in a certain degree. This essay attempts to prove Jane is a real feminist through the analysis of her personality. Jane Eyre is a typical and magnificent representative in English literature, not only for her plain but famous appearance but also for her character‘s outsta nding and alien thoughts. The image of Jane Eyre is brilliant for her rebellious character. She always insists on her principle to rebel and fights bravely against the unjust world. She still tries her best to pursue freedom, equality, independence and true love. By unremitting efforts she finally gets dignity, freedom and true love.

KEY WORDS: feminist, rebel, independence, equality, true love

Contents

Introduction (9)

Chapter One The D evelopment of Jane Eyre‘s Resistance (10)

1.1 Outburst period at Gateshead (10)

1.2 Jane‘s resistance at Lowood Institution (11)

1.3 The perfection period at Thornfield and Moor House (13)

Chapter Two Jane Eyre‘s Pursuit of Independence and Freedom (14)

2.1 Jane begins to realize the importance of independence and freedom (14)

2.2 Jane gains strength from her teacher and her friend to achieve her

independence (14)

2.3 Jane develops her independence fully and learns the pleasure of it (15)

Chapter Three Jane Eyre‘s Attitude Towards Love (18)

3.1True love should be based on equality and mutual understanding (18)

3.2The marriage pursued by women must be based on true love (19)

Conclusion (23)

Acknowledgements (24)

Bibliography (25)

Introduction

Charlotte Bronte, an English writer, is a great critical realist in the 19th century. She writes lots of works in her life. She sets to work on a new novel,Jane Eyre, which is published in August, 1847. Jane Eyre is her masterpiece which is a world famous novel. Jane Eyre has been translated into many languages and is always high in reading popularity. Jane Eyre, a plain, timid, weak and pale girl who appears to be a heroine, exists in numerous people‘s minds. It seem s to be a strange phenomenon. How can she arouse the eminent attention of the readers throughout the world? Because Jane Eyre stands for an idealized woman in the 19th century. Charlotte Bronte aims at awakening women's consciousness and courage to equal rights and freedom. Jane Eyre cuts a completely new woman image. She represents those middle-class working women who are struggling for the recognition of their basic rights and equality as a human being. Jane strives with all difficulties to gain women‘s liberation and to pursue freedom, equality and true love. The analysis of Jane‘s personalities and her attitudes toward love has shown partly Jane‘s love — a kind of direct, enthusiastic and faithful love. The story of the independent-minded Jane and her love affair with Mr. Rochester opens up new dimension for women. She is a typical character of awakening bourgeois intellectual women. The heroine Jane moves most readers as a kind and unique image in spite of her plainness, poverty and low position. The profound meaning of Jane‘s personalities makes this novel an extremely important work lists in the history of world literature as well as in the English literature.

Chapter One The D evelopment of Jane Eyre’s Resistance

1.1 Outburst period at Gateshead

Jane Eyre seems to be pale, thin and weak. She is like a piece of dust, nobody pays attention to her. At any time she may disappear. She was born an orphan, with an unfortunate family and long time repressive feeling; she builds up her resistant emotion. Under this background, everyone looks down upon her. Jane asks herself ―why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always abused, for ever condemned.‖ (Bronte, 2002:13) Her reason says ―unjust!-unjust!‖ (Bronte, 2002:14) A first angry voice bursts out from her deep heart. When John beats her again, she attacks him viciously. She shouts at him, ―Wicked and cruel boy! You are like a murderer —you are like a slav e-driver—you are like the Roman emperors!" (Bronte, 2002:7) When Mrs. Reed tells Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane has a bad character and a deceitful disposition, she defends that ―I am not deceitful: if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed; and this book about the liar, you may give it to your girl, Georgiana, for it is she who tells lies, and not I." (Bronte, 2002:48) However, Jane is a brave soldier who dares to face up all kinds of injustice and fights against them. Before she leaves Gateshead, she rebukes her aunt‘s cruelty, ―How dare I, Mrs. Reed? How dare I? Because it is the truth. You think I have no feelings and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity. I shall remember how you thrust me back—roughly and violently thrust me back—into the red- room, and locked me up there, to my dying day; though I was in agony; though I cried out, while suffocating with distress, ?Have mercy! Have mercy, Aunt Reed!‘And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me—knocked me down for nothing. I will tell anybody who asks me questions, this exact tale. People think you a good woman, but you are bad, hard-hearted. You are deceitful!‖ (Bronte, 2002:49) Jane suffers various violent treatments by her aunt and cousins; she tries her best to be a good girl but only results in failure in Mrs. Reed‘s

eyes.

Jane resists and resists, but finally breaks out and speaks all her anger; Jane‘s courage frightens Mrs. Reed, for she knows Jane is right. In those days at Gateshead Hall, Jane's strong, brave and unbending characteristics are expressed step by step. Her every behavior shows her great indignation. Isolation, poverty, discrimination and oppression cause her to revolt against the unfair society in her own way. Jane is driven away from and escapes from Reed‘s house partly because of fearless courage. Jane fights not only for just treatment, but also for equality. This is the first step of the development of Jane Eyre‘s rebellious character.

1.2 Jane’s resistance at Lowood Institution

Lowood Institution is a charity school for poor clergymen‘s da ughters. Jane lives here for eight years. Her rebellious sprits become mature. In fact it is a hell for poor girls. The school is like a prison dominated by cold, implacable cruelty and Brocklehurst. Children here are not supplied with enough food, clothes and good treatment of disease. Many of them die of illness. They have no love and sympathy at all, living in hunger and cold. Children must pray for God and thank for oppressors. Helen, a clever, intelligent and beautiful girl receives curse and beat, finally loses her young life. She believes in God. She says to Jane, ―I am sure there is a future state; I believe God is good; I can resign my immortal part to Him without any misgiving. God is my father; God is my friend: I love Him; I believe He loves me.‖(Bronte, 2002:121) Just because of these ideas, Helen has n‘t a little rebel against that kind of cruel treatment.

However Jane is not like Helen. She always tries to rebel, though she is still a child. She tells Helen: ―A great deal: you are good to those who are good to you. It is all I ever desire to be. If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should—so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again." (Bronte,

2002:82) This rhythmic and forceful speech embodies the deep bourgeois oppression of the lower women and Jane‘s rebellious spirit. To achieve independence as an equal human, Jane never yields to fate and background. She does as she says. Her attitude towards her cousins, her aunt and Mr. Brocklehurst all proves it.

Another woman, Miss Temple, is also admired and deeply loved by Jane. Miss Temple‘s learning stimulates Jane‘s longing for intelligence and Miss Temple‘s kindness stirs up her enthusiasm for ideal life. So when Miss Temple leaves Lowood, Jane can‘t put up with dullness and isolation there. She thinks that now she is left in her natural element, and begins to feel the stirring of old emotions. Jane looks forward to a new life and a free sky. No matter what will happen in the future, she will face it bravely. The rebellious fury is burnt again. Then Jane makes an advertisement and gets a governess profession at Thornfield. In this period, Jane‘s rebellious spirit is up to a new standard and catches a more profound meaning. Her fighting is not only against a person, but against the social convention.

1.3 The perfection period at Thornfield and Moor House

At Thornfield, Jane, as a grown-up, changes her harshness into a refined woman with good education, delicacy of feeling and gentleness of manners. At Thornfield she gets along well with everyone. Jane is mild to everyone. Adele, a girl without talent is carefully taught by Jane and made safe and happy. In such a wild world, she forgets her pain and her misery. Furthermore, she learns to be tolerant to others‘ shortcomings. Hearing that Mrs. Reed is dying, she comes back soon to Gateshead. Although she once has told Mrs. Reed that she never wants to see her again, she forgets and forgives her. Jane‘s delicate feeling is best revealed when she meets Rochester, who is hurt. She gives him a hand in a polite way. In spite of his rude rejection, she says, ―I can not think of leaving you, sir, at so late an hour, in this solitary lane, till I see you are fit to mount your horses.‖ (Bronte, 2002:173)

When Jane falls in love with Rochester, she is awaken and still keeps her resistance; she makes her every effort to rebel against social prejudice and customs, struggling for independence and true love. She dares to say ―no‖ to anyone, including

her master, Mr. Rochester who is domineering and arrogant. When she talks with Mr. Rochester, she doesn‘t avoid saying what she thinks whether Mr. Rochester is happy or not. On the wedding between Jane and Rochester, Jane is told that Rochester has married before. Bertha Mason, a mad woman is his wife who has been living in Thornfield. At the bad news, Jane knows if she lives with him, she will fall into the category of mistress and lose her respect. The dream of freedom, happiness and the independence which she was looking forward to would become fancies. The strength of reason is power over emotion. Jane leaves Thornfield resolutely to meet unknown fate in the future. When she almost starves to death, St. John helps her. Jane‘s sp irit of revolt is obviously expressed by her refusal of St. John‘s offer of marriage .Jane never changes her will to follow St. John. She thinks, ―If I join St. John, I abandon half myself, if I go to India, I go to premature death‖, ―if I do make the sacrifice he urges, I will make it absolutely: I will throw all on the altar—heart, vitals, the entire victim.‖(Bronte, 2002:642) Jane says to St. John, ―I scorn your idea of love.‖(Bronte, 2002:649) Jane dares to rebel against St. John‘s offer because she th inks they are equal. She has the right to rebel against him. This period is the perfection of Jane Eyre‘s rebelli ons.

Chapter Two Jane Eyre’s Pursuit of Independence and

Freedom

2.1 Jane begins to realize the importance of independence and freedom

Independence is the outstanding quality throughout the whole process of the novel. Jane Eyre is not pretty and her character is unique. She is maltreated by her cousins and aunt. One day, when Jane takes John‘s book to read, he beat s her once more. John says that Jane has no business to take his books; ―Y ou have no business to take our books; you are a dependant, mama says, you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen‘s children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mama‘s expense‖. (Bronte, 2002:7) When she fights against him severely, she is sent to Red Room.

In the Red Room, she is frightened, but she keeps a clear mind that she realizes she needs to be saved from her blind fear of authority and be self-reliant. Her mind is in tumult, and all her heart in insurrection, her reason says ―unjust! I never compromise to them. I shall be independent.‖ (Bronte, 2002:14) She hates Gateshead, hates everyone there. She hates Mrs. Reed who is a bad, hard-hearted woman. She treats her with miserable cruelty. Gateshead is a shelter for her, which teaches her a lot of things. Only when she is independent, can she be respected by others.

After all, she is a little girl, it is hard for her to be economically independent. Therefore, she decides to be independent, self-sufficient in her mind. The Reeds are really mean to her and she thinks they suck. Of course, the feeling is mutual. Therefore, she is spared from the Reeds and is sent to a low budget orphan school called Lowood Institution.

2.2 Jane gains strength from her teacher and her friend to achieve her

independence

At Lowood Institution, under the hypocritical Evangelicalism of the headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst, she suffers further privation in the austere environment. The

condition there is disgusting, but Jane does n‘t submit to it. She gain s her strength from her teacher and her fellow students to achieve her independence. Maria Temple, an independent woman, is the headmaster of the Institution. She is a responsible teacher, and kind to the students, even the low students. Consequently, she gains respect and popularity from the people around her. From Maria Temple, Jane learns that independence is a very important thing for everyone.

In our modern society, it seems to be more important to be independent. Jane learns the importance of duty and self-control through the friendship with Helen. At the beginning, Jane has much sympathy for Helen. Because Helen does n‘t dare to fight against the person who insults her. When Helen is to be flogged and to be asked to stand in the middle of a room that full of people. Jane thinks that Helen should turn against others when she is bullied; she should resist against Miss Scatcherd, and dislike Miss Scatcherd. From these we can see that Jane is not obedient to anyone if someone bullies her, she will do the same thing to others. As known to all, it is not violence that best overcomes hatred, nor vengeance that most certainly heals injury. And Jane learns these from Helen. Jane is deeply moved by Helen‘s actions and words. ―Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what your fate to be required to bear‖. (Bronte, 2002:79) Then through the friendship with Helen, she learns to be self-control in a certain degree. ―It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you; and besides, the Bible bids us return good for evil‖. (Bronte, 2002:79) Jane stays at Lowood for 8 years. She attempts to do well in all aspects. She makes rapid progress both in study and work. She becomes stronger than before in her heart. The idea of breaking out the conservative puritan life does not occur to her. She longs for a new form of life. So she gets a job by herself.

2.3 Jane develops her independence fully and learns the pleasure of it

In order to lead a life of independence, Jane works as a governess at Thornfield Hall. She is looks down upon by the rich ladies of the fashionable society, but she never despises herself, she never feels herself inferior. She is satisfied with, and even proud of her honest, independent work. She loves Rochester who is in a large possession of fortune and in a high social position, but she never thinks of relying on these things. Once she immediately answers Rochester‘s question about what else she needs, by saying, ―Your regard: and if I give mine in return, that debt will be quit.‖(Bronte, 2002:424) This kind of independence is irrevocable out of her pure soul which hasn‘t been contaminated by the earthy care at all and represented the pur e uprightness. When the happiness reaches the highest point where she is about to be the dreamy person‘s wife, Jane ke eps a clear mind, protecting her independence and her personality. She refuses all the precious gifts that could have been owned as a fiancee and reminded Rochester again and again of the responsibility she should continue to fulfill as a governess.

As Rochester‘s bri de, she continues to be Adele‘s governess; when Rochester intends to give her a lot of jewelry and beautiful clothes, she refuses. Generally, beautiful clothes and jewelries are the favorite things to women. Jane thinks that real love is not based on money and jewelry. Her love does n‘t mix with other strange ideas. In her opinion, self-respect, independence and equal rights are the fundamental elements of one‘s love. She does n‘t want to be the slave of money, and she d oes n‘t want to rely on others. They fall in deep love with each other. Rochester does n‘t want Jane to go on working，he wishes Jane belongs to him and considers Jane as his property．Jane refuses his suggestion without any hesitation．In her opinion，if she loses her job, she must depend on Rochester to live，thus independence says goodbye to her. She doesn‘t want to be a thing of Rochester. At last, she decides to preserve her independence.

With the news coming that Rochester‘s wife is still alive, Jane is driven back to her original status. It means that Jane is just a lover to him. By this time, there are two roads in front of her: One is to be the lover of Rochester. The other is away from Rochester to begin a new life. Actually, it‘s very sad for Jane to leave the place she

liked, and the man she deeply loved. However, Jane is the unique! She is determined to leave Thornfield without any hesitation. As we know that nothing can succeed in confining her before her resistant spirit .The powerful shout of the born independent spirit from her heart remains her independence. The natural strength of independence overwhelms her, ―still indomitable was the reply—I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, and the more unsustained I can be, the more I will respect myself.‖ (Bronte, 2002:467) With Jane and Rochester‘s suffering the readers‘ compassion is also aroused besides the feeling of pity. There is no defying that the blood of independence is going through Jane‘s whole body from the day she was born. Fleeing from calamity solitarily, she does not hesitate all prices to maintain her own personality, dignity, and rebellions and independence is portrayed more perfect, and richer. Nowadays, as to women, we can‘t depend on men completely. We should earn money through our efforts, we must be independent, never be subsidiary to others.

In order to get dignity, freedom and independence, she runs away. At the prerequisite of maintaining her own character she does n‘t take the jewelry and clothes which Rochester gives her. Jane arrives at the desolate crossroads of whitcross and is reduced to begging for food. Fortunately, the Rivers siblings helped her. At Moor House, Jane learns the pleasure of self-sufficiency. She lives a happy life there. She develops great affection for the ladies, Diana and Mary, and they are really nice to her. Jane becomes spiritually stronger and more confident through the friendship with Diana and Mary. She does n‘t want to live there for a long time. She intend s to find a job to support herself, so St. John finds a job for her to teach at the local school. While teaching, she gains more social respect, and her students make progress quickly. Furthermore, the students and their parents like her very much. She is very happy and satisfied with her own conditions. As a teacher, her students‘ progress and popularity are the best gifts to her.

Chapter Three Jane Eyre’s Attitude Towards Love

3.1True love should be based on equality and mutual understanding

From the strong ego and independent personality, Jane seeks for love which should be based on mutual understanding, equality, respect and attraction. Jane is a governess, who has the profession with very low social position. Nearly no one looks up on it at that time. Being born of second class, Jane is sensitive about her position in society. She hopes that she can live with the same self-esteem as everyone in the upper class. She works very hard to be a good lady to reach the norm which is required by the upper class. Then she is eager to be admitted by the man who she loves, i.e. Rochester. Generally speaking, people are often satisfied with beloved one‘s compliment. As for Jane, things are the same. Rochester is one of the members of the upper class. Rochester is a rich gentleman with high social status and reputation. But Rochester falls in love with Jane, so does Jane. Jane doesn‘t pay much attention t o the difference between their social positions, because she only admires and believes in marriage based on true love. Humble job and poverty cannot stop her loving an upper class gentleman. On this point, she shows a woman's extra strength to take a risky love with Rochester and keeps her self-esteem. She respects the mutual equality of personality.

Jane‘s viewpoint shows she has clear self-awake sense of love. As a woman living in the society unequal between men and women, Jane doesn‘t follow the outmoded conventions. She believes men and women are equal even if not in property, but in personality. When Rochester tells Jane that he is going to marry Miss Ingram and he insists that Jane must stay at Thornfield. Jane is angry at it. Let us see how Jane retorts to Rochester‘s teasing.

―I tell you I must go!‖ ―Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?––a machine without feelings? And I can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my lips? Do you think I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless?

In fact 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 now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh; it is my spirit that addressed your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God‘s feet, equal,—as we are!‖(Bronte, 2002:396) Rochester understands fully and esteems her. Jane still maintains self-control and clear-headed when she becomes Rochester‘s fiancée. She wants to protect her honor and independence. When Rochester buys diamond necklace, bracelet, ring, etc., which means to bind her, she refuses those gifts and reminds her, ―I shall continue to act as Adele‘s governess; by that I shall earn my board and lodging, and thirty pounds a year besides.‖ (Bronte, 2002:423) Thus she is such a person who regards her dignity sacredly and inviolably. Jane seeks for happiness and love, but she does n‘t think love is supreme. She can throw away traditions to follow love, but she will never sacrifice her dignity and independence for the reason of love. Obtaining equality in life is Jane's ambition. It is equality that makes her love Rochester with all of her heart and soul; also it is equality that makes her leave Rochester with her disappointment and distress. Life is hard to Jane.

On their wedding day, a secret is exposed that Rochester has a mad wife locked for several years, and then Jane resolutely gives up Rochester and is determined not to be a mistress. Jane's ambition, of course, forbids her to accept the unequal position of being the mistress of someone‘s husband. She has her self-respect and must keep her nobility. Being an illegal mistress benefits her nothing but reduces her virtue and demoralizes her personality. Then she would have to depend on Rochester and lose her quality, independence and freedom. So she chooses the distress of leaving Rochester to realize her pursuit.

3.2 The marriage pursued by women must be based on true love

At that time, women were first customarily dependent on their parents then upon husbands. Their parents tried their best to choose good husbands for their daughters.

The choices of husbands and fates were determined by men‘s social position s and properties, rather than personalities and sincere emotions. Usually, women‘s rationa l consideration triumphed over their personal interests. A problem raises in the novel is the position of a woman in society. Jane Eyre, the heroine of the novel, maintains that women should have equal rights with men. When she decides to leave her love, she is very sad. But Jane will feel unpeaceful if she does not leave and stays with Rochester as a lover. And she would not be her cousin‘s wife without love. It is very easy to choose one‘s own love in today‘s England. But it is not so easy to do it in the 18th and 19th century England.

Jane thinks that it is a glorious thing to have the hope of living with him and being his wife. Jane loves him with her whole heart. They have a meeting of the mind. But in that social background, people pay too much attention to property, rank and status. If the disparity is great, a pair of lovers would suffer disagreement with their families and their friends. Mrs. Fairfax, one of Rochester‘s servants, is very surprised and feels puzzled that her master is madly clinging to Jane. In their opinion, Blanche Ingram, who is a typical representative of the rich class, is so beautifu1, rich and has the same high social position. She is regarded as Thornfield wife of Rochester in the future by most people. She is the ideal wife of Rochester. If Rochester marries Ingram, it is natura1．Because in that society，people‘s sense of love is on the basis of money. In their eyes，money is everything，money is marriage. For the sake of money they can marry anyone even though the husband or the wife is an idiot. So the marriage between Rochester and Ingram is fair and reasonable．In their opinion, Jane is an ordinary looking woman without wealth, so she can never match Rochester. But with the development of the plot，Miss Ingram is proven to be a loser．Rochester is deeply attracted by Jane and gives up Ingram. Jane defeats her though Jane has no property and beauty. Jane‘s plainness，poverty, position and disposition are contrasted to Ingram‘s obviously. Jane is kind，intelligent, sympathetic and thoughtful, while Ingram‘s minds is poor and hypocritica1.She has no sympathy at al1. She plans to marry Rochester only because of Rochester‘ s property，Ingram tries her best to

fascinate Rochester again and again，unfortunately，she falls again and again. Jane is fully aware of it．She witnesses ―repeated failure s‖．The party is the climax of the novel and the essence of the book. At the party，Jane‘s victory is complete. According to her beautiful personality and the strength of her noble spirit，Jane drives those aristocrats away from competitive stages．High position and great wealth shows by the noble class are put aside．Jane gets glorious victory．

The marriage pursued by women must be based on true love. She distains the money and hunt marriage, and looks down upon her artificial and hypocritical manners.

The way she gets to know Rochester well is talking with him, observing him and getting agreements with him. She falls in love with Rochester not at the first sight but after a fairly long time of acquaintance. Before she completely knows Rochester Jane only takes him as the master and an object for talking. Every time she talks with him, her attitude to Rochester changes. Through communicating with each other by their minds, they gradually come to a harmony in spirit. Jane thinks, ―The ease of his manner freed me from painful restraint; the friendly frankness, correct as cordial，with which he heated me, drew me to him. I felt at times as if he were my relation rather than my master: yet he was imperious sometimes still; but 1 did not mind that.‖(Bronte, 2002:225) This is Jane's revelation of true feeling to Rochester. Only when Jane understands Rochester, can she appropriately analyse and accept Rochester‘s character. Understanding each other and getting harmonious in spirit，the solid base of their true love. Jane loves Rochester‘s value as a man, instead of his properties, social and family status. So, whether Rochester is a rich person in the upper-class society, or is afflicted with calamity and becomes totally-blinded disabled man; whether Jane is a poor and plain governess in Thornfield, or she becomes a rich heiress in one night. Nothing can change her steadfast love for Rochester.

After leaving Rochester‘s home, Thornfield Hall, Jane walks and travels without any aim. She lives in hunger and cold. As she roams about a whit cross, she is nearly dead because she suffers terrible hardships. St. John helps her and saves her life. St John wants to marry Jane and takes her to India with him. Although he is a little

merciful and handsome, he is also very harsh and arbitrary. He considers little of Jane‘s benefit. He does not respect her or give her selfless love. Jane says if she joins St John, she will abandon half herself and if she goes to India, she will go to premature death. Jane tells John that she does not believe in marriage without love, because she still loves Rochester deeply. Jane insists that true love should be based on equality, mutual understanding and respect. She knows that to marry such a stonehearted person is to become a tool of him to serve God, so s he refuses John‘s proposal. She hears the voice of Rochester in her mind, then she comes back to look for Rochester. She learns that Thornfield Hall has been burnt down, and that Rochester, attempting vainly to save his mad wife from the fire, loses one of his hands, is blind in both eyes, and becomes a crippled man. Now Mr. Rochester is not as rich as he used to, and he is disabled. But Jane loves him more than ever. Jane decides to stay with him and look after him for all of her life. This pair of lovers comes together in the end. But in that society such a marriage is considered uncommon and untraditional. In their love affairs there exist various paradoxes and conflicts which linked equality. Through mutual understanding, they gain the love between them. Jane gets Rochester‘s love as well as equality. Their love is based on equal communication, equal understanding and equal spirit. As we know, Jane is deep in love with Mr. Rochester, but if love runs against independence and equality, she would rather choose the latter, though it would be a great sorrow for them two. The unfulfilled matrimonial ceremony, therefore, provides the reader a good chance to learn the good sense and shrewdness in making decisions. In the end, Jane‘s return to and union with Mr. Rochester (who is not only nearly blind but relieved from his mad wife,) helps the reader see her true love for Mr. Rochester and her willing sacrifice to restore their paradise.

Conclusion

Jane Eyre is Charlotte Bronte‘s masterpiece; it is an autobiographical novel in a certain degree. Charlotte Bronte was so poor when she was young and she nearly could not feel her parents‘ love. In addition, she is not attractive and is very short, so all of these reflect her self-humiliation. She has a strong sense of self-esteem, and she often compensates for the self-humiliation by her self-esteem. She describes Jane Eyre, in fact, she writes herself. Jane Eyre is as common as Charlotte Bronte, and she keeps going after a kind of free, bright and beautiful life because of her self-esteem. The poetic, imaginative story of the love of a young governess for her married employer also has undoubted connections with Charlotte Bronte‘s experience in Brussels. It is an immediate success with both readers and most of the critics. Jane Eyre, the heroine of this novel, struggles to acquire her self-respect, independence, dignity and self-sufficiency at every stage of her life, both in struggling with social pressure, maltreatment, discrimination and in resisting against the temptation of passion. That the author describes her leading personalities in the novel, and highly praises her spirit against the oppression and social prejudice, her pursuit of the independent personality and the dignity, and her tenacious struggle for happy life is obviously aimed at revealing the call of the people of the lower class for respect and freedom, and further to awaken them to protest against the unfair society that kills humanity. And it‘s in this sense that Jane moves most readers as a kind and unique image in spite of her plainness, poverty and low position. In my opinion, the value of a woman does not lie in her looks, her dress, and any other things that have a powerful fascination to me n‘s eyes, but in her n ature, her mind, her character and her sentiment. This novel embodies the indomitable struggle of the laboring class who are awakening. The author, Charlotte Bronte calls for the equality between sexes, spiritual freedom and inviolable human dignity, showing her sympathy for the laboring class.

Acknowledgements

Firstly, I would like to delicate my most sincere graduate to my supervisor Liu Xueyun, for his kindness and patience, unreserved help, respectable tolerance and his valuable suggestions. Without his meticulous proofreading and revision, my thesis would not be like what it is today.

Secondly, I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all the respectable professors and teachers who taught me the B.A. courses during my four-year undergraduate study, Professor Liu Shifa, Professor Jiang Xiping, Miss Shi Luan, Miss Tian Yan, Miss Jia Lihong and Miss An Mei etc. I have benefited a lot from their profound knowledge and wonderful lectures which are indispensable to the accomplishment of my thesis.

Thirdly, my heart-felt thanks also go to my friends, especially Liang Qian, Zhang Qian, Yu Jing with whom I have shared the joy and frustration in pursuit of knowledge.

In the end, my thanks go to my parents, without whose support I could not have accomplished my study.

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