Jane Eyre Research Paper

Female Passions. In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the characters Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason’s feministic passions are expressed in two totally different ways. As the novel progresses Bertha Mason is living life as she always dreamed, rich and wealthy, as for Jane Eyre who was struggling to live by her principles and was paying a price for them. Jane’s female passion is expressed in her idealism, independence, straight forwardness and honesty while Bertha’s passion is expressed in a manipulative and seductive way. In the novel Jane is not very beautiful; she’s described as being simple and ordinary. As a little girl Jane always had a passion for knowledge and life. Jane wants to be in love, and finds it when she goes
Rochester, a wealthy men as well as her first love, has been trying to convince Jane to stay with him even though he’s still legally married to Bertha Mason who only married him for his money. Jane truly loves Rochester, but denies his offering even though it hurts her. Jane will never be content with being his mistress rather than his wife. Jane is not a person who settles for second best. He will never reduce her to lower her self-respect even though it may cause her to loose him. In chapter 23 Jane quotes “…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! 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…” Because of her idealism and honesty Jane wants to be in an honest relationship unlike most Victorian women whom thought was okay to cheat on you spouse. St. John Rivers, a wealthy pastor, asked Jane to join him on a trip to India as his wife and for she could continue her job as governess. Jane thinks it through, after all this will be a good
Bertha is important to the love story of the novel. Bertha is described as wild and insane with “black eyebrows widely raised over bloodshot eye” (250) and brutal with “a demonic laugh” (129). Bertha is violent and dangerous, but wasn’t always a threat. Bertha was a beautiful Creole woman from a wealthy West Indian family. Bertha her family tricked Rochester into marrying her only for his money. But she didn’t tell him that she suffers from hereditary insanity. Bertha began to turn insane, mad, and violent shortly after their marriage. Eventually, Mr. Rochester locks Bertha is in the attic at Thornfield under the supervision of Grace Poole. But Bertha occasionally escapes from her prison and causes havoc in the house until one day she permanently caused damage and burned down Thronfield and took her