What Makes A Minority In Jane Eyre

“A minority is always compelled to think. That is the blessing of being in the minority” (Leo Baeck). In the Victorian era women are ideally inferior in their society. The book Jane Eyre is written by Charlotte Bronte and this novel describes the life of Jane Eyre in which she is influenced by Ms. Reed, Helen Burns, Mr. Rochester, Grace Poole, Bertha Mason, and St. John. Jane has to overcome obstacles like oppression, sadness, and love in Victorian society. Jane first encounters love in Thornfield Hall and she has difficulties understanding her love for Mr. Rochester. Jane makes a better spouse for Rochester because she is not the typical woman in Victorian society and she proves this by being brave, compassionate, and forgiving. In Victorian
In Victorian society, there isn’t much room for bravery in women since most of them are working at home and are very religious. Religion was very important during the Victorian age that many women became nuns, like Eliza or like St. John. Equally important, “My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven. He stood between me and every thought of religion, as an eclipse intervenes between man and the broad sin. I could not, in those days see God for His creature: of whom I had made an idol” (Bronte 316). In other words, Jane replaced God for Rochester and not many women would do that because they will only marry for the fortune not for
Jane doesn’t realize that falling in love with her master is abnormal and that makes her relationship unique. Forgiving is an important aspect of this aberrant relationship. For example, “Reader, I forgave him at the moment and on the spot. There was such deep remorse in his eye, such true pity in his tone, such mainly energy in his manner: and besides, there was such unchanged love in his whole look and mien- I forgave him all: yet not in words, not outwardly; only at my heart’s core” (Bronte 344). I can infer that Jane understands the situation but she keeps the apology to herself because she wants things to go easy and she doesn’t want to make any promises. The point of this quote is to show that Jane is willing to forgive and forget because she loves Rochester. This deviant relationship is essential for her life since she’s not going to find anyone else like Rochester. The forgiving side of Jane is what truly makes her character and a symbol for change in Victorian society. Not many women had the same opportunity as Jane and this makes Jane the atypical woman in Victorian