Jane Eyre- Heroes

Question #4

                As well as being the protagonist of her story, Jane Eyre is the heroine of her own life. Despite difficult circumstances, she stays strong in her faith and in her perseverance. In Jane Eyre, the storybook hero’s role is reversed. Instead of the aristocratic man valiantly stepping in to save the day, Jane must resist the man and save herself from those who might pull her into evil. By writing this role for Jane, Charlotte Bronte shows that she approves women rising to power and supporting themselves. With a kind, gentle spirit, Jane disengages from those who might do her harm, thus making herself the heroine of her own story.

                It may be argued that Mr. Rochester is the hero of Jane’s life as well, for he rescues her from her mundane, loveless existence and invites her into his life. Although he is older, wiser, and more privileged than Jane, Mr. Rochester depends on her completely. It is Jane who rescues him when he falls off of his horse, and it is Jane who is his sole assistant when he is crippled and blind. When Mr. Rochester proposes for the second time, he reflects, “Hitherto I have hated to be helped- to be led: henceforth, I shall hate it no more. I did not like to put my hand into a hireling’s, but it is pleasant to feel it circled by Jane’s little fingers.” (page 269)

                Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print