Jane Eyre
...for a way to express herself as an independent person who needs help from no one, yet she also wishes to have the love and companionship of others. Often times, Jane finds that she can have independence but no one to share her life with, or she can have the love of another at the loss of her independence. Jane's entire journey is based on the goal of achieving a seamless blend between independence and love, a mixture that rarely seems to go hand in hand.
The story begins with a young Jane Eyre who is essentially neither loved by anyone nor independent in nature. At this point in the story, the reader discovers that Jane is an orphan and is being supported by the Reed family. This discovery is made through the portrayal of John Reed when he is taunting Jane about her social status. John claims that since it is his family who supports Jane, it is their choice to dictate the circumstances under which she lives. In this case, Jane is not allowed to play with the younger Reed children or read a book that belongs to the Reeds. The fact that6 Jane is an orphan living under someone else's roof displays that she has not yet gained her independence. The Reed's, as it can be seen by their actions above, are also terribly cruel to Jane. After John is done taunting Jane about the book he hits her with it. A fight ensues, in which Jane is victorious. Despite the fact that John instigated the fight, Jane is punished by being sent to the "red-room" by Mrs. Reed. The Reeds are Jane's only acquaintances, and since they do not treat her lovingly, she basically has no one in her life that is close to her.
When the story progresses to Jane's life at Lowood School, love and independence finally begin to make a show in Jane's life. Jane finds a mother figure in Mrs. Temple while she is attending the school. Mrs. Temple is, in reality, the only truly kind teacher at the school,...
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