在被马克思誉为“辉煌一派”的英国四个现实主义小说家中，夏洛蒂以其“激情”的文风笔调稳稳占据一席。读过她的作品，我们便会觉得“几乎每一页上都有激情笼罩和爆发”，“夏洛蒂在自己心中储存的激情，足够十个人的容量，足够写出充满一个图书馆的小说”。英国当代评论家丹奈的这一评论并非言过其实。可叹的是夏洛蒂没有跨过豪渥斯的第四十个寒冬，并没能把她的激情全部释放出来。然而我们在简爱身上却能找到作者所倾注的全身心的激情。她以亲切感人的笔调，并以主人公和读者直接谈话的方式，来叙述一个既无姿色又无财产的小资产阶级知志妇女简爱，她靠着独立的人格力量，无所畏惧面对各种艰难险阻和精神折磨，她敢于反抗，从而成为在社会上自重、在生活上自立、在婚姻恋爱上自主的强者。尤其在情节发展的关键时刻，让主人公自我解剖内心世界，向读者展示生活的灵魂，从而引起读者对简爱的真切感情。

现代评论界大多数研究者都是从小资产阶级妇女解放的角度来评价简爱的，对于这一点我们应该肯定，这也是简爱具有新意的一个方面，她代表了女性强烈的反抗呼声，也正因为如此，便赋予了简爱性格的一面——烈性如火。全书激荡着妇女对男性压迫者的愤怒抗议和要求男女平等的呼声。而世间万事万物都是矛盾的结合体，夏洛蒂笔下的简爱也不例外。她既渴望别人爱自己，也愿意去爱别人。她说：“我知道我应该看重自己，可这还不够，要是别人不爱我，那我宁可死掉。”作为社会的人简爱向社会发动了攻势，表达了自己的思想，揭露了社会的不公，而作为自然的人简爱也有着女性天然的感情，这种感情不能由任何外在因素而抹杀，社会的人与自然的人总是结合于一体的，因而柔情必然是简爱性格的组成部分。也因为如此，我们在简爱的刚烈性格之中不经意间总能发现她的柔情。

全书中这种水与火的交融激荡在简爱的心中，她以爱憎分明的态度去面对个人的生活、工作、爱情、婚姻家庭之类的凡人琐事，也正是简爱的这种水火性格，最能引起永远是占绝大多数的琐事缠身的凡人的共鸣。

简爱烈性如火的反叛性格是从她的几次出走一步一步定型的。第一次出走是选择离开盖茨海德府去洛伍德学校。小小的简爱虽然还没有自立的能力，但她不能忍受舅妈家那种被压迫的生活环境，她毅然选择了一个陌生的环境，这对于一个孩童来说需要多么大的勇气，小简爱的这种烈性性格在此时已初见端倪。她“像所有反抗的奴隶一样，在绝望中决定豁出去了”。大骂表兄是“杀人犯”，还和他对打起来，被关进恐怖的红房子中她则愤愤不平地喊出：“不公平——不平啊！”对于她的舅妈，她则说：“我要反抗。”说她“坏透了”，“心肠毒得很”，从而“有了一种前所未有的自由感和胜利感”，但接着又作了自省自责，觉得这“又暖又醇”的报复滋味很快就变得“又涩又苦”，这说明简爱的另一面——渴望得到爱也想去爱别人，而不是这种既遭人恨又恨人的处境。她对贝茜这样一个下女给予了自己的爱，她以“两条胳膊搂住她”，“互相拥抱”，分别时“搂着贝茜的脖子连连吻着”，读到这些细节时我们就会体会到简爱内心细腻的感情。

第二次是从洛伍德学校到桑菲尔德府。她对八年的生活常规感到厌倦，她的个性中往日的激情又占了上风，她几近绝望地喊出：“我向往自由，我渴望自由……至少赐给我一份新的工作吧!”于是她毅然登了广告应聘去桑菲尔德。这一阶段简爱的性格有了发展。她用剑一样的目光审判着慈善学校日常生活中种种欺弱怕硬的丑恶行为，特别从道义上鄙视那个贪婪、伪善，以虐待孤儿为营生的卑陋小暴君勃洛克赫斯特校长。特别值得一提的是当海伦受到惩罚，把“邋遢”两字的纸板缚在额头上时，简爱跑到海伦跟前，“把那纸板一把扯下扔进火里。整整一天她没能发出的怒火一直在我的心中燃烧，大颗大颗的热泪不断地灼痛我的双颊”。这短短的一段把简爱心中急切的爱与无比的恨淋漓尽致地表现出来。简爱以难以扑灭的怒火，烧毁纸板来表达对海伦深沉的爱，而实际上她的怒火已蔓延到了那个卑琐的环境，透露出对整个社会不满，也折射出强烈的时代光芒。

第三次是简爱在经历了爱情的挫折后出走。这一时期最能体现简爱的双重性格。

首先是言行与内心的对立统一。简爱在言行上仍时时处处从容不迫，凛然不可侵犯，宛如一尊高傲矜持的大理石雕像，并没有轻易表露自己内心的爱，而以其独立自尊的人格来包裹着内心的柔情。

其次，在表达爱时，简爱最先表达的仍是自己强烈的个性，她义正词严地对罗彻斯特说：“你以为因为我穷、低微、不美、矮小，我就没有灵魂，没有心吗?——你想错了！——我跟你一样有灵魂，一也完全一样有一颗心！……我现在不是凭着习俗、常规，甚至也不是凭着肉体凡胎跟你交谈，而是我的心灵在跟你的心灵对话，就好像我们都已离开人世，两人平等地一同站在上帝跟前——因为我们本来就是平等的!”而也正是这种刚正不阿、坚强勇敢、傲对权势的刚烈性格像火一样融化了罗彻斯特的精神世界，打开了他封闭己久的心扉，也使罗彻斯特在此刻认定简爱就是他心目中的妻子。

我们再看看在婚礼前选购衣物一段，简爱以自己的原则喜好来决定自己的事，而没有在爱情面前迷失自己，放弃自我，不愿花枝招展地成为罗彻斯特的点缀物和私人物品。在简爱看来爱是不需要外在形式束缚的，她鄙视世俗妇女的爱情观，她追求的是更高的精神的爱，使我们不得不对这个单薄的女性产生敬佩之情。

面对罗彻斯特真诚的爱和请求原谅时，简爱的内心独白是这样的：“我在当时当地就原谅了他，他的目光中流露出那么深深的悔恨，他的语气中饱含着那么真挚的同情，他的风度中显示出那样的男子气概，而且在他的整个神情举止中都流露出那么忠贞不渝的爱情——我完全原谅了他，不过不是诉诸语言，也不是形之于表情，而只是深藏在我的心底”。她内心的柔情被如火的个性压抑着，她以几个连续的“是的”、“是的”来回答爱人，更加坚定地选择自己的人生道路，追求独立的自我仍然是简爱不懈的追求，她选择了第三次出走。

总之，我们在疯狂的背后看到了一个女人的挣扎与反抗，听到了一个女人凄厉的呼喊。其实伯莎是简的另一个自我。这个自我被禁锢在简思想的堡垒中，夏洛蒂通过伯莎义无反顾、同归于尽的反抗，来达到简反抗精神的高潮。简在伯莎的身上看到了自己将来的命运，或者说看到了大多数妇女的命运，作家给伯莎安排悲剧性角色，让简的烈性反抗性格从柔情中爆发出来，更具冲击力。火也象征着这种反抗精神必然以无可阻挡之势去烧毁一切禁锢。 我们再来看简的最后一次出走。简忍受不了圣约翰以宗教的名义来束缚自己、控制自己，不愿成为传道的工具，她几次拒绝他的求婚，但她善良温柔的心却抵不过圣约翰的那份温柔。书中简在心中说道：“哦，那份温柔!它比强迫来不知要有力多少啊！我能够顶住圣约翰的愤怒，而在他温和的态度下，我却软得像根芦苇。”但简在罗彻斯特心灵的呼唤下找回了失去的自我，她不屈的个性又战了上峰，她又义无反顾地走上了自己选择的道路。从表现妇女意志的角度看，《简爱》的一个特点是把女人作为第一位的、独立存在的人来表现。通过简来表达性要求独立、自由、平等的呼声。

特别是在爱情方面，夏洛蒂通过简对封建的等级婚姻制度和资产阶级的商品婚姻制度发起了猛攻。她认为一个人的价值，不决定于门第、财产、身份、资格等外在的非本质因素，而决定于思想、品德、才智、情操等内在的本质。她用坚决果敢的态度来证明，真正的爱情可以冲破年龄的差距、财富地位的悬殊、身世阅历的迥异等天然的或人为的障碍，只要男女能够达到精神的契合，心灵的沟通。

《简爱》即使在现代世界也有它独特的意义。即通过简爱这样一个渺小的人物，写出人的价值、人的精神世界的丰富，人（哪怕是孩子）的感情和尊严的不可辱、不可犯，深刻地控诉了践踏人的价值、浪费人的生命的资本主义制度。她传播了朦胧的意志，在只认现金交易的资产阶级哲学之外，天地间还有一个更高的法则值得人们尊重。归根结蒂，这是西欧文化中人道主义传统在新的条件下的继续。简爱的抗议确实起到抨击现存秩序不合理的战斗作用。尽管那种秩序还在发展当中，如果我们把简爱的精神概括为推崇人格和鄙视一切仗势欺人、道德伪善、趋炎附势、妄自尊大等卑劣心理的反抗精神，那么显然，《简爱》这部作

品的价值也必不会被磨灭。特别是她的自重精神和自我意志对于当今女性也有激励作用。社会在发展，时代在进步，对女性的要求也越来越高，越来越残酷的竞争对女性也是一个极大的挑战，但也是证明自己的一个机会，这就要求女性要有自我意志，形成独立人格，不能自轻自贱，只有看重自己，相信自己，充实自己才能争得社会的一席之地。

夏洛蒂在艺术手法上打破了自古沿袭下来的框框，即爱情故事中男主人公多半是少年英俊，女主人公必定是年轻美貌的一成不变的公式。简爱这个平凡的女性，她的心灵那么丰富而有深度，她的激情那么有感染力，她的形象显示出那么高超的艺术美，相形之下一些作家笔下的丽姝佳人都不免黯然失色。夏洛蒂的这个尝试是现实主义艺术方法的一个创新。她推倒了文学中爱情王国历来有美人占领的惯例，把爱情的内容由男女互慕美色提升到心灵契合的更高境界。她在构思《简爱》的过程中，曾和两个妹妹讨论过女主人公的容貌问题，妹妹们认为除非把女主人公写成美丽的，否则无法使读者感兴趣，她说：“我要证明你们错了。我要创造一个女主人公给你们看。她像我一样矮小难看，可是她将和你们的女主人公一样会叫人感兴趣。”诚然，许多以爱情为主题的杰出作品中女主人公兼有美貌和性格而令人难忘，可是像简这样纯然以性格抓住人心的人物，则属少见。作者还注意对人物性格的发展变化及矛盾斗争，特别运用心灵独白和象征手法。如：简的性格经历了童年、少年、青年、成年几个阶段，并通过主人公的内心展现矛盾斗争和对外界事物的感受。

有些现代评论家认为夏洛蒂是英国第一位主观主义小说家，是詹姆斯、乔伊斯等个人意志小说家的先驱。同时《简爱》也是一部现实主义与浪漫主义相结合的作品。小说真实再现了小人物简30年的坎坷遭遇和勇敢追求，细腻地叙述了女主人公艰难的生存状态和复杂的心理活动，反对人性的压抑和摧残，赞扬了妇女独立自主、自尊自强的精神，是一部现实主义的作品。但作品也充分表现了作者的主观理想，抒发了个人热烈的感情，在情节的构建、人物的刻画、心理的揭示和景物的描绘方面却有着丰富的想象力，正是这种浪漫主义的艺术技巧和现实主义手法的交融结合使本书更加生动，更能引起人们的共鸣和联想。

 

第二篇：《简爱》里的人物性格分析论文英文版

AbstractJane Eyre is the novel written by Charlotte Bronte according to her ownexperiences. And it is the most famous works of hers. In this novel, the author shapes a tough and independent woman who pursues true love and equality, and is a good example of all women.Jane Eyre is an orphan, and is ill-treated as a little girl. She strives for her life, which makes her tough character and strong self-respect. Because of her childhood’s life environment, she learns how to live. Also just for her growing experiences, it creates her strong personality, beautiful ideal and wisdom. Jane Eyre is a special image out of ordinary. She makes a life by herself, dares to express her own idea. Under the pressure of life, she always maintains her self-respect by hard work, intelligence and her tough individualism. She never gives in on her way. Though she has little figure, Jane Eyre is huge in soul. She pursues true love and is loyal and steadfast to her beloved man. Her kindness, intelligence, and independence attract the hero. At last she gets a perfect love.Key WordsJane Eyre; toughness; independence摘　要简爱是夏洛蒂?勃朗特根据自身经历而写的一部小说， 也是她的成名作。小说塑造的是一位坚强独立的女性，她追求真爱，平等，是女性的楷模。简爱是个孤儿，从小受尽凌辱，但从不为生活所屈服，她有着坚强的人格和尊严。在幼时恶劣的生存环境中，她学会了如何生存。也正是她的成长经历，造就了她独立的人格、进取的精神和美好的理想。简爱是一位与众不同的小说人物，她只能靠自己生活，敢于表 达自己的思想。在世俗的压力下，她凭借努力工作，聪明智慧和倔强的个性，始终保持着自己的尊严。在她的生活道路上，从来不屈服。虽然她身材矮小，但是灵魂高大。简爱勇于追求真爱并对所爱的人忠贞不渝。她的善良、聪明、独立深深地吸引着男主人公，最终获得一份完美的爱情。关键词简爱；独立；坚强IntroductionJane Eyre is the typical works of Charlotte Bronte. It has high appraisal in literature history. The novel narrates Jane Eyre’s life experiences from an orphan to an independent woman. She was unfortunate when she was born, because she lost her parents and was sent to her aunt’s family, where she was heartlessly treated. Jane Eyre is little, ugly, timid, and is a “little thing” having no clear identity. All the power presses her, strangles her personality. But Jane Eyre is not destroyed by the ugly fact, and she is not over-whelmed by difficulties. On the contrary, she learns how to live and how to be strong. And she has the courage to struggle with the pressure. Jane Eyre cuts a completely new woman image. She represents those middle-class working women who are struggling for recognition of their basic right and equality as a human being.Jane Eyre’s love is

the other aspect this paper will talk about. She is very poor, so she has nothing except the power of individual spirit. In her view, love must be based on mutual understanding and equality. Love is not only acquaintance, but also it needs equality. She cannot accept the kindness of martial. It is the shame for her and blasphemy to her self-respect. It is necessary that it have self-respect for love. Jane Eyre’s departure doesn’t deny her sincere love, but deny the inequality of marriage, and the dependence after marriage. In addition to love, Jane Eyre pursues the equality on economy, personality and social status. She believes in equality between men and women. This paper, firstly, talks about the author and the general idea about Jane Eyre briefly. Secondly, the most important part in this thesis, it mainly analyzes the character of Jane Eyre from the following aspects: (1) self-respect and confidence of Jane Eyre; (2) Jane Eyre's love and her view on love; (3) the independence of Jane Eyre; (4) Jane Eyre's view on equality between man and woman. It will make the image of Jane Eyre much more vivid and bright. Finally, it is the conclusion of this paper.I. The Introduction to Jane EyreJane Eyre is written by Charlotte Bronte, one of the most famous female workers in Britain. It is an autobiography novel and it has high appraisal in literature.A. The Introduction to Its AuthorCharlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was one of the most famous female workers in English literature. In this period of tense class struggle appeared a new literary trend-critical realism English critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the forties and in the early fifties. The critical realists described with much vividness and great artistic skill the chief traits of the England society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint. She created several works, such as Shirley (1849), Villette (1853), The Professor (1857). Her works are all about the struggle of an individual consciousness toward self-realization, about some lonely and neglected young women with a longing for love. Jane Eyre is her typical works. It is an autobiography novel. It was written in the year 1846.B. The Brief Introduction to Jane EyreJane Eyre, as a plain orphan, is cruelly treated in childhood by her aunt, Mrs. Reed, a harsh and unsympathetic woman on whom she is depend. Because Jane reacts strongly against the unliable aunt’s bad treatment, she is sent away to a charity school, Lowood Charity. There she suffers a lot both physically and mentally, only consoled by a kind teacher, Miss Temple. Jane Eyre stays at the school for 8 years, and then becomes governess at Thorn field Hall. Mr. Rochester, the master of the house, is fascinated by her wit and courageous spirit and falls in love with her. This is the same with her. But their marriage is prevented by the revelation that he has had a wife, a raving mad woman, still alive. Shocks and deeply hu

rt, Jane makes up her mind to leave him and flees to the Moor House. There Rivers family takes her in. St. John Rivers, a very handsome clergyman who is determined to devote himself to God, almost succeeds in making her agree to marry him. But she refuses and finally goes back to Rochester, who is a blind and free man. Then they marry and live a content life.II. A Detailed Analysis of the Character of Jane EyreIn this novel, the author makes a female image that is against social pressure. Jane Eyre is an orphan child with a fiery spirit and a longing to love and be loved. She is plain and poor. On her way to seeking the ideal life of happiness, she encounters many hardships and frustrations, and takes a series of unyielding fights. She is brave, enthusiastic enough to change her tragic fate through her own strong unyielding rebellious character. All appraise her fiery spirit, her hatred of self-righteousness, her love of truth, and her yearning independence and equality.A. Self-Respect and Self-Confidence of Jane EyreAs a young girl, she is ill treated by her aunt, however, Jane Eyre finds her boundless confidence and tough spirit, and a kind of inner power cannot be defeated. Her self-respect is related to her life environment. She is poor but aspiring, small in body but huge in soul. In her opinion, everyone is the same at God’s feet. Though there are differences in status, in property and also in appearance, all the human beings are equal in personality. She never feels herself inferior to Rochester though she is a humble family teacher. On the contrary, she thinks they are fair. Everybody should respect each other. In fact, her uprightness, loftiness and sincerity, shakes Rochester and makes him think she is a very woman who can talk fairly in spirit. The heroine is moved by his whole-hearted. They fall in love deeply. At the time of marrying, she finds the fact that Rochester has had a wife. She tells herself she must leave. She says to Rochester like this: I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will h-old to the principles received by men when I was sane, and not mad-as I am now, laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth. Preconceived opinions, foregone deter-minations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot. (Charlotte Bronte, 2003)From the short passage, it can be seen Jane Eyre finds she is deceived; her self-respect is made fun of, because she loves Mr. Rochester sincerely. No one can bear this by his closest lover. But Jane Eyre can. What’s more, she makes a very rational decision. Under so beautiful love, the tempt

ation with rich life, she persists in her self-respect. At the end of this novel, though Thorn field is destroyed and Rochester himself is disabled, in this circumstance, Jane Eyre is in a dilemma no longer between love and self-respect. At the same time, she feels satisfied: she gets love and respect when they get marry.That is Jane Eyre, a strong woman, a short and small woman, having strong self-respect. She pursues a kind of bright, sincere and beautiful life unswerving. Actually, she isn’t pretty; the ordinary appearance doesn’t make others feel good to her of course, even her own aunt feels disgusted with her. But she is obviously prettier than the plain and ugly governess. As she says: Do you think, because I’m 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. I am not talking to you through the medium of custom, conversation, 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!”(Charlotte Bronte, 2003)This is the idea of equality in Jane Eyre’s mind. God does not give her beauty and wealth, but instead, God gives her a kind mind and a thinking brain. Her idea of equality and self-respect impresses us so much and lets us feel the power inside her body. Though one’s beauty on the face can make others feel that one is attractive and charming, if his or her mind isn’t the same beautiful as the appearance, for example, beauty cannot last forever, when others find that the beauty which has charmed them is only a falsity; it’s not true, they will like the person no more. For a long time, only a person’s great virtue, noble soul, beautiful heart can be called as an everlasting beauty, just as William Shakespeare said that beauty lived with kindness (You Ruiyun, 1999). We cannot distinguish whether a man is of nobleness or humbleness, but as there are great differences in our souls, and from that we can know that whether a man is noble or ordinary, and even obscure, that is, whether he is beautiful or not.B. Jane Eyre’s Love and Her View on LoveLove is the most beautiful characteristic of human beings’ life. And love cannot be measured by status, power or property. To most people, they like to seek a meaningful, romantic relationship resulting in love, commitment, companionship and happiness. For people, it is most important that a man and a woman have heart and feelings that find a perfect response, and also have mutual affinity. Everyone is eager to get a beautiful, romantic, happy and everlasting love. This novel is not an ordinary love story. Jane Eyre and Rochester get true love after a lot of sufferings. After ac

quaintance, then attracting each other, and falling in love deeply, they meet many obstacles. From Jane Eyre’s experiences, it was obvious that her relatives did not love her when she was a child. But it is just her childhood experiences that affect her character and later life. In fact, she is a kind girl who brings love to people around her. Mr. Rochester is an unfortunate man who has tied to a mad woman for fifteen years. He spends ten years traveling all over Europe, looking for a good and intelligent woman to love. When he finally meets Jane Eyre who appears and insists on helping him when his horse slips and falls on the ice, he begins to depend on this little figure for his happiness and new interest in life. But God plays joke on him. His wedding is ruined and Jane Eyre leaves him. He is alone again. Jane Eyre loves Rochester deeply from the beginning to the end. There should be no distinction of property, rank or age in true love. Mr. Rochester, who has rich experiences and wisdom, is softhearted, wealthy and in high rank as well as having pride and rudeness. He is older than Jane Eyre by nearly 20 years and can be her father. Jane Eyre loves him, not because his wealth and high rank, but because he treats her equally and in a friendly manner, although she is very poor and in low position. She is such an excellent girl, good, intelligent, considerate, that Rochester is attracted. It is Jane Eyre but not anyone else who Rochester loves. After his travel around Europe, and his life with his mistresses, he finds Jane Eyre. Mr. Rochester says:After a youth and man-hood passed half in unutterable misery and half in dreary solitude, I have for the first time found what I can may love-I have found you. You are my sympathy-my better self-my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong at-tachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my center and spring of life, wraps my existence about you-and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one. (Charlotte Bronte, 2003)It is obvious that Rochester loves Jane Eyre deeply.Perhaps there is a question: now that Rochester loves Jane whole-hearted, he should not deceive her. He should tell her the truth that he had a legal wife. But in the social background, people pay too much attention to property, rank and status. If the disparity is great, a pair of lovers would suffer disagreements from their families and their friends. Such as Mrs. Fairfax, one of Rochester’s servants is very surprised and feels puzzled that her master is madly clinging to Jane. But both of them don’t care about the difference of status and property or others’ opinion. They pursue true love. They overcome the obstacles. In theory they are happy to be married, but their marriage is destroyed by a mad woman. His wife is alive. Rochester tells the fact to her, and he

is full of regret about it. He tells Jane what he has done and confesses all his past history. Mr. Rochester tries to conceal that he has had a mad wife, because he loves Jane. He is worried that she cannot endure the fact and will leave him if he tells her the truth. At last, he exposes his secret to her, which also proves his sincere love for Jane. Jane forgives him, but she doesn’t want to be his mistress, she wants to be his real wife, so she leaves. It is impossible for her to hate him. On the day she runs away, passing the door of Rochester, she cannot keep the tears from raining down her face.Although Jane Eyre leaves, she misses Rochester every day. Wherever she goes, she remembers him every moment. She often dreams of him like that she is embraced by him, hearing his voice, meeting his eyes, touching his hand and face. She loves him, and is loved as well, and wants to spend all her life with him. After her departure, she loses her aim. She is hungry and cold until St. John saves her and he wants to marry Jane. But Jane refuses. Although St. John is a little merciful and handsome man, he is also very harsh and arbitrary. He doesn’t 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 Eyre insists that true love should be based on equality, mutual understanding and respect. So she refuses John’s proposal. She seems to hear the voice of Rochester in her mind, and then she comes back to Thorn field Garden. In most people’s eyes, nobody would like to marry a man who loses his sight and most of his wealth. Like today, in a pair of lovers or a couple if one of them becomes disabled, maybe the other will leave him or her. But as to Jane, she is different. In her mind, true love is the meeting of hearts and minds of two people. People must love the bad as well as the good. The premise of genuine love is mutual respect and independence. In this novel, Rochester is much older than Jane Eyre, even can be her father. No matter what society it is, age is an important obstacle between lovers. At the beginning, Rochester is very proud, sardonic and harsh that makes Jane feels puzzled. Then they spend many hours on conversation. Jane becomes alive in his attention, is stimulated by the challenges he offers and is comfortable in arguing against his opinions. Life experiences, maturity, and some points about the life are different. Rochester often refers to Jane’s youthfulness, limited experiences and calls her his little friend “I envy you, your peace of mind, your clean conscience, and your unpolluted memory little girl.” (Charlotte Bronte, 2003). From her childhood experiences, it is known that Jane does not have parents and does not get love from her parents. Rochester is the first man she meets that gives her love and makes her feel very happy, so she falls in love with him who has rich experience and is very ma

ture. To some extent, it can be said that she regards Rochester as her father because of her lack of love from father.C. Jane Eyre’s IndependenceThe independent spirit is another most important aspect attracting readers. Jane Eyre is exposed to a hostile environment but continuously and fearlessly struggling for her ideal life. To some degree, the novel can be interpreted as a symbol of the independent spirit. In Jane Eyre, mistreatment and unfairness force Jane to struggle for self-respect, while knowledge and worthwhile work provide her with enough economic supply to gain independence. Jane, casting alone on the world and fighting a solitary battle, shows her determination in pursuing her self-esteem and independence at every stage of her life, both in struggling with social pressure and resisting the temptation of passion and love. In every relationship, Jane rises from inferiority to superior, and finally gains full independence through continuous rebellion.a. Jane Eyre’s Consciousness of the Importance of Independence The struggle begins for the despised, outcast, unprotected child at Reeds. She bravely stands up for her rights and fights for the life of success she deserves. At this stage Jane’s instinct for self-assertion can only express itself in rebellion. An orphan since early childhood, Jane Eyre has no parents or friends, no wealth or possession, misunderstood, mistreated by the relatives she has. All alone in the world, she seems doomed to a life of failure. The cruel treatment she receives from her Aunt Reed and her cousins only exacerbates her feeling of alienation, and deepens her determination of rebellion. She realizes that she will never find a true sense of home or community and feel the need for belonging, to find “kin,” or at least “kindred spirits.” And the “red-room” life only deepens her courage in resisting her aunt’s unfair punishment, which foreshadows Jane’s independence or rebelliousness. The poor experience at Gatehead tempers her equally intense need for autonomy and freedom. The Reed family is a demonstration of Jane’s power to overcome the circumstance. The dramatic presentation of Jane’s struggle at Gatehead demonstrates that she should begin to realize it is not necessary to fear authority.b. Gaining Strength from Her Teacher and SchoolmatesSince Jane Eyre’s education in Lowwood Orphanage, she doesn’t get what she has been expecting---simply being regards as a common person, just the same as any other girl around. Jane continues to be socially ostracized, financially trapped, and excluded from love; her sense of independence and her freedom of self-expression are constantly threatened. The cruel treatment from Mr. Brocklehurst and the poor condition there only inspires Jane to gain independence. Helen Burns’s martylike attitude toward the school’s miseries is helpful to Jane. She learns from Helen the ability of endurance. Though Helen suffers from shame and ang

er when punished, she tries to endure her punishment socially. But Helen’s death makes Jane angrily believe her own words once more “strike back very hard, resist in justice, return dislike to dislike.”(Charlotte Bronte, 2003). That is the typical rebelliousness. It is hard for people to imagine or believe that such a short, plain and weak girl contains a never yielding soul and feelings as warm as raging flames not only because of the bad conditions but the indifferent human relationships there. At Lowood, Jane’s independence rises to a higher level. She learns to be self-restrained from Helen and she finds the way to be independent from Miss Temple. In fact, Miss Temple and Helen are in some sense mothers for Jane. From Miss Temple, the girl learns to achieve more humorous thoughts. Her way of confronting the world is still the Promethean way of fiery rebellion, nor miss Temple’s way of ladylike repression, nor Helen’s way of sanity renunciation. She learns from her two teachers at least superficially to compromise. c. Showing Her Independence and Self-Control Fully As a reward of revolting the ruthless oppression, Jane Eyre gets a chance to be a tutor in Thorn field Hall. She makes an acquaintance of lovely Adele and its owner, Rochester, a man with warm heart despite a cold face outside. From then on, the fate on Jane changes a lot. But when she knows Rochester has had a legal wife, she chooses to leave. She chooses poverty between richness and poverty. Someone says that life is a box of chocolates; you never know what you will get. It is reflected in Jane’s life. The novel doesn’t end when Jane Eyre leaves Thorn field. For Jane, there should be somewhere to realize her great ideal of being independent. As a governess, Jane gains financial independence so that she can support herself. Jane now has a social as well as a personal position. Moreover, Jane’s vision enlarges and goes farther on the way to be independent. When Jane feels deeply attached to Mr. Rochester, she clearly realizes that there is an impossible chasm between them. Mr. Rochester, born in a notable family, is part of upper class while Jane herself, sprints from low extraction, and is just an ordinary governess not more than a servant. However, she doesn’t lose her heart and withdraw or even belittle herself. Jane acknowledges her inward feelings before Mr. Rochester. She conducts herself in this battle for love with a great disparity in social status; Jane attaches importance to friendship and frankness but not Mr. Rochester’s countless property and his celebrated family status. Jane is not willing to give up her independence and equality to Rochester. When Mr. Rochester proposes to her, Jane accepts because Jane feels Mr. Rochester regards her at equal levels. But just on the wedding day, Mr. Mason cries out that Rochester already has had a wife. Angering at Mr. Rochester’s deed, Jane speaks out these words angrily: “Do you think I can stay

to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automation, a machine without feeling, and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water?” (Marian Allotte, 1973). At this time, her feeling of preserving independence becomes obvious. She just wants to preserve her self-respect by scarifying her marriage.d. The Pleasure of Self-Sufficiency Independently The flight from Thorn field following the interrupted marriage ceremony makes the turning point of Jane, and she undergoes a trial on the moors, which brings her face to face with the real meaning of the personal worth and independence. At Moor House, Jane enjoys economic independence and engages in worthwhile and useful work, and she finds work as a schoolmistress, and does some real good to her pupils. But she lacks emotional sustenance. Although St. John proposes marriage, Jane knows their marriage will remain loveless. He admires Jane because she is self-respect and diligent. St. John offers Jane another kind of freedom: the freedom to act unreservedly on her principles. He opens to Jane the possibility of exercising her talents fully by working and living with him in India. Jane eventually realizes, though, that this freedom will also constitute a form of imprisonment, because she will be forced to keep her true feelings and her true passions always in check. She defaces what she wants is real and equal, not as his worthy too. Once again Jane shows her courage in preserving her independence. Nonetheless, the events of Jane is staying at Moor House are necessary tests of Jane’s autonomy. Only after proving her self-sufficiency to herself can she marry Rochester and not be asymmetrically dependent upon him as her “master”. The marriage can be one between equals.Life is ceaselessly changing, but living principles remain. Firmly persisting for the rights of being independent gives people enough confidence and courage.D. Jane Eyre’s View on Equality between Man and WomanIt is known that men are superior to women. Men are everything. They goes to good school; they can be officer; they can be businessmen as well; and they also have right to do everything. Women are only the affiliate of men. Women have no status. The reason why Jane Eyre gets highly apprises is due to it portrays an image out of ordinary. Jane Eyre is not reconciled to play the role that the society appointed. She maintains her respect by her hard working, wisdom, and the strong individualism. She believes that human is equal at God’s feet. The relationship between Jane Eyre and Rochester changes from host and servant to equal couple. Jane Eyre struggles continually to achieve equality and to overcome oppression. In addition to class hierarchy, she must fight against those who believe women are inferior to men. Three central male figures threaten her desire for equality and dignity: Mr. Brocklehurst, Edward Rochester, and St. John Rivers, each try to keep Jane in a

submissive position, where she is unable to express her own thoughts and feelings. In her quest for independence and self-knowledge, she must escape Brocklehurst, reject St. John and come to Rochester only after ensuring that they may marry as equals. She will not depend solely on Rochester for love and she can be financially independent. Furthermore, Rochester is blind at the end and dependent on Jane to be his wife. In Chapter 12, Jane articulates what is for her time a radically feminist philosophy that women are supposed to be very calm generally but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their brothers do; they suffers from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men will suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow- creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bays. After experiencing a lot, Jane develops from an angry, rebellious, 10-year-old orphan into a sensitive, artistic, maternal, and independent young woman. Jane rejects marriages to Rochester and St. John because she understands she will have to forfeit her independence in the unions, and marry Rochester only when she has attained the financial independence and self-respect to maintain a marriage of equality.ConclusionIt is known that the most famous works of Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, is very popular all over the world. The image of Jane Eyre is deeply planted in our mind. Jane Eyre starts her life with an orphan and no money, inferior position and terrible family environment. She is not pretty but she is brave and tough. She might beonly a little figure but she is the master of her own life. Whatever condition it is, she insists on her view. Her common looking and poverty don’t prevail over her struggling spirit and ideal. Jane Eyre’s strong self-respect and confidence leave a deep impression on every reader. She struggles for equality on economy, marriage, personality and social status. It is the most important aspect that attracts readers.From the paper it is seen that Jane Eyre is worthy to love and to be loved. Her love is based on equality and independence, having nothing to do with status, power or property. She is not tempted with money and doesn’t want to be mistress of Rochester for money. Her love is loyal and steadfast. Jane Eye needs true love, and she overcomes the obstacles in the process of pursing true love. At last, she succeeds and lives a happy life with her loverR>Through the detailed analysis of Jane Eyre’s character, it is known that whatever difficulties one encounters in his life, facing them bravely is the only way that one can do. Everybody has the rights to pursue happiness, to pursue the true spirit of life, which can be seen from Jane Eyre’s independence and toughness.Bibliography[1] Allotte, Marian. Jane Eyre and Villette[M]. London:

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