Jane Eyre ~ Charlotte Brontë (1847)

In 1847, the Brontë sisters published their individual works and were each met with positive reception. Perhaps the most critically-acclaimed was the novel Jane Eyre written by Currer Bell, the pseudonym of Charlotte Brontë. Even over 150 years since its publication, Jane Eyre remains a success and core work of English literature and one of the reasons for this is that it, like her sister’s Wuthering Heights, combines the elements of the Gothic and to craft a model example of the genre. The story of the protagonist, Jane, is wrought with romance which borders on the wild and obscure and with a back-drop of grand, dark mansions, the supernatural and insanity. The novel is dark, but hauntingly beautiful and is the sisters’ primary style, giving it iconic status and is reserved for their works. While the adoption of the Gothic is a key element to the novel, it is the protagonist which elevates the story as Jane is humble, hard-working, determined and, importantly, a woman. What is often neglected in media adaptations is that Jane is explicitly described as not being beautiful; she say so herself. Jane however does not regard her aesthetic beauty as her most important quality, instead she uses her practical skills to elevate herself in educational and human ways. What is also important about this realistic representation is that Mr Rochester's infatuation with her is based on these elements of her persona, therefore Brontë is also fair and admirable for representing the true male figure as well as the female and for this, I am thankful. Everyone, not just readers, should be thankful to Jane Eyre for being a truly iconic woman not through her attempts to impress men but her desire to impress herself and it is curious that the world does not have more Jane Eyres as the lessons of gender and human interaction are crucial, numerous and provide a perspective which changes readers’ outlooks. It could therefore be said that this is a life-changing narrative, and is highly recommended to new readers and as a re-read in the near future not purely for its social message but its compelling characters, largely interesting story (I say this as the last quarter of the novel, except for its ending, lacks captivating characters and degraded protagonist persona but does not damage the overall work) and the Gothic elements which add a new dimension to the story that makes it memorable and an addition to the impressive achievements of the Brontë sisters.