Theme Of Morality In Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë’s iconic English novel, Jane Eyre (1847), has been valued by many audiences in its ability to induce strong feelings towards characters and their fundamental world-views. The principles of these characters regarding the distinction between right and wrong strongly suggests that morality is one of these fundamental concerns. Throughout Jane Eyre, certain characters’ inability to reject the effect of societal expectations surrounding gender expectations, religious conventions and social class distinctions ultimately leads to their development of a sense of morality.

Throughout Jane Eyre, Brontë deliberately reflects the significant impact of religious societal conventions through her characters’ concerns manifested in their sense of morality. Characters who

“Charlotte uses plainness and beauty to condemn the upper class system of values which, by emphasising the importance of a woman’s appearance, limits her ability to develop selfhood and autonomous action.” Furthermore, The Negative Connotations of “narrow minded” and “confine,” and the accumulation of “female roles” is evident when Jane states, “It is narrow-minded … to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings, and knitting stockings, to play on the piano and embroider bags.” Jane is frustrated by women’s acceptance of their contextual and patriarchal oppression, and Brontë strives to portray her concern for this. Brontë deliberately contrasts the two juxtaposing characters of Jane and Blanche in order to reflect the opposing characters concerns surrounding gender. Brontë conveys to audiences of all contexts the enduringly valuable notion that, within her novel, characters reject the societal conventions surrounding gender in order to maintain a sense of