Helen Burns: The Strong And Independent Woman In Jane Eyre

757 Words4 Pages
Throughout the whole book, there are many characters that influence Jane Eyre to become the strong and independent woman that she is in the end of the book. Helen Burns, Mrs.Reed and John,the River sisters and Bessie has changed Jane for the better woman she is in end of the book and they all made a lasting impact on her. Helen Burns was always patient, kind-hearted and and a lot more mature than Jane was in the beginning. Helen was always viewed as the elder sister or the mother figure that Jane never had. She was the first person to ever show affection to Jane and was a role model for Jane. Helen was always grateful and helped the immature Jane become wiser, grateful,forgiving and patient. She helped Jane forgive Mrs.Reed and not hold as much hatred in her heart towards her. Helen helped Jane view the world differently because she had a strong faith in God, and especially believed in loving your enemies. For example, Jane never liked their teacher Miss Scatcherd because she was always rude to Helen, but Helen always pointed out the good in their teacher, even when Jane saw the bad. Jane got upset with Helen for always being so collected, but when she saw that Helen was still calm, even after her outburst, she learned to also be more serene. Even though Helen wasn’t a big part in the book, she had a big impact on Jane and the woman she became. Helen dying also helped Jane become a more independent person. Mrs.Reed was always cold and bitter towards Jane and