In her impassioned speech to Mr Rochester, Jane confronts his inherently misogynistic attitudes and emphasises her resolute belief that she and Rochester are equal, but morally she is superior. Despite Jane’s intense desire to be emotionally gratified, she refuses to compromise her own dignity to achieve this. Within this passage, Brontë exemplifies her own feminist values which criticise the current lifestyle of the Victorian marriage.
In one of the rare instances where Jane openly conveys her view on gender roles and Victorian social hierarchies, she concurrently challenges Mr Rochester’s misogynistic beliefs. Despite his affection for her, Rochester still encompasses many of the stereotypical viewpoints of men in the patriarchal Victorian society.
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Rather than allow herself to be oppressed, Jane declares herself as “a free human being with independent will” and eventually leaves Rochester.
Brontë's character of Jane conveys what she thinks an individual must obtain to live a rewarding and proper life. Jane has a constant yearn for love, but refuses to discredit her own views and values. Brontë stipulates the necessity of strong moral values through Jane's criticism of Rochester, where she asserts that she is
“better than [Rochester]” because he openly partners with women who he does not truly love, a trait which Jane “scorns”. If Jane abandoned her moral compass, and stayed with Rochester she would condemn herself to an undignified, miserable life. When Jane decides to leave Rochester she reveals the opportunity to mature as a woman and gain social and economic independence, in which she can return to Rochester as a social and intellectual equal. Encompassing “Jane Eyre” is Brontë's unmistakable standpoint in regards to gender equality and marriage; Jane's experiences offer a clear mirror into
Brontë's own experiences as a woman in the Victorian era. Jane