In Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”, we are presented with a heroine whose autonomy could be argued as vague. Moving from place to place, Jane is thrust into situations that are beyond her control. This essay will aim to argue that Jane expresses her autonomy through her choices. It will be considered how the social pressures affect this autonomy; further, that these pressures do not weaken her autonomy, but actually strengthen it.
In Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” Jane begins the text as a child who is in no way free. As Jane grows up and becomes a woman she can begin to function as an autonomous individual. Due to Jane not always being capable of freedom, she holds her autonomy very dearly. In the Victorian era, women were treated with disdain and had little control over their lives. This society shapes Jane to be a woman who respects her social expectations but not at the expense of her autonomy.
In the beginning of the text, “Jane encounters a series of unfortunate life experiences that allow her to achieve a semblance of selfhood through work that enables her to recognise her oppression by various dominant powers.” (Jennifer Santos, p. 1) The first half of Jane’s life she is in residence with her aunt Mrs. Reed and cousins, who dominate her. Jane is then sent to Lowood School where she learns the life skills necessary to become a governess. During her stay at Lowood School she is oppressed by her headmaster Mr. Brocklehurst, who is quoted as being “The embodiment of