Needless to say, those fortunate specimens whom I grace with the apparition of my masculine countenance, a glimpse of my most dignified conduct, or a demonstration of my virile fortitude, would all conclude that I am the most rugged of all manly men ever to tread the hills of Elmsford. When not wrestling lumberjacks, commandeering pirate ships, or head-butting machetes, however, I am often seen lying prostrate on a bed of hot coal, snuggled up with a classic work of literature. The copious testosterone flowing through my veins commands that I read the most macabre of novels, filled with gratuitous violence, pillaging, explosions, adultery, or any other type of abuse and stimulation minds like Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe could formulate. If I may put it simply, I am typically not one for romance novels. It is a marked testament to her genius and adept writing ability, therefore, that 19th century novelist Charlotte Bronte was able to execute a “Romantic novel of passion” that stimulates the mind, excites the passions, and titillates the heartstrings of even the coldest and most hardened reader. Though Bronte’s 1847 published magnum opus Jane Eyre may seem like nothing but a dull fairy tale and an arduous chore to read upon cursory glance, delving deeper into the literary work reveals an enthralling story teeming with beautiful imagery, social criticism, and even some very dramatic symbols and allegorical elements. Rich in culture, abounding in social commentary, and rife with classic examples of nearly every literary technique out there, Jane Eyre is a must-read for any lovers of literature; or anyone who plans on taking the AP English: Literature exam at some point in their lives.
Charlotte Bronte builds each and every sentence in Jane Eyre with a masterful command of the English language, a command sadly absent, in my humble opinion, from literature of this and the last century. Using this mastery, Bronte weaves together the complicated stories of many seemingly disconnected characters around one central heroine, and goes on to describe the triumphs and travails of that heroine as she falls in and out of love, defies expectations by moving readily between social classes (castes, really, in that society) and in general interacts with the rigid social customs of 19th century England.
The novel begins by describing the living conditions and background of its heroine and namesake, Ms. Jane Eyre. When we first meet Jane, she is young, not yet in her teens, and has already been orphaned by the tragic loss of both her mother and father to typhus. Jane is thus brought up by her mother’s sister-in-law, the wealthy, albeit cold and continually oppressive, Mrs. Reed. Born of extremely humble beginnings, at least compared to the affluence of the Reed family, Jane is made the frequent victim of much physical abuse and teasing at the hands of cousins John, Georgiana, and Eliza Reed, and even at those of her aunt Mrs. Reed. Ever-cognizant of her inferiority, both in the physical realm, for her appearance is lackluster, and in the social world, for she is not yet trained in the graces associated with wealth, Jane leaves her adoptive family to study basic English, French, Music, Drawing, and History at Lowood School for Orphans. From there, Jane’s triumphs and travails intensify ten-fold, as she goes on to work as a governess, or teacher, in the Rochester abode at Thornfield. Quickly falling in love with her perpetually burdened, melancholy, yet passionate and exceedingly blunt master Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester, Jane is abruptly thrust into adulthood as she explores the themes of true, sacrificial love versus individual autonomy, the proper place of religion in society, mobility within 19th century society, gender relations, and the balance between one’s inward fire and one’s inward ice. When a dark, foreboding secret is discovered literally in Mr. Rochester’s attic, Jane is forced to cast her passions aside and quit his society, doomed to a life of introspection, unbridled courage, and the fragile balance between reason and passion.
Originally titled Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, this novel affords readers a glimpse into the nature, the very ebb and flow, of 19th century society through the unique perspective of a poor, then wealthy, then poor again, then wealthy again governess forced to endure the most poignant of human emotions and the basest conditions of human existence. Though distinguished for its brave commentary on the 1840s status quo, and controversial for its description of a love affair between a 19 year-old governess and her nearly-40 year-old master, the hallmark of Jane Eyre and its most ingenious element is not that it looks outward towards society, but that it looks inward, portraying the essence of human nature, courage, zeal, sacrifice, and love. Serving as a beacon of rationale and the truest embodiment of persistence and passion, the character of Jane Eyre has earned her place in the annals of literary history right next to Hamlet, Atticus Finch, Piggy, and other quintessential, world-renowned characters. Lying at the heart of a revolution in the scope of the romance novel, Jane Eyre treads where no novel before it treaded before with the most unorthodox love story and the most direct, sometimes vitriolic commentary on 19th century class rigidity and materialism. Though such themes undoubtedly appeal to all individuals, let me be the first to forewarn timid readers: Jane Eyre is not for the faint of heart. I back this novel with the utmost recommendation only if you could enjoy 450 pages of small-print filled with apt vocabulary and unnecessarily complex syntax. When all is said and done, shining through the complicated structure of this literary behemoth is a truly enjoyable read with all the ingredients for a page-turning, enthralling romance novel for the ages.
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