Jane Eyre

I've loved literature all my life, and as a result of that, I've heard a thing or two about the Bronte sisters. Somehow, however, I've managed to get to this point without reading a single one of their books. I'm excited to amend that. I've heard a great deal about Jane Eyre, and none of the reports really matched each other. I had no idea what to make of it coming into it, and I was surprised to find such effusive love for the novel within five minutes of looking into its significance.

Promotional image for Theatre Royal Plymouth's Jane Eyre

Based on my limited understanding of the plot, it seemed to me that Jane Eyre was another Pride and Prejudice type book with a healthy dose of Gothic style and characteristics. What I did not expect to find was a quote from Virginia Woolf describing the character of Eyre as ".. an overpowering personality... There is in [her] an untamed ferocity perpetually at war with the accepted order of things which makes [her] desire to create instantly rather than to observe patiently." Apparently, one of the most significant writers in history thought that there was more to this novel than it being just another windswept Regency- Era romance.

In fact, the general consensus, even in just a cursory glance of critical opinion on the text, seems to be that Jane Eyre, the book and the character, exude a sense of  'self' that was thrillingly new for the women of the time. While cogito ergo sum and a pursuit of a new rational order had come to the men, this narrative seems to be regarded as one of the first evidences of the concept and drive for individuality coming to women.

I'm excited to be wrong about this book. If a cursory search can yield such thrilling results, what will deeper perusal uncover?  I have a sneaking suspicion that Eyre asks herself a similar question- I look forward to joining her on that journey.

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