Most people, at some point in their life, grapple with the idea of following what is morally and socially accepted and following what their heart desires. In Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre, The main character Jane eyre struggles with this issue as well. Jane Eyre, a passionate, poor orphan girl who, after being sent away by her aunt to a boarding school, becomes a governess to a wealthy bachelor’s 8-year-old ward in Thornfield. Jane finds herself falling in love with Mr. Rochester and he does with her, and on the day of their marriage their dreams are torn apart by the existence of Mr. Rochester’s first wife. After finding out about Bertha Mason, Mr. Rochester’s first wife, Jane contemplates her situation and resolves that she must leave
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Rochester further complicates Jane’s dilemma by introducing the subject of society’s views and opinions. Mr. Rochester, desperately trying to convince Jane to stay with him, tells Jane that she has no reason to follow societal conventions because she has no family to care. He painfully and almost convincingly tells her, “And what a distortion in your judgment, what a perversity i your ideas, is proved by your conduct? Is is better to drive a fellow creature to despair than to transgress a mere human law-no man being injured by the breach? for you have neither relatives nor acquaintances whom you need to fear to offend by living with me” (Bronte 369). Mr. Rochester tries to use Jane’s social status as a reason for why she should stay with him. She doesn't have any family or friends that would care if she followed the belief against bigamy, so why should she even bother bother being a moral person? Mr. Rochester seems to believe that a person only follows societal norms because they fear the judgment of friends and family. Accordingly, if a person has none to impress, as does him and Jane, why do they need to keep a law, that he insists, was made by humans. Mr. Rochester questions Jane’s reasoning for following her beliefs, which causes Jane to really question what motive she has to leave him and her hope for happiness with
Rochester further complicates Jane’s dilemma by introducing the subject of society’s views and opinions. Mr. Rochester, desperately trying to convince Jane to stay with him, tells Jane that she has no reason to follow societal conventions because she has no family to care. He painfully and almost convincingly tells her, “And what a distortion in your judgment, what a perversity i your ideas, is proved by your conduct? Is is better to drive a fellow creature to despair than to transgress a mere human law-no man being injured by the breach? for you have neither relatives nor acquaintances whom you need to fear to offend by living with me” (Bronte 369). Mr. Rochester tries to use Jane’s social status as a reason for why she should stay with him. She doesn't have any family or friends that would care if she followed the belief against bigamy, so why should she even bother bother being a moral person? Mr. Rochester seems to believe that a person only follows societal norms because they fear the judgment of friends and family. Accordingly, if a person has none to impress, as does him and Jane, why do they need to keep a law, that he insists, was made by humans. Mr. Rochester questions Jane’s reasoning for following her beliefs, which causes Jane to really question what motive she has to leave him and her hope for happiness with