Religious Beliefs In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is a gothic bildungsroman novel based in Victorian era England. It tells the story of a young woman named Jane Eyre from childhood to young adulthood, as told by Jane ten years after the events take place. During this time of her life, Jane experiences much controversy of opinions surrounding a variety of serious issues like love, death and social-class, but none quite so much as religion. Throughout the novel, Christian beliefs show up as a distinguishable topic among major characters, such as the varying beliefs between Mr. Brocklehurst and St. John Rivers. The models that these and other characters make for Jane differ from and influence her own beliefs in many ways, such as the subservient attitude Jane’s childhood friend Helen had in her worship differing from Jane’s individuality. Jane not only holds original views concerning her religious beliefs, but she also exemplifies them frequently, like when she leaves Edward Rochester partly due to her beliefs about unlawful unions under God. …show more content…
In order to understand the particular religious beliefs that Bronte conveys through Jane, one must first examine the beliefs of other major characters. One major …show more content…
The unique beliefs among major characters in the novel and the effect these views have on Jane’s beliefs convey Bronte’s (then) controversial views on the topic of Christianity. By examining these religious views, one can better appreciate the novel not only as a piece of fiction, but also as a piece of social commentary that stands in the forefront of the modern feminism