Critical Analysis Of Jane's 'Jane Eyre'

"Reader, I married him” (Bronte 517). These well known and short words are the first line we read in the closing chapter of Jane Eyre. As the reader we are addressed 37 times from the beginning of Chapter 11 to Chapter 38, Jane constantly addresses the reader to reassure us that she is not just blindly telling a story, but rather she is telling this story to a specific audience. As this story is about someone’s life, there is an essence of Jane telling us this story of her life in her old age, however, there is controversy around when and to whom she is telling this story to. Jane throughout the novel is confiding in the reader for why she made these decisions, which is why she is making an argument to the reader throughout the novel. While …show more content…
She is confiding why she made these decisions and why, as a reader, you should be able to stand by her. Jane shows her vulnerability to relate to the reader and show that she has her own way of coping with situations. Jane Eyre is a rather fierce and independent narrator, however, she needs to be vulnerable at some point, which is why she addresses the reader. These allow Jane to be vulnerable and prove her true feelings. Jane addresses the reader in a rather stern way in Chapter 15 in order to make the reader understand how strong her feelings are and that will not be changed by the story of Adele’s mother: “No, reader: gratitude and many associates, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire” (Bronte 172). She makes this bold statement to the reader to reassure that her feelings are intact and must be understood. This aside shows the reader that Jane can have strong feelings and be able to understand them even if she does not understand her true desires. She is stating she has feelings for Rochester and desires him in a very unconventional manner. This desire is something she has not experienced; it is almost sexual, which is outside of the realm of experiences she has had. This aside also shows how Jane is confiding her feelings and being vulnerable to …show more content…
For example, in chapter 27 she refers to the reader as “gentle” when she leaves Thornfield: “"Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt? May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine” (Bronte 370). Jane is experiencing heartbreak, an experience she has never encountered and this aside shows her vulnerability; she had previously never encountered a man and has never fallen in love so her world is erupting. The narrator addresses the reader in this manner, hoping that her friend will understand her situation. She hopes that the reader will never be put in the same position that she was, this proves that she is addressing a friend rather than an acquaintance or an enemy. This furthers the argument that Jane is proposing from the first aside that while she has endured this difficult situation she must go through these trials to find her final happiness and love. Then with the final aside in the novel Jane plainly states what has happened, there is no emotion or need for understanding at this point due to the fact that Jane already knows the reader is on her side and will stand by her decision when she makes her declaration: ”Reader, I married him” (Bronte 517). As the first line of the conclusion she states that she has married Rochester, plainly and as a manner of fact like Jane Eyre would. This final aside is