Key Quotes Flashcards
(37 cards)
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
bird metaphor symbolises the entrapment of women in Victorian society, where they were expected to be submissive.
phrase “no net ensnares me” signifies Jane’s refusal to be trapped by societal expectations or Rochester’s power as a member of the upper class.
use of asyndeton in “I am a free human being with an independent will” emphasises her assertion of autonomy.
This aligns with feminist ideals and Romantic individualism, where personal freedom is valued over all.
“The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself”
anaphora (repetition of “the more”) reinforces Jane’s defiance in the face of adversity.
She asserts that self-respect is more important than societal approval.
This aligns with feminist ideals and her belief in moral independence, proving she does not need validation from others.
“Reader, I married him.”
direct address to the reader creates intimacy and reinforces Jane’s agency.
The reversal (instead of “he married me”) emphasizes that Jane actively chooses Rochester, rather than being claimed by him.
This moment signifies her empowerment, as she now enters marriage as an equal rather than a dependent.
“I am not an angel,” I asserted; “and I will not be one till I die; I will be myself,”
statement is a bold rejection of the traditional ideal of the “angel in the house,” a Victorian ideal that demanded women to be pure, self-sacrificing, and subservient.
By asserting her independence, Jane challenges the restrictive societal norms placed on women.
The phrase “I will be myself” reflects her refusal to be defined by the expectations of others, showcasing her desire for self-authorship and autonomy.
This echoes the Victorian feminist struggle for individuality and self-expression
“I scorn your idea of love”
powerful statement is Jane’s rejection of St. John Rivers’ emotionless, utilitarian version of marriage.
The verb “scorn” is sharp and uncompromising — it conveys not just refusal, but utter contempt for the kind of love he proposes: one based on duty, religion, and ambition, not emotional or spiritual connection.
This moment showcases Jane’s moral clarity and emotional independence.
She refuses to sacrifice her inner self for a life of missionary work where she would be reduced to a tool, not a beloved partner.
The contrast between St. John’s cold detachment and Jane’s belief in love rooted in equality and passion reinforces the novel’s core idea: that autonomy must coexist with love.
“Wherever you are is my home- my only home”
declaration emphasizes her deep emotional attachment to Mr. Rochester and her belief that true belonging is not tied to a physical place, but to the person she loves.
This reflects the novel’s theme that love and emotional connection define one’s sense of home and belonging, regardless of societal expectations or material conditions.
It underscores Jane’s independence and her rejection of conventional notions of family and place.
“I meant, however, to be a bigamist; but fate has out-manoeuvred me.”
casual tone here is striking, as he openly admits his intention to commit bigamy, a serious moral and legal crime in Victorian society.
His phrasing—“fate has out-manoeuvred me”—attempts to evade responsibility, suggesting he sees his downfall as misfortune rather than consequence.
This reflects the Victorian double standard—while women like Bertha were demonized for their perceived moral failings, Rochester expects forgiveness for his.
A feminist reading would argue that Jane’s rejection of him at this moment is vital—it shows that love cannot override ethical integrity, reinforcing Brontë’s moral message.
“Refuse to be my wife, and you limit yourself forever to a track of selfish ease and barren obscurity.”
frames rejection as moral failure, manipulating Jane through guilt.
He believes a woman’s only path to significance is self-sacrificial religious service.
The phrase “barren obscurity” suggests emotional fulfilment is worthless unless tied to religious duty — Brontë undermines this by showing Jane’s eventual happiness through emotional and spiritual balance.
“A missionary’s wife you must—shall be. You shall be mine; I claim you—not for my pleasure, but for my Sovereign’s service.”
language is deeply authoritarian.
St. John uses religious duty as justification for possession and control.
The modal verbs “must—shall” erase Jane’s choice.
His desire to “claim” her reveals how religious zeal can mask patriarchal dominance.
The fact that it is “not for my pleasure” highlights how he suppresses both her and his own emotions.
“Mr Rochester- I will not be yours”
rejection of Rochester’s proposal is decisive and assertive.
“Will not” demonstrates Jane’s agency, while the simplicity of the sentence mirrors her emotional clarity.
She refuses to enter a marriage that goes against her morals, revealing her belief that love should not come at the cost of her soul or identity
“Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts”
Jane challenges the stereotype that women are naturally meek and composed.
By likening women’s emotional experiences to men’s, she asserts that women are equally capable of intellectual and emotional depth.
The metaphor of “exercise for their faculties” reinforces the idea that women need space to grow, think, and express themselves.
This statement critiques Victorian ideals of womanhood, promoting the idea of women as active, dynamic beings deserving of the same freedoms as men.
“He had not imagined that a woman would dare to speak so to a man. For me, I felt at home in this sort of discourse.”
boldness here underlines her rejection of the gender norms of the time, where women were expected to be passive and deferential to men.
Her comfort in this exchange speaks to her growing self-confidence and sense of equality.
The phrase “felt at home” is significant because it suggests that Jane, although untraditional for her time, is beginning to embrace her identity as an outspoken and assertive woman, highlighting the feminist subtext of the novel.
“Do you think because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless?”
list of adjectives (“poor, obscure, plain and little”) highlights Janes’s awareness of societal prejudices.
The rhetorical question challenges Rochester’s assumptions, forcing him and the reader to reconsider ideas of worth beyond class and appearances.
Bronte critiques Victorian social hierarchy, where a woman’s value was often linked to beauty and wealth.
Jane’s demand for equality in love was radical for the time.
“You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent”
“dependent” starkly illustrates Jane’s lower social status. It reduces her identity to a financial burden, reinforcing how rigid Victorian class boundaries were.
The phrase “no business” is aggressive and exclusionary, suggesting that Jane doesn’t even deserve access to education or knowledge.
This reflects how the upper classes gatekeep not only wealth, but intellectual development too.
Her status as a dependent excludes her from privileges despite being part of the same household.
It reveals how class in Jane Eyre is not just economic, but moralised—Jane is treated as if her lack of wealth makes her inherently inferior or unworthy.
“No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep.”
dehumanising statement hits at Jane’s core identity.
The phrase “less than a servant” reverses expected hierarchies—she is placed beneath even the working poor because her contribution is invisible.
The emphasis on “keep” shows how Victorian society judged a person’s worth entirely by their economic productivity.
Brontë critiques a world in which usefulness is equated with humanity.
Jane’s reaction to this moment—quiet endurance rather than violence—shows the strength of her character in contrast to the cruelty of her social surroundings.
“Oh, madam, when you put bread and cheese, instead of burnt porridge, into these children’s mouths, you may indeed feed their vile bodies, but you little think how you starve their immortal souls!”
This quote reveals Mr Brocklehurst’s religious hypocrisy and emotional manipulation.
By calling the children’s bodies “vile” and claiming that giving them proper food “starves their immortal souls,” he prioritises spiritual suffering over basic human needs.
His use of religious language masks cruelty, showing how religion is weaponised to justify control and deprivation.
The irony is sharp—he claims to save souls, yet inflicts suffering.
Brontë critiques the Evangelical ideology of the time and exposes how men like Brocklehurst use religion to uphold power and oppress the vulnerable, especially women and children.
“I can but die… and I believe in God. Let me try wait his will in silence”
In a moment of despair, Jane’s declaration underscores her reliance on faith to endure hardship.
Her willingness to “wait His will in silence” signifies submission to divine providence.
“The humanities and amenities of life had no attraction for him…he would never rest, nor approve of others resting round him…”
St. John is presented as ascetic and relentlessly driven, rejecting “humanities” and pleasure.
His disdain for rest reveals his internalised belief that suffering equals virtue.
He imposes this on others too — Brontë is exposing how religious extremism can become oppressive.
There’s also a colonial undertone — missionary work often involved forcing cultural change
“We all must die one day, and the illness which is removing me is not painful; it is gentle and gradual; my mind is at rest”
The word “gentle” softens the harshness of death, reflecting Helen’s acceptance of mortality.
“My mind is at rest” implies spiritual peace, showing her unwavering Christian faith.
Her calm tone contrasts with the fear of death, suggesting moral and emotional maturity far beyond her years.
“Helen had calmed me; but in the tranquility she imparted there was an alloy of inexpressible sadness.”
metaphor “alloy of inexpressible sadness” implies her peace is mixed with underlying melancholy.
“Imparted” shows how Helen’s influence extends to others.
This complex emotional tone reflects the depth of Helen’s maturity and tragic insight.
“This was a demoniac laugh — low, suppressed, and deep.”
“demoniac laugh” immediately invokes a supernatural or malevolent force, emphasizing the gothic theme of the unknown and the sinister.
The description of the laugh as “low, suppressed, and deep” conveys an unsettling feeling of something lurking in the shadows, just out of sight.
The keyhole is a symbol of Jane’s restricted vision and understanding, emphasizing her vulnerability and powerlessness in the face of a dark, supernatural world.
“It snatched and growled like some strange wild animal.”
dehumanizing simile reduces Bertha to an animalistic creature, reinforcing her status as the “madwoman in the attic”.
The verbs “snatched” and “growled” emphasize aggression, presenting her as dangerous and uncontrollable.
However, this portrayal reflects Rochester’s biased perspective—Bertha’s madness is presented through his lens, reinforcing contemporary Victorian fears about mental illness and colonial “otherness” (as Bertha is Creole).
A postcolonial reading might suggest that Bertha’s rage is justified, symbolizing a woman stripped of her freedom, locked away by a husband who has moved on.
“The foul German spectre — the Vampyre.”
depicted as an unnatural, ghostly presence through Gothic imagery.
The adjective “foul” suggests moral corruption, potentially aligning her with the Victorian fear of female sexuality.
The metaphor of a “Vampyre” presents her as a supernatural predator, emphasising the threat she poses to Rochester’s domestic happiness.
This reflects the 19th century fear of degenerate, foreign influences, reinforcing Bertha’s Creole identity as an outsider.
Bronte presents Bertha as monstrous double of Jane- where Jane is rational and virtuous, Bertha is irrational and destructive, making her a manifestation of Janes’s suppressed passion.
“That looked desperate and brooding—that reminded me of some wronged and fettered wild beast or bird, dangerous to approach in his sullen woe.”
animal imagery (“wild beast or bird”) reflects Rochester’s trapped existence, suggesting that he is both dangerous and vulnerable.
The word “fettered” (meaning chained) reinforces his entrapment, both in his physical state and in his past mistakes (Bertha, deception).
The phrase “dangerous to approach” suggests that Jane still sees him as a powerful force, yet his “sullen woe” makes him seem more tragic than threatening.
This aligns with the Byronic hero archetype—passionate yet tormented
