Themes Flashcards
(8 cards)
Independence & Self-Respect
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
— Jane asserts her autonomy to Rochester.
🡒 Highlights her refusal to be trapped by love or society.
Love vs. Autonom
“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!”
— Jane demands emotional equality from Rochester.
🡒 She will only love on equal terms, not as an inferior.
Gender & Feminism
“Women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties… just as their brothers do.”
— Jane speaks against restrictive gender roles.
🡒 This is Brontë’s proto-feminist voice pushing back against Victorian ideals.
Social Class & Inequality
“You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you have no money…”
— John Reed to Jane at Gateshead.
🡒 Shows class cruelty and Jane’s social vulnerability as an orphan.
Education as Empowerment
“You shall be publicly cleared from every imputation… and stand in the position of a girl well-conducted and well-trained.”
— Miss Temple defends Jane at Lowood.
🡒 Education and moral support give Jane dignity and self-worth.
Religion: Hypocrisy vs. True Faith
Hypocrisy:
“This girl, who might be one of God’s lambs, is a little castaway.”
— Mr. Brocklehurst publicly shames Jane.
🡒 Reflects cruel, self-righteous religion.
True Faith:
“God is my father; God is my friend: I love Him; I believe He loves me.”
— Helen Burns on her deathbed.
🡒 A model of sincere, personal faith.
Childhood & Trauma
“I was a precocious actress in her eyes; I had to smile when repulsed, and to speak pleasantly when scorned.”
— Jane reflecting on her treatment at Gateshead.
🡒 This quote reveals the emotional repression and performance Jane is forced into as a child, enduring neglect and cruelty while being expected to behave submissively. It highlights the psychological toll of growing up unloved, helping to explain her later need for genuine affection and moral justice.
Gothic Elements
“What it was, whether beast or human being… the clothed hyena rose up.”
— Jane’s description of Bertha Mason.
🡒 Gothic imagery emphasizing madness, fear, and otherness.
