How Does Jane Eyre Change Throughout The Novel

“I can live alone, if self-respect, and circumstances require me so to do. I need not sell my soul to buy bliss. I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights should be withheld, or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give.” (Bronte 141). It is this quote that I believe accurately sums up the incredible transformation the character Jane Eyre undergoes throughout the duration of the novel of the same name. There are many things that influence and shape the character of Jane as she grows and matures throughout the story, from the chiding and abuse of her aunt and cousins at Gateshead, to the religious zealotry of Mr. Brocklehurst at the Lowood School, her extremely complicated relationship with Rochester, and finally her time spent with
By seeing how living out these extremes impacted not only her life but the lives of those around her and certainly the lives of those involved, she came to see how too much of a good thing can be dangerous. Her faith does not make her cruel or malicious like Brocklehurst, nor does it require her to spurn the world around her the way Helen and St. John chose to. By the novel’s end, she comes to find a comfortable middle ground where she is able to bring these two halves of herself into harmony with one another. It is a way for Jane to be able to curb her sometimes immodest passions while at the same time still care for those around her and have a heart of compassion for the less fortunate. Where before, she had only questions and doubts about herself and her faith in God, she now has a complete identity and faith in Christ. Her faith has allowed her the comfort and ability to rest in the knowledge that she will have not only the joy and fulfillment she has spent her whole life searching for in others, but also knowing her eternal destiny is