Mr. Brocklehurst In Jane Eyre

When Jane Eyre becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, she discovers her strength and identity as she experiences love and a new kind of relationship. Jane’s only encounters with male characters prior to her position at Thornfield were with John Reed, and Mr. Brocklehurst. Jane hid from and endured her cousin John’s abuses, but her anger and fear are what finally lead her to stand up to him. Her punishment in the Red Room transforms her overnight from a child to a more mature person when she realizes that, no matter how hard she tries, she will never be accepted by her own family. Mr. Brocklehurst is the second male character Jane stands up to. He uses his power to oppress the girls and teachers at Lowood, to teach them their place in society, …show more content…
Rochester is unlike the men she has previously encountered. He is the first man to treat Jane with kindness and include her at times when she would not normally be excluded. This was something Jane was not used to. Mr. Rochester treated her like a human being. Jane says of Mr. Rochester’s treatment of her, “There was a reviving pleasure in this intercourse, of a kind now tasted by me for the first time.” Mr. Rochester adds interest with the intellectual stimulation of their evening discussions, which she lacked. During these discussions, Jane stands up to Rochester saying, “I don’t think, sir, that you have a right to command me merely because you are older than I…your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience.” Jane’s identity and dignity are tester through the discovery of Mr. Rochester’s wife, Bertha Mason, at Thornfield Hall. She is the obstacle to Jane’s happiness because she does not only represent Jane’s repressed rage, but she is also the one thing preventing Jane and Mr. Rochester from being able to marry. To free Jane, Bertha must die, which happens after Jane has fled Thornfield and found the stability, belonging, and identity she longed and searched