Jane Eyre’s story addresses ideas of justice and injustice. The ways in which others treat Jane are often unjust, but her sense of moral justice enables her to survive and find happiness.
“You are like a murderer – you are like a slave-driver – you are like the Roman emperors!” – Jane Eyre, Chapter 1
Meaning and context
- Jane is reacting to John Reed, who has just attacked her physically
Analysis
- John, the only son in the Reed family, bullies Jane constantly
- Jane is responding to John’s behaviour by comparing him to three figures who embody cruelty, oppression and injustice:
- Murderers commit a crime by taking another person’s life
- Slave-drivers commit injustice by owning and trading other human beings
- Roman emperors like Nero and Caligula were reowned for their acts of cruelty and oppression
- By standing up to John, Jane shows her intolerance of injustice, even when she knows she will be punished for it
- Brontë is showing that the refusal to accept injustice is one of the fundamental aspects of Jane’s character
- Brontë is also illustrating the way that people with power can behave unjustly towards those without power
“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 as much as their brothers do” – Jane Eyre, Chapter 12
Meaning and context
- Jane is reflecting on her situation and that of all women in her society
- She feels discontented and trapped in her position as Adèle’s governess
Analysis
- By showing Jane’s dissatisfaction, Brontë is illustrating unjust attitudes towards women’s abilities and strengths:
- Jane notes that women need to use their minds just as much as men do, but are unable to do so
- By referring to a “field for their efforts”, Jane is indicating the limited practical opportunities for women compared with men
“Revenge never worries my heart, degradation never too deeply disgusts me, injustice never crushes me too low” – Helen Burns, Chapter 6
“He is a good and a great man, but he forgets, pitilessly, the feelings and claims of little people, in pursuing his own large views” – Jane Eyre, Chapter 35
Meaning and context
- The first quotation is something that Helen Burns tells Jane to try and persuade her that it is better to accept the injustices in her life
- The second quotation is Jane’s explanation of why she is refusing to marry St John Rivers
Analysis
- These two quotations show the ways in which extreme religious views can lead to injustice, or the acceptance of injustice:
- Helen Burns believes that her suffering is unimportant, because she will have her reward in the afterlife
- St John’s religious zeal is stronger than his compassion for the feelings of others
- Brontë is showing that even the moral codes of Christianity can be warped into extreme self-denial, or cruelty and injustice:
- Jane’s rejection of Helen’s views illustrates Brontë’s certainty that people should never accept injustice, even in the context of religious belief
- Jane’s comment about St John shows Brontë’s awareness that extreme religious beliefs can be cruel and disempowering for others