Jane Eyre

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her to abandon her morality, and she acts against her Victorian values when Rochester proposes to her, "’I do; and if an oath is necessary to satisfy, I swear it.’ ’Then, sir, I will marry you.’" (Bronte 295). Jane ignores her morality, as she disposes of her Victorian values, as she accepts to marry the man that she endeavors not to love due to her moral beliefs. This demonstrates the effect of love on her moral beliefs because she abandons her Victorian ideals, and she strives to achieve her idealistic goals. During their wedding, Richard Mason disturbs the wedding, revealing that Rochester is married to another woman. The wedding is canceled, and this forces Jane to make a complicated decision, "But the answer my mind gave - ’Leave Thornfield at once’ - was so prompt, so dread, that I stopped my ears. I said I could not bear such words now. ’That I am not Edward Rochester’s bride is the least part of my woe,’" (Bronte 343). Just as Jane’s morality is affected by her love for Rochester, the collapse of their love affects her morality. She knew her place is not at Thornfield, so for her to stay at Thornfield would not be best for her. By deciding to leave, she exemplifies her Victorian value because leaving Thornfield was beneficial for Jane’s greater good, and it would have been an unrealistic expectation of her to stay at Thornfield. Bronte displays that love does affect morality, as it can tempt you to draw away from your morals, but without the love you may realize your true morals as Jane did when she lost her love for Rochester.

After Jane flees Thornfield and ends up in Marsh End, Bronte uses the Character interactions between Jane and St. John, and Jane and Rochester, to show how Romanticism prevails over Victorian values due to the need for love, which can lead to finding what you truly desire. She demonstrates this through Jane realizing what was the correct decision to do, even though it went against her morals. At Marsh End, Jane encounters a man named St. John. St. John believes that Jane would make a perfect wife for his journey to India, and asks Jane to marry him, but Jane declines "’Oh St. John!’ I cried, ’have some mercy’... ’I am not fit for it: I have no vocation,’ I said" (Bronte 464). Jane’s denial of marriage to St. John illustrates her pursuit of Romantic beliefs because it would be morally correct of Jane to marry St. John and travel with him to India, but she declines because of her love of Rochester. This is an example of an unrealistic expectation, as she knew that she still loved Rochester, but to refuse marriage, for a minute possibility that she had an opportunity to love Rochester was unfeasible. But due to her romantic desires, and her pursuit of true love, abandoning her Victorian values, she did acquire the love that she yearned for. After she returns to Rochester at Ferndean, there was nothing in the way of their love this time. "’I will at least choose -her I love best. Jane, will you marry me? ’Yes, sir.’ ... ’To be your wife is, for me, to be as happy as I can be on earth.’" (Bronte 513). Because Jane abandons her Victorian beliefs, it leads to her finding true love, and happiness. Her desire to achieve an improbable wish was obtained by abandoning her Victorian beliefs, and by finding what she truly aspires, despite how unrealistic it was. Her romantic beliefs guided her way to happiness. Romantic beliefs instigates the realization of self-desire, as Jane realizes that she should do what she truly feels is what she wants, which is an improbable task, but not impossible, as she found true happiness, by disposing of her Victorian beliefs.

Jane Eyre shows the effects of certain events on an individual’s desire for true happiness, and self-fulfillment. At Gateshead, Jane possessed a mix of Romantic and Victorian beliefs, but through the experiences in her life, she found what she truly desires for, which was love, in opposition to her Victorian morality. Although due to the abandonment of her moral beliefs, she finds true happiness, through the pursuit of her Romantic beliefs, when she marries Rochester. In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte uses the character Jane, to show how Romantic and Victorian values are shaped by the encounters of an individual, such as love that can initiate the need for Romantic values, which can guide one to happiness.