Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Published on May 8, 2025

I finished reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and I'd like to discuss points that I found interesting in the novel.

As I've done previously for The Sea-Wolf or One Hundred Years of Solitude, I won't provide a summary or classical analysis — all of that can be found on the Internet. So, spoiler warning: I will discuss certain passages that interested me and share my feedback.

This book is a classic of English literature, and there's a reason for that. The characters are rich and complex, and the plot is captivating.

Jane Eyre is written by a woman, Charlotte Brontë. The novel is written in first person — so we follow the story of a woman written by a woman — which is exceptionally rare normally, even more so for that era. The work was published in the mid-19th century, about 200 years ago. Although two centuries separate us from Brontë's era and our societies seem very different, women's character, their ideas and fantasies remain the same as today.

The story is a mix of Fifty Shades of Grey and Beauty and the Beast. It's the story of a not very beautiful woman (important point, it's emphasized several times) who will end up sleeping with the rich aristocrat who doesn't work (like in Fifty Shades of Grey). Moreover, he's the only rich person in the novel who doesn't work. The others have professions: factory owner, doctor, lawyer, etc. In Charles Dickens' works, written in the same period and the same country, all the rich people have professions: banker, lawyer, etc. And the less wealthy as well: worker, tailor, office employee, etc.

So it's quite consciously that Brontë created a character who doesn't work. Because a rich person who works enormously (like most rich people) doesn't have time to seduce and take care of his wife. The only difference with Fifty Shades of Grey is the absence of sex scenes in the work — that wasn't allowed in novels of that era.

It's amusing to note that feminine fantasies from two hundred years ago were the same as today. The ordinary woman attracted to the extremely rich, powerful and popular man. Rochester is an aristocrat, he occupies a high place in society, he's not just a simple anonymous rich person. He's also madly in love and obsessed with Jane — the very stereotype of the feminine fantasy.

It's also a mix with Beauty and the Beast, because Mr. Rochester lives alone and isolated in his castle. He's not very handsome, but he remains very charismatic and possesses extraordinary inner strength and power — his "bestial" and "virile" side. He's also very possessive and jealous — Jane loves this, while being afraid of it.

I find it fascinating that, two hundred years earlier, the fantasies were identical. Eras pass, but human nature doesn't change. We'll see this further on with feminine behaviors that we consider "new" — they've always existed.

What impressed me

Jane Eyre shows enormous courage and resilience, particularly for a woman and from a very young age. It's inspiring.

The death of Helen Burns

During her period at the orphanage, Jane befriends another young girl, Helen. It's very touching, she finally makes a friend after a difficult childhood. A typhus epidemic occurs at the school and many young girls die. Helen is affected by the disease and is isolated.

Jane goes to find her sick friend. She falls asleep with her in her bed, holding her in her arms. She's found the next morning by the headmistress in the bed, still asleep, with her friend in her arms; except that the latter died during the night. This passage is very moving — I found the harshness of life striking.

The difficulty in women's lives

One point that struck me: a woman's life must have been very difficult at that time. Jane Eyre, as well as other women, seek to elevate themselves in society. They are avid readers in search of erudition — but above all, they practice several arts: singing, piano, painting, drawing and sewing. This is something totally lost in women today — and almost as much in men.

Her relationship with Mr. Rochester

As soon as Jane Eyre arrives at Thornfield manor, she's immediately attracted by Edward Rochester's charm. It's from this moment in the novel that we can observe the avalanche of feminine stereotypes.

The seduction phase

Mr. Rochester is initially very distant, he pays no interest to Jane Eyre — and she loves it! It challenges her. He then starts talking to her coldly, even meanly — and once again, she loves having a man who resists her.

He ends up inviting several prominent figures from English high society, including the very beautiful Mrs. Ingram, whom he seeks to seduce in hopes of finding a wife. He asks Jane to be present in the living room at the same time as the guests but continues to ignore her while flirting with Mrs. Ingram. It's sadistic and humiliating for Jane — but she loves it, she becomes extremely jealous.

Rochester flirts with the beautiful aristocrat Ingram but ends up sleeping with the plain servant. It's a Fifty Shades of Grey scenario.

The novel being written in first person, we're plunged into Jane Eyre's thoughts and feelings.

This passage about seduction in the novel is fascinating because it shows the strange feminine behavior that's so familiar to us men today.

The more the man doesn't care about her, the more he speaks badly to her, the more he goes elsewhere, the more she loves it and falls madly in love with him. It's the cliché of the "bad boy," of "toxicity." These terms didn't exist at the time, but it's exactly the same behavior.

We can complain about it, criticize it, but the novel shows that this fantasy already existed two centuries ago — it's not new. It makes no sense, it's devoid of all logic — but it's the bad boy, the toxic guy who turns her on.

During their private discussions, Jane also speaks very meanly to Rochester; she criticizes him, tells him she finds him ugly. This is what we'd call "shit testing" today. She provokes him to see how he reacts. The more he remains stoic, the better; the more he loses control, the less successful the test is. Rochester reacts very well, he remains stoic and confident throughout — he passes Jane's test wonderfully.

This is why I find this novel fascinating from a man's point of view: it shows us the psychology of a woman from two hundred years ago — making us understand that these behaviors we all consider annoying are innate. As a man, you have to learn to live with and know how to play with them. It's unfortunate but that's how it is.

The marriage

One of the most interesting chapters is the one about marriage preparation. Mr. Rochester is madly in love with Jane, he wants to treat her like a princess, give her gifts, make her travel, etc. As for her, she wants to get married but wants to keep her independence. The chapter therefore focuses on negotiation within the future couple about the life they'll lead together after marriage.

What makes this chapter interesting is that once again we see Jane's vision and feelings. She doesn't want to make any compromises, really none. She doesn't give a damn about what Rochester feels, she has zero empathy. She's an intelligent woman but she's incapable of putting herself in someone else's shoes. She has her values and you have to deal with them, it's non-negotiable.

It's fascinating: she's in love with Rochester but at the same time she doesn't respect him and doesn't care about his opinion and emotions. It goes completely over her head. Conversely, he gives in to everything — he's madly in love with Jane — so he bends to all her whims.

What's striking in the text is that when Rochester puts forward his desires, for Jane it's manipulation. If the novel had been written in our era, she would have used the term "narcissistic pervert." On the other hand, when it's the reverse, it's because Jane has values — it's no longer manipulation.

The emphasis is really placed on Rochester's manipulation and you can even feel the excitement it gives Jane.

I found this passage interesting because it really shows the egocentrism that some women display. It's very striking how on one side it's manipulation / I don't care about what he desires, his needs as well as his feelings — but on the other side, if I do the same, I have the right because I have standards, values, etc. He has them too but that doesn't count. There's good and bad manipulation. When it's others it's not good, but when it's me it's good.

Another point where women's oversized ego doesn't date from today.

The love of drama

The chapter after the marriage cancellation is one of the most interesting from the perspective of feminine psychology.

First, Rochester tells his story in detail — he's had a life of solitude and failed romantic conquests. Jane, madly in love, listens attentively — we can feel her feelings very well. She's both captivated by Rochester's story but feels no emotion at the same time. She shows no empathy towards him despite his tragic life — she remains a woman — and women and the absence of empathy, that doesn't date from today.

It also disgusts her a bit that Rochester went to seduce other women, but at the same time she likes knowing that he's a seducer. It's double-edged.

Once his story is told, Rochester still wants to live with Jane without marriage. He offers to leave for the south of France or Italy. For her part, Jane also still dreams of making her life with him. She would be delighted to leave with him — she remains madly in love. But leaving this way, running away with him without being married, bothers her and goes against her values.

She's dying to leave with him but "she mustn't." She must "resist the urge." Because if she accepts, everything will go well and there will be no more problems in her life. But Jane is a woman — she loves drama — she can't live without it.

So, despite dying to leave alongside Rochester, she's going to refuse. Why? To create problems. She runs away in the middle of the night leaving everything behind and without warning anyone.

She's unhappy about it, Rochester too — but she doesn't regret it, a little drama always does some good.

This passage particularly struck me because there was no point in doing that. It's just creating problems for nothing. It's really feminine behavior to look for trouble.

Like the other behaviors seen previously, this isn't new — women did the same two hundred years ago. And once again the absence of empathy for poor Rochester is always striking from a man's point of view.

The friendzone

Once she's fled Rochester's manor, Jane takes refuge with a family in an isolated house. She meets the two sisters Diana and Mary as well as their brother Saint John.

This last part of the story is full of lessons.

Thinking a lot about Rochester and lacking attention, she starts seducing Saint John. Being written in first person — we realize Jane's actions very well. She's very nice and kind to Saint John whereas usually she doesn't pay attention to any man.

Jane flirts with him while thinking about Rochester at the same time. She pretends not to realize that Saint John is gradually falling in love with her. It's amusing because in the novel, we grasp very well what she's doing, it's very predictable, we suspect what's coming — and yet, she maintains false innocence regarding her acts.

She makes him suffer like this for a year, never forgetting Rochester.

After this year, Saint John announces his desire to leave as a missionary to India. He wants Jane to accompany him, and for that, she must be his wife — he asks her to marry him. She then pretends to be surprised even though she's been working on him for over a year.

She refuses to marry him without feeling any empathy once again. She gives him the classic "you're like a brother to me."

Two hundred years earlier, this phrase was already a classic used by women.

Poor Saint John doesn't understand anything anymore after being led on for a year.

He thinks Jane likes to be desired so he lets her think a little then comes back to the charge again.

Jane is exhausted by Saint John's insistence, after spending a year in ambiguity, seeking the latter's attention to compensate for Rochester's absence. She ends up telling him she despises him to be able to have peace.

At the time there were no insults, it's not like now, the word "despise" is strong. There's nothing more impactful.

Then she denies the love Saint John bears for her — Jane says he's not in love, that he behaves this way to have company once in India.

Imagine the verbal violence of these words. Poor Saint John, madly in love, is shocked, he has trouble keeping his emotions.

This passage dazzled me because it's really manipulation that we've all been victims of at least once in our lives as men. She warms him up for attention, denies the facts when Saint John declares his love, then ends up insulting him once she's gotten everything she could from him to get rid of him definitively.

Two hundred years earlier, it was exactly the same, the term "friendzone" didn't exist yet, but like the terms "narcissistic pervert," "bad boy" or "shit test" in previous chapters — women already behaved this way.

Once the situation is definitively screwed with Saint John, Jane starts thinking even more about Rochester. She abandons Saint John without scruple then leaves to find Edward Rochester. Saint John then leaves alone for India.

She used Saint John as a rebound during a period of her life when she wasn't doing well, she used him to get attention and tenderness. Once things were better, she threw him away and went to find her favorite lover.

At the end of the novel, she ends up married to Rochester. She quickly forgot Saint John. And, when she learns by mail that he's going to die soon in India, she feels relieved. One less burden on her shoulders.

Jane's ego

Throughout the novel's 700 pages, Jane meets many characters. This is interesting for two points.

The first is the fantasy part. Jane isn't pretty. Yet, she seduced 100% of the interesting men: Rochester and Saint John. Granted, she didn't meet many people, but that's still quite a beautiful statistic.

All the other men encountered — coachmen, innkeepers, gardeners, etc. — have no value in her eyes. So, it would have been a burden if one of them had been seduced by Jane. Only important men matter — the rest is insignificant.

The second point concerns Jane's egocentric side. The work is very detailed, whether in describing places or characters (physical and moral).

But all characters bringing no utility to Jane are poorly described. She makes no effort to befriend them. Once they separate, they're immediately forgotten. This is particularly troubling with all the servants she meets. She just doesn't care about them — she never talks to them, yet they're her equals. She pays more attention to school children when she's a teacher, because at least a child is "cute."

This is relevant because we identify a very egocentric character who uses others. From Jane's point of view, if they have nothing to bring her, they're useless altogether.

Conclusion

I loved this captivating novel, whose fascinating and well-constructed story makes it a classic of literature, which we fully feel when reading.

From a masculine point of view, this story is captivating because it reveals that certain feminine behaviors, often perceived as modern, are actually timeless. Far from being caused by contemporary factors like feminism, the Internet or cinema, these attitudes seem inherent and anchored since always.

Each woman is of course different and not all possess these character traits — but we've all seen some of these character traits in women around us.

At a time when the slightest red flag is eliminatory, this novel shows us human nature and offers us the perspective that we must learn to deal with it. If these behaviors were already there two hundred years ago, they'll be there after our death too.

If you're a woman, you'll love the work for its "romantic" side, which isn't romantic at all since it's the story of a woman who plays with several men. A sort of Twilight before its time.

Jane Eyre remains a courageous, inspiring and intelligent woman. She will spark many reflections in you.