Jane's Struggle: Honor vs. Love

1980. A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is a classic and beloved novel about a young orphan, Jane Eyre, who faces down all of the challenges in her life to find happiness in the end.  Time and time again, her determination, honor, and spirit are tested, but each time she prevails.  One of her most striking and memorable struggles was that which tested her moral resolve with love, the love she feels for Mr. Rochester.

Even at the beginning of the novel, Jane's character is seen as strong, both mentally and morally.  From her childhood with her aunt and cousins, the Reeds, Jane is abused.  However, in spite of chaos and fear, she remains, for the most part, mentally strong.  While she is being picked on by John Reed, her cousin, she allows him some liberty, but strikes out and harshly when it becomes too much to bear.  Though her aunt never goes to her defense, she keeps her spirit, one of curiosity and perseverance with her.  Her schooling continues at the Lowood School, where more trouble befalls the students.  They all suffer from deprivation and starvation in the name of piety, causing many of the students to fall ill during an epidemic of typhoid   While others, like her friend Helen Burns, submitted and were ultimately consumed, Jane's morality does not allow her to meekly tolerate the treatment they receive and she fights against the school, first by protesting her innocence in the face of accusations of deceit, and later by being unaffected by the typhoid.  She knows and respects the moral importance of telling the truth, though Mrs. Reed did little to instill it in her.  Her life with the Reeds also taught her that she could win battles and it was worth trying.  In spite of her upbringing, Jane feels a certain moral and personal obligation to stand up for herself and do the best she can under the circumstances, which comes back to cause her future pain.

However, trouble arises when she meets the man who employs her as his ward's governess, Mr. Edward Rochester.  At first, he seems only strange, dark, and brooding, perhaps distracted by some unhappy past events.  As time passes, however, mysteries begin to arise and Jane falls in love with him.  When, following a convoluted process which involves her questioning his feelings towards her many times over, he declares his love and asks her to marry him, she is deliriously happy.  However, trouble makes itself apparent in the form of Bertha Rochester, Mr. Rochester's first wife.  During the wedding itself, Mr. Mason, the sister of Bertha, reveals that Mr. Rochester is already married and Jane is thrown into a personal struggle.  Though her heart wishes to stay with her beloved, her morals and honor insist that she cannot stay.  It would be wrong to continue to live under the same roof as a man she loved but could not have, who had tried to deceive her into marrying him, whatever his reasons were.  In the end, her mind and honor reign supreme and she runs away, retaining her name and her honor in spite of her feelings.  During this pivotal moment, Jane demonstrates the strength of her character and the importance of following what is right rather than what is easy.  Though it hurts her to know that she cannot stay with him, she leaves anyway, because her morals dictate that it is the right thing to do.  Jane's personality, her most defining trait, is illustrated through her taking control of her life and the way she leaves Mr. Rochester.

Through the character and struggles of her character, Jane Eyre, Bronte constructs a powerful message towards women, that they can be strong and take control of their lives, an inspiring message for women living in her time period to assert their own capabilities and make their own life, as Jane did.