AboutJaneEyre

　　LoveversusAutonomy

　　JaneEyreisverymuchthestoryofaquesttobeloved.Janesearches,notjustforromanticlove,butalsoforasenseofbeingvalued,ofbelonging.ThusJanesaystoHelenBurns:“togainsomerealaffectionfromyou,orMissTemple,oranyotherwhomItrulylove,Iwouldwillinglysubmittohavetheboneofmyarmbroken,ortoletabulltossme,ortostandbehindakickinghorse,andletitdashitshoofatmychest”(Chapter8).Yet,overthecourseofthebook,Janemustlearnhowtogainlovewithoutsacrificingandharmingherselfintheprocess.

　　HerfearoflosingherautonomymotivatesherrefusalofRochester’smarriageproposal.Janebelievesthat“marrying”RochesterwhileheremainslegallytiedtoBerthawouldmeanrenderingherselfamistressandsacrificingherownintegrityforthesakeofemotionalgratification.Ontheotherhand,herlifeatMoorHousetestsherintheoppositemanner.There,sheenjoyseconomicindependenceandengagesinworthwhileandusefulwork,teachingthepoor;yetshelacksemotionalsustenance.AlthoughSt.Johnproposesmarriage,offeringherapartnershipbuiltaroundacommonpurpose,Janeknowstheirmarriagewouldremainloveless.

　　Nonetheless,theeventsofJane’sstayatMoorHousearenecessarytestsofJane’sautonomy.Onlyafterprovingherself-sufficiencytoherselfcanshemarryRochesterandnotbeasymmetricallydependentuponhimasher“master.”Themarriagecanbeonebetweenequals.AsJanesays:“Iammyhusband’slifeasfullyasheismine....Tobetogetherisforustobeatonceasfreeasinsolitude,asgayasincompany....Wearepreciselysuitedincharacter—perfectconcordistheresult”(Chapter38).