Several days ago, I finished reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. A masterpiece as Jane Eyre is, I want to say nothing more about it, which is utterly unnecessary. A detailed description about Jane Eyre can be found here (from Wikipedia).
So here in this passage, what I want to talk about are some thoughts on this great novel.
Firstly, the author puts emphasis on both sense and sensibility. On the one hand, Jane is a well-educated, principled woman, who adheres firmly to the law, established by man or nature. So after discovering the nature of her marriage with Mr. Rochester, much as she loves him, she disclaims the romantic relationship with him and leaves him immediately. On the other hand, she is not just a creature fully characteristic of obedience and compliance, namely, a slave of the fate. She cherishes ambitions and dreams, desires changes and challenges, gasps for freedom and liberty. Consequently, as she meets St. John Eyre Rivers, who offers his hand to her, she could only understand, but not sympathize with his divine vocation. With the writer, I can’t agree more. It’s of essential importance to hold a balance between them.
Secondly, Brontë depicts the ideal form of true love, prolonged marriage, and real felicity. Regardless of the somewhat horrifying storyline which sets off the noble personality of Jane Eyre, true friendship of the two is the essence of all above. By virtue of mutual communication, which is based on shared interests and gives either one pleasure and satisfaction, their relationship develops gradually, from the one between a master and a governess, to the one between two equal spirits. In short, friendship turns into love, and friendship is just the love eventually. In my opinion, the friendship-based romance is the true sublime romance.
Apart from these, the author’s style is also worth mentioning. The elaboration of the description, the creativeness of the simile and metaphor, and the euphony of the verse make Jane Eyre rich and ornate.
All in all, as I said before, A great book it really is, a great personality Charlotte Brontë really has.