A Young, Feminist Firebrand

In her novel “Jane Eyre” Charlotte Bronte presents a refreshingly rebellious protagonist. Other novels I have read which feature a young orphan girl portray her as very docile and tacitly accepting of any abuses inflicted upon her. The character Jane Eyre is the antithesis of the “little orphan girl” stock character. She brazenly confronts those who wrong her and refuses to be treated as an inferior. Her mettle is shown early in the novel when her cousin throws a book at her and she punches him in retaliation. Jane’s refusal to submit to her cousin’s wrath reveals a feminist streak that continues throughout the novel.
Even her aunt’s Petunia Dursley-esq, blatant favoring of her own children does not dampen her spirit. She stands up to her authority on her last night in her care when she matter-of-factly tells her of the wickedness of her ways. During this time period it would have scandalous for a woman to speak in such a manner to a person of authority, let alone a child. Not only does this incident further demonstrate Jane’s refusal to be mistreated, but it also makes her more likable. She does what the reader is always secretly hoping a protagonist such as her will do.
When Jane arrives at The Lowood School, it is the first place where her wit and intelligence are admired instead of begrudged as signs of an ill-behaved child. The school is somewhat of a feminist utopia because the institution is run exclusively by women (with the exception of the perpetually-disgruntled and pedantic Mr. Brocklehurst) to educate women. When Helen Burns is first introduced, we are given the impression that she is rebel much like Jane. It is somewhat disappointing when we find out that her philosophy on life is almost the complete opposite of Jane’s. A fascinating scene ensues in which the two young girls discuss their perceptions of the workings of the world. Helen sees authority as a force that is merely looking after her best interests and seeking to cure her of her faults. She forgives those who wrong her because she feels that that is the moral course of action. Furthermore, she accepts her numerous punishments because she genuinely believes that her character is riddled with faults.
Jane, however, sees authority as an oppressive force that is squelching her individuality. She believes that by allowing herself to be mistreated by others, they will continue to do so and that she “could not bare” to be humiliated by accepting mistreatment. Helen presents a clever rebuttal to Jane’s point when she says that it is absurd for her to say that she cannot bear what she is fated to bear. Helen also represents the inferior status of women in society through her docility. Jane is a foil to her in that she represents a rise in feminism through her rebelliousness. Helen’s eventual death is symbolic of the need to raise the status of women. (492).