Reading journal - Jane Eyre (11-16)

In these chapters we are in the third period of Jane’s life. She arrives to Thornfield to be a governess. This type of development, presenting characters’s growth and evaluation through several phases of life, in several places, we can recognise as a Bildungsroman. It is very well-known German literary genre from the seventeenth century, which occurs in English literature in the middle of the nineteenth century as well.
Many people highlight the feministic sound of Jane Eyre but in my opinion social equality issues are much more stressed. Jane may be better educated, may fit in an aristocratic society better than many of the ‘rich and above the others’. But still, she is penniless governess who is in many ways treated as a servant. In this case, her life gets complicated as soon as she realised she has feelings to Mr Rochester. Even though she can experience a partial social equality, because she is a governess, she is treated as a servant as well. It is not well-seen for servant to have feelings to that kind of man. Again, we can feel her emotions and appreciate contemporary social situation – today it is not good or bad if a waitress gets marry with a millionaire, it is totally up to them. Jane has not as many luck to enjoy and share her feelings. But who can stop the heart feeling? Finally I have the straight answer. Nobody can.