“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is a powerful and emotional tale of love, resilience and self-discovery. The novel follows the journey of Jane Eyre, an orphaned and mistreated young woman who rises above her humble beginnings to transform into an independent and strong-willed individual. As she enters the enigmatic world of Mr Rochester, the brooding master of Thornfield Hall, Jane grapples with complex emotions, moral dilemmas and societal expectations placed upon her as a woman. First published in 1847, Jane Eyre explores themes of social class, gender and the pursuit of personal freedom while offering an unforgettable love story that transcends adversity. With its richly developed characters and timeless themes, this novel remains a beloved classic that continues to captivate readers worldwide.
“Jane Eyre is a timeless masterpiece that delves deep into the complexities of human relationships, societal expectations, and the quest for personal identity.”
—The Medium
“She was fearless–so fearless that she paid to have a volume of poems by her and her younger sisters published under pseudonyms, an unusually ambitious act for a woman of her era.”
—The New York Times
Charlotte Brontë (1816-55) sister of Emily (Jane) and Anne Bronte was the third child of Reverend Patrick Bronte and Maria Branwell Bronte. Her father was an Irish stock and was known for his picturesque, free-flowing speech, poetry and imagination. Her mother was a methodist from Cornwall having literary leanings. Charlotte, like her sister Emily and Anne, attended the Clergy Daughter’s School at Cowan Bridge, which forms the model for Lowood in Jane Eyre, and which Charlotte largely blamed for her later poor health. She was employed as a teacher from 1835 to 1838 and was subsequently a governess. In 1842 she, along with her sister Emily, went to study languages in Brussels, where during 1843 she again worked as a teacher. In 1844 she returned to Haworth where she got engaged with a project for a school at Haworth Parsonage. She involved deeply in love with M. Heger, who did not respond to the letters she wrote to him after her return to Haworth.
In 1845 she ‘discovered’ (or so she alleged) the poems of Emily and brought out a joint publication entitled Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell (the pseudonyms of Charlotte, Emily and Anne) in 1846. Charlotte’s first novel The Professor could not find a publisher in her lifetime, but Jane Eyre published in 1847 by Smith, Elder, & Co. (Published under pseudonym Currer Bell) met immediate success, arousing much speculation about its authorship. To quell the suspicion that the Bell pseudonyms concealed but one author, Charlotte and Anne visited Smith, Elder, & Co. and disclosed their identities. She wrote two more novels, Shirley (1849) and Villette (1853); The Professor was published posthumously in 1857. She occasionally visited London where she became known to various writers including William Thackeray and Elizabeth Gaskell. In 1854 she finally overcame her father’s objections and married but unfortunately died in the following year of illness probably associated with pregnancy.
