Jane Eyre begins her life as a young orphan raised by a wealthy family at a place called Gateshead. Jane is described as a penniless orphan forced to live on the charity of others, thus she is seen as a second-class citizen. Even the servants do not treat her with respect. Her cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed, who holds Jane responsible for everything that goes wrong in her house, raises her. At the start of the novel her cousin John attacks Jane. No longer able to allow herself to be subjected to such cruelty, Jane fights back. Mrs. Reed automatically blames Jane for the dispute and has her locked away in the red-room, “take her to the red-room, and lock her in there” (page 8). Jane believes the red-room is haunted by her late unc

“God and nature intended you for a missionary’s wife. It is not personal, but mental endowments they have given you: you are formed for labour, not for love. A missionary’s wife you must - shall be. You shall be mine: I claim you - not for my pleasure, but for my Sovereign’s service” (page 514).

Leaving Mrs. Reed and Gateshead is the first of three major challenges Jane Eyre overcomes in her life in order to find love and a feeling of belonging. Jane is extremely grateful for the opportunity to escape from Gateshead and she takes the chance to tell Mrs. Reed exactly how much she hates her.

Living with Mrs. Reed and her family makes Jane feel as if she is a prisoner, unable to develop her sense of self or feel a sense of belonging.

I was a discord in Gateshead-hall: I was like nobody there: I had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage. If they did not love me, in fact, as little did I love them. They were not bound to regard with affection a thing that could not sympathize with one amongst them; a heterogeneous thing, opposed to them in temperament, in capacity, in propensities; a useless thing, incapable of serving their interest... (page 13- 14).

Some topics in this essay:
Gateshead Jane, Jane Eyre, Jane Rochester, St John, Lowood School, Gates-head Jane, Thornfield Rochester, St John’s, Grace Poole, Jane India, st john, sense belonging, jane feels, jane eyre, sense self, love feeling belonging, jane struggles, feeling belonging, love feeling, proposal jane, uncle john, spiritual emotional independence, jane returns thornfield, siblings st john, love sense belonging,