Jane thinks to herself, "It was the hardest battle I had fought, and the first victory I had gained: I stood awhile on the rug, where Mr. Brocklehurst had stood, and I enjoyed my conqueror's solitude" (page 40). .
Jane feels that leaving Gateshead gives her the opportunity to begin a new life, one that has to be healthier than what she experienced and was put through at Gateshead. Unfortunately this is not the case, as being at Lowood School is just as difficult and demanding. Jane struggles against the harsh conditions at Lowood, and despite her talent, self-assurance and intelligence Jane is constantly reminded that she is poor and will always be a burden on society because of her economical status. In spite of many challenges, including public humiliation and the death of a friend, Jane is able to successfully make something of herself. During the eight years she spends at Lowood, six of which as a student, two as a teacher, Jane is not unhappy. "During these eight years my life was uniform; but not unhappy, because it was inactive. I had the means of an excellent education placed within my reach; a fondness from some of my studies and a desire to excel in all. " (page 99). Although Jane is not unhappy at Lowood, she is not happy either. She believes in fairness and self-respect and has faith that there is something more for her out there. .
Another window of opportunity opens to Jane when she is hired as a governess for Mr. Rochester's daughter at Thornfield. This is when Jane's second major challenge to find love and a sense of belonging presents itself. When Jane meets Mr. Rochester, the father of the girl she is governess to, strange events unfold and everything in Jane's life changes. When Jane and Mr. Rochester first meet neither one of them know who the other is. Jane is immediately smitten with him, thinking, "I had hardly ever seen a handsome youth: never in my life spoken to one.