The lovely people over at Dog Ate My Bog sent me an email a while back about doing a guest post.
We got sidetracked talking about our love of Jane Eyre.
I don't care what anybody says - Jane Eyre pretty much owes every other classic novel, tying only with Pride and Prejudice in epic awesomeness. The fact that Jane Eyre has a fantastic modern day adaption (Jane by April Lindner, which I adored) only makes this guest post more perfect.
So read this guest post: just a bit of info about Jane and how it relates to us today.
It's pretty awesome.
Jane Eyre: Classic Tale, Modern Lessons
Charlotte Bronte penned the classic novel Jane Eyre more than 150 years ago, but the timelessness of its characters and themes makes it as relevant to modern audiences as the latest episode of "America's Next Top Model." Jane Eyre's enduring appeal lies in the moral drama that unfolds around the titular heroine, the lessons of which are as applicable now as they were in the Victorian England of Bronte's time. The disadvantageous situation Jane is born into forces to make difficult choices, weighing her desire for independence against her familial obligations and her passion against her self-respect. These types of moral conundrums have hardly gone away in the modern era, as young men and women are forced to strike a difficult balance between their personal desires, the expectations of their family, and the realities of a severly weakened economy.
A Life of Difficult Choices
Orphaned at a young age and sent to live with her aunt and cousins, Jane is forced to reconcile her desire for independence and self-determination with the bleak reality of her constrained existence as a second-class citizen. As the novel progresses and she gains more independence and freedom, she is forced to choose between her obligations to her adoptive family and her desire to break free of her past. When she does finally leave, she faces the disadvantages of her social class and gender, which inhibit her progress toward financial security.
Complicating matters further are her suitors, Mr. Rochester and St. John, who offer her promises of independence and security. Jane is seduced by Rochester's stories of travelling the world, but cannot bring herself to marry him as long as he is still bound to his first wife. She finds the prospect of doing missionary work in India attractive, but is turned off by his treatment of her as an instrument and the apparent emptiness of his Christian beliefs. Throughout the novel, Jane is forced to make difficult decisions in which her morals, physical and personal needs, and obligations cannot all be satisfied.
Choices in the Modern World
The dilemmas faced by Jane are remarkably similar those faced by young men and women in today's world. Just as Jane had to sacrifice independence for security when living with the Reeds, and later on as a schoolteacher at Lowood, young adults today are faced with an economic situation that prevents them from immediately leaving the nest. Many graduated from college with thousands of dollars in unpaid loans. Others are unable to find full-time work and are forced to go back to school. While it may seem like admitting defeat to move back in with one's parents after college, it is a sacrifice many post-graduates are willing to make if it means they can more quickly get back on track to financial independence.
A similar dilemma arises when choosing between one's career and one's relationship. This is an especially difficult decision for many women, who may feel pressure to marry early and start a family, but realize that doing so could jeopardize their potential to advance professionally. Faced with the prospect of an early marriage to Rochester or St. John Rivers, Jane decides to put off such a serious life choice since she realized that it was against her principles. Women today who are forced to choose between settling down early and pursuing their goals could learn from Jane's judicious decisions.
The trials and tribulations of Jane's growth from fierce-spirited young girl to self-actualized woman are faced by people of all eras and backgrounds to some extent. The intelligence and bravery Jane displayed in refusing to compromise her strongest beliefs serves as an example that everyone should follow.
K. Wallulis is a guest blogger for Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on online bachelors degree programs for Guide to Online Schools.