The main conflict in Jane Eyre is that Jane is unable to act upon her feelings for Mr. Rochester due to principles which she firmly believes in.
While employed under Mr. Rochester at Thornfield Hall, Jane and her master share evening discussions and soon develop a close friendship. It is clear that Mr. Rochester is interested in Jane, but it is unclear whether he loves her in the way that she soon begins to love him. When Mr. Rochester brings home a beautiful yet arrogant lady named Blanche Ingram, Jane begins to doubt their relationship and becomes depressed. She convinces herself that Mr. Rochester and Miss Ingram will marry although she can see that he does not love this lady. (Bronte 240-243) Mr. Rochester surprises Jane by proposing to her instead of Miss Ingram.
On the day of Jane’s wedding she receives another surprise. As Jane and Mr. Rochester are about to be married, Mr. Mason objects, saying that he is currently married to Mason’s sister. (Bronte 350-351) The group travels back to Thornfield to see this mysterious bride and Jane is shocked to see a woman who is more beast-like than human. (Bronte 354) This woman is Mr. Rochester’s wife, Bertha Mason, whom Jane learns he married in order to gain wealth and property but soon discovered she was going mad. It now seems that Jane will never get to marry her true love.
Jane resolves to run away in the dead of night and eventually comes to the house of the Rivers family, where she meets and befriends Diana, Mary and St. John. (Bronte 399-402) Later, she discovers these people are actually her cousins and they become Jane’s family. Out of this conflict, Jane gains a family which she never really had before as an orphan living as a dependent in her cruel aunt’s house.
Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Electronic.
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