Jane Eyre: A New Woman of the 19th Century
温州师范学院外语系98英本①班 黄曼茜

Abstract: The following paper will explore the obstacles that Jane encounters in her struggle to disprove the stereotype of women and show how she is able to overcome them to attain the life she has always dreamed to have.
Key Words: obstacle, love, overcome, independence

Introduction:
Jane Eyre seems to be an unfortunate girl in her early time. She grows up around the turn of the 19th century. As an orphan, she has no family or friends, no wealth or position. All alone in the world, she seems doomed to a life of failure. Maybe for many girls at that time, they just stand passively by and accept their fates. But Jane chooses a completely different way. She stands up for her rights and fights for the life of success she deserves. Jane's actions open the door for a new interpretation of women.

Jane Eyre proved to the world of the 1800's that the idea of a woman to become independent and successful on her own was not an unrealizable dream. Jane is not only successful in terms of wealth and position, but more importantly, in terms of family and love. Moreover, she enjoys both without losing her independence. Jane was a model for women in the 19th century, also for women today. Her legacy lives on in the belief that as long as there are hopes and dreams, nothing is impossible.


Bibliography
① Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, New York: Bantam Books,1981.
② Laurie Lanzen Harris, Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism , Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1982
③ Frank N. Magill, Critical Survey of Long Fiction , Englewood Cliffs: Salem Press, 1983