In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, an orphan is depicted as both the protagonist and narrator of the story. Jane is a sweet, simple but good-natured girl who learns the difficulties of life very early. Orphaned following the death of her parents, Jane is forced to live as a dependent under the roof of the widowed Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed and her two children treat Jane with anything but kindness, equality, and love. From the death of her parents until the fateful day that allowed Jane to leave the Reeds, Jane was starved for affection and belonging. Despite these difficulties, Jane becomes a strong and independent character who constantly stands up for morality and equality, even if it means losing love. The presence of an orphan in this 19th-century novel serves as a foil to the other characters, a factor in plot movement, and an identity to the difficulties Victorian women faced in both fiction and history . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay In order to fully understand the importance of Jane as an orphan character, we must first examine her background and beginnings in life. Bronte uses John Reed to tell the reader the story of Jane’s addiction: “you are a dependent…you have no money; your father didn't leave you any; you should beg and not live here with the children of gentlemen like us, eat the same meals as us and wear clothes at our mother's expense” (Bronte, 15). From John Reed's horrific depiction of Jane Eyre's life, the reader learns that the main character is dependent on a family not immediately his own and considered part of a lower social status than that of his family. the family. It is the representation of the orphan: unwanted, unloved and mistreated. It is clear that the absence of parents in Jane's life creates for her a childhood of constant degradation and isolation that will affect her actions later in life. In addition to carrying the representation of a neglected young child, the orphan in this novel is represented by his moral conduct and his convictions. This virtue serves as a perfect foil for almost every other character in the book, with the exception of Miss Temple and Helen Burns. Acting as a comparison to the other characters in the story highlights not only his own goodness, but also the harsh and despicable characteristics of the other characters. From the beginning of the novel, the reader automatically dislikes characters such as the Reeds, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Miss Scatcher. By the time Bronte introduced all of these characters, the reader is already completely on Jane's side and completely against the others due to the knowledge based on Jane's pure and virtuous values. As someone the reader trusts and agrees with, she is the perfect person to give a true and accurate interpretation of the other characters. For example, Jane expresses her feelings and creates a revealing image of Mrs. Reed with the quote: "Well, I might be afraid - well I might not like Mrs. Reed, for it was her nature to hurt me cruelly." I have never been happy in his presence. Even though I obeyed carefully, so vigorously as I strove to please him, my efforts were always rebuffed” (42). The reader is unable to accept a character who treats the sympathetic Jane in such a horrible manner. Even Rochester has his moments where he's somewhat of a villainous character. Bronte emphasizes this during a conversation between him and Jane: “Besides, since happiness is irrevocably denied to me, I have the right toderive pleasure from life; and I will obtain it, whatever the cost” (Bronte, 163). Of course, Jane openly disagrees with this selfish principle proving that she not only has patience in the midst of temptation, but also has moral goodness in relation to Rochester. The fact that Jane is an orphan plays an important role in this concept. Jane has never had a real family and like Mrs. Reed, she has never had anyone to spoil her or look away when she misbehaves. If she had, she might well have looked like John or Georgiana. In other words, the orphan has no place anywhere; therefore, it has not been tainted by any sort of societal norms. Additionally, Jane is a very modest person. Living with the Reeds, at school, and even at the Rochester estate when people like Miss Ingram visit, Jane is constantly reminded that she is not the same as the others; often, it is below. Although her humility puts others before herself and allows her to never act selfishly, it has serious effects on Jane's self-esteem and sense of worth. This humility that is part of Jane's character can be compared to most of the other characters in this novel while proving their overall moral identity to the reader. For example, Jane paints a portrait of herself and Miss Ingram. After looking at these portraits side by side, it becomes even clearer to Jane that aesthetically she is far from Miss Ingram. Jane even goes so far as to call herself a "stupid fool" (190) and advises people to "cover your face and be ashamed" (190). This demeaning view Jane has of herself is undoubtedly a creation of the Reed family's treatment of her. If Jane's parents were still alive, she surely wouldn't have felt like an outsider, both aesthetically and literally. Besides the fact that young Jane is completely dependent on the Reeds, she has never had an intimate relationship with the Reed family. In another sense, Jane was never allowed to escape the title of a charitable affair. Jane would have loved to be called daughter or sister, but her severely starved heart never got those relationship titles. The reader pities Jane and feels sympathy for her when she expresses this need for love to Helen Burns: "to gain real affection from you, or from Miss Temple, or from any other person I really love, I would gladly submit to having my arm bone broken, or to let a bull throw me, or to stand behind a kicking horse and let him beat my chest with his hoof” (Bronte, 83). Jane makes extreme and desperate vows to prove her need for affection. From this passage alone, the reader is led to believe that Jane would put this need for affection above all else. Jane's decisions throughout the novel, however, prove this inference false. The main character's devout search for affection and love is often complicated by her need for independence. Jane's independent nature was also created and fueled by the fact that she is an orphan. Throughout her young life, Jane never belonged to anyone or anything; this young girl was forced to learn to survive on her own. The struggle between Jane's need for affection and autonomy is one that ultimately determines the plot of the story and creates Jane Eyre's wife. The theme of independence in this novel can be best proven by Jane's actions towards the person she loves the most. Her relationship with Rochester is anything but easy as she is forced to choose between her two deepest desires. Rochester is willing to give her love and a sense of belonging, but at the expense of her independence. However, the independent character that.