Throughout Jane Eyre, the themes of love and marriage are presented in contrasting ways. In the Lowood education system, Brocklehurst preached the gospel message of "mortifying...the lusts of the flesh" with a view to preparing the majority of girls for professions as governesses, in which they would be expected to withhold their passions. However, as the narrative develops and Jane meets Rochester, many of the ideals of the usual Victorian mantras are called into question. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Near the beginning of Jane's career at Thornfiled, she blames herself for her infatuation with Rochester and compares herself to Blanche Ingram. In the context of the times, Jane, as a governess, would have been placed in an awkward social position, as governesses were considered members of neither the upper nor the lower classes in service. Their role as members of the female working class was therefore poorly defined, placing them on the margins of society. This view is reflected in Jane's description of her own appearance as "dependent and novice", showing her unfree and worldless in comparison to Rochester, who is a "man of the world". This juxtaposition of descriptions sets Jane apart from Rochester due to her inexperience and lack of financial wealth. Furthermore, this excerpt supports the view of Vaughon, who says that "Jane Eyre embodies the spirit of a passionate heroine, desperately trying to reconcile her desire for love and acceptance with the religious and social doctrines of the 'Victorian era'. Jane states that "it is folly in all women to allow secret love to flare up", which, in relation to the narrative style, becomes a universal social commentary that women should repress their passionate emotions. The verb "to kindle" also has connotations of destruction in relation to fire, indicating that passion and love are in themselves destructive to women. This metaphor is extended to the extent that passion will "devour the life that nourishes it", drawing on the semantic field of appetite to imply that love as a force is mortal, which harkens back to the teachings of Brocklehurst found at Lowood. In fact, at the time the novel was written, Sarah Stricken Ellis declared that it was "a woman's high and sacred duty to attend to the little moralities of life", thus expressing the idea according to which it is the duty of a woman to restrain her passions and her baseness. desires, because men do not have the capacity. This point of view is reflected in the metaphorical and artistic image of Jane's portrait: "Portrait of a governess, disconnected, poor and simple." - which becomes emblematic of the contrast between Jane and Blanche, described as an “accomplished lady of rank”. Here, Jane degrades her own status by using harsh adjectives as a method to suppress her own feelings and using meaning to dictate her emotions. In this regard, the novel's presentation of marriage is conventional, as it implies that Blanche is better suited to Rochester due to the financial and physical differences between Blanche and Jane. On the other hand, as Jane and Rochester's relationship begins to progress, Jane Eyre actually begins to challenge certain conventions (notably those of religious origin) that present a boundary between Jane and Rochester. During the conversation preceding Rochester's first marriage proposal, Woolf's view that "we are aware of the presence of a woman—of someone who feels resentment towardher gender and advocates for her rights” is expressed through Jane’s language. Bronte continues her motif of bird imagery in Jane's metaphor “I am not a bird; no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will. This assertion of his independence from his "master" would have been considered highly unorthodox in the context of Victorian society. Rochester, as a “giver and protector,” has social power and authority over his employees; however, Jane chooses to place her integrity over her temptation in the pursuit of her "freedom." She continues to challenge these perceptions by questioning both Rochester's and, by extension, society's perceptions of the lower classes: "Do you think I'm an automatism?" - a machine without feelings?'. Here it is suggested that the upper classes perceive the lower classes as mechanical and emotionless beings, but Jane indicates a need for equality of understanding, the absence of which constitutes an obstacle in their relationship. From a religious perspective, Bronte also questions the Victorian norm that God dictates social status, a view that is expressed in hymns of the era such as Alexander's "All Things Bright And Beautiful." - “God created them high and low, and ordered their domain.” Jane states, however, that if she and Rochester “stood at the feet of God, equal – as we are!” ”, then their “spirits” would recognize each other. Contrary to Alexander's view, Jane suggests not only that it is possible for a man and a woman to be equal, but also that those who belong to different social positions can achieve equality. Therefore, the excerpt itself can be seen as supporting Woolf's point of view due to Jane's "reply" against the Victorian mantra. In another section of the novel, however, during Jane and Rochester's engagement, Jane is taken shopping in Milcote by Rochester so that she will have clothes appropriate for her status as a wife. But Jane expresses discomfort with Rochester's desire to make her conform to social conventions of appearance because of her financial inequality and social status. This view can be exhibited through the use of syntax in Jane's depiction of Rochester – “the eye of my master and lover”. Placing "master" before "lover" here may be an indication of Jane's state of mind: that is, Rochester is Jane's master before anything else. It can also be argued that the term "master" is ambiguous, connoting both employer and controlling partner, further degrading Jane's status. Jane expresses emotions of "annoyance and degradation" regarding her financial dependence, illustrating her inner conflict over conforming to a woman's role within Victorian society as a housewife figure, while wishing his own “freedom”. This may be due to the context of the time, as under the Pre-Married Women's Property Act 1870, a woman's property could only remain hers as long as she remained unmarried. This meant that all her property, wages, inheritance and money belonged to the husband, which may explain Jane's lack of independence. Worrall's statement "Jane 'refused to subscribe to the Victorian mantra'" supports this concept, as does Jane's use of simile in this excerpt. She states that she is "sitting like a second Danae", making a classic allusion in reference to a young girl seduced by the king of the gods in Greek mythology. In this story, Jove appears to Danae as golden rain while she is.