Independence

The only way to gain any control in your life is through independence. With independence, you can do whatever you want in your life and are not submissive to others. In my opinion, this is one of the most important qualities that characterize a person. You cannot do anything in your life if you are dependent on someone else. The person who you are dependent on can manipulate you in many ways and you won’t be able to resist because you have no sense of independence. The person can toss and turn you like a rag doll and you can’t defend yourself. In the novel Jane Eyre, Jane’s independence is tested throughout her life. She experiences many situations from different people who want to manipulate her. People such as Mrs. Reed, Mr. Rochester, and St. John. They try to persuade her to do things she wouldn't necessarily want to do. Going through these situations has changed Jane's life and has influenced her decisions in her life.
When Jane was a young girl, she was mistreated by her cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed. She was always put down and treated like dirt. Mrs. Reed had no scene of kindness towards young defenseless Jane. At this point, Jane couldn’t do anything because she was just a child. For example, when Mrs. Reed forced Jane to stay in the red room, Jane couldn’t fight back and when she was put in the room, she was told “No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep. There, sit down, and think over your wickedness” (p.11). This shows how horrible Jane was treated. Jane was just tossed around the way Mrs. Reed wanted her to be. In Erika’s blog “From a seed to a plant”, she says that “Mrs. Reed is not fit to be a mother, she didn't even raised her own children, she left that major duty up to the servants and the money which lead them all to corruption”. She also agrees that Mrs. Reed is a horrible guardian. Mrs. Reed doesn’t know how to be a guardian and only does what suites her. Jane was introduced to the pain that comes from being submissive. She knew that this suffering couldn’t go on any longer so since then, she began her test on finding her independence.
After leaving the Reeds and Lowood, Jane moves to Thornfield where she meets Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester is a man who likes to boss people around. He is the type of person that enjoys controlling others. He always wants things his way, especially with Jane. He always asks Jane many questions and wants her response to the questions. He also wants her to follow every command he gives her. Jane, at this point, has been through a lot. She has sort of built a sense of independence, but not enough to defend her from Mr. Rochester. She still follows his orders, but throughout her stay there, she learns to cope with his personality. She finds out that the reason he acted this way towards her was because he loved her, and she then fell in love with him. Before they marry each other, she then finds out that Mr. Rochester was married to Bertha, and she leaves Thornfield even though Mr. Rochester tries to explain to her why he did this and tries to persuade her to stay with him. This is one of the most important moments in Jane’s life because she finally gains the strength to leave Thornfield and leave Mr. Rochester. This is when she finally gains independence, but she still has to put what she has learned to the final test.
Once leaving Thornfield, Jane becomes homeless and has nowhere to go. Luckily she is reunited with some of her family members. There she meets her cousin St. John who is a missionary and wants to go to India to spread the word of Christianity. He talks to Jane about this and persuades her to join him as his wife. Jane’s response is this "I repeat: I freely consent to go with you as your fellow missionary; but not as your wife; I cannot marry you and become a part of you" (415). Jane says that she will go, but not as his wife because they are related. This isn’t the only reason that causes Jane to say no to the marriage. She won’t marry St. John because she doesn’t love him. As Otilio says in “No Compromises”, “Jane will not and cannot make compromises when it comes to love”. Jane has already gone through the experience of marring Mr. Rochester and she won’t let it happened to her again. Jane will use her independence she has gained from her experience with Mr. Rochester and say no to St. John’s offer.
Jane has now accomplished her task on finding her independence. In “Time to Break Free”, Marcus says “She has been trying to go against the unjust and common moral characteristics of the world and find her own moral conscience”. He says that Jane was in this journey to fine her independence. She has gone through many experiences that have helped her achieve this. She has found her independence that she needed throughout her life. She has found who she is. She is a strong woman who can overcome anything if she puts her mind to it and because of this she now has what she never had. She is now married to the one she loves, Mr. Rochester, and is beginning a new family with an upcoming baby. Now she will truly not let someone else ruin her life. She will not be submissive, and she will use what she has gained in her life.