Blindness as a Motif In Jane Eyre

In Jane Eyre, there are strict social structures and gender relations that lead to blindness of fact in everyone’s opinion aside from Jane. Jane is the one to be critical of the strict social hierarchy of Victorian England. Rochester being outside of Jane’s social standings has a hard time establishing a relationship with Jane, and Jane also becomes every critical of the type of relationship they will have as well as how it will be perceived by others. Jane is very verbal throughout the novel about speaking her mind as well as speaking out against class prejudice. Jane also constantly struggles with the perceived inequality of females compared to men in society.
Although the boundaries of society are never bent, Jane and Rochester are finally able to marry because of the inheritance that Jane almost magically come into form her deceased uncle. The fight against gender equality is a hard struggle for Jane especially since the three main male figures are a threat to her search for equality. Mr. Brocklehurst, Edward Rochester, and St. John Rivers are all some what sexist and all try to keep Jane in a position where she cannot express her thoughts and feelings. Jane is adamant to only settle for equality and has to make several hard decisions along the way to make mainly the men in her life realize that she is worth this dignity; she has to escape from Brocklehurst, reject St. John and his enticing offer, and then finally only end up with Rochester once she is certain that they are both equal and that she can marry him guilt free. Although Jane realizes that women in her culture and social structure are generally supposed to be calm and reserved, she also realizes how unrealistic it is to expect that, and they she is not going to conform to those standards. Jane fights for her equality and for what is just throughout the novel and in the end she achieves it by never becoming blind to what others want her to think as the other people in her social structure have become.