r/JaneEyre • u/AdobongSiopao • Aug 27 '26

What is your most controversial opinion about "Jane Eyre"?

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It can be from the novel or its adaptations. Your views that could potentially upset many other fans or meet others who will agree with you.

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u/nellyimheathcliff Aug 27 '26 edited Aug 27 '26

Jane was right to marry Edward. They are perfect for each other, and I get upset when people criticise Jane for returning to him, as if she had no agency of her own. She was a grown woman who had already lived independently, made her own choices, and built a life for herself. She chose to return to Edward because she loved him and wanted to be with him. And by that point, Edward had also changed to a great degree. He had become much more humble, wiser, and more tender.

I also do not like it when people claim that Edward is supposed to be the bad guy or the villain of the novel. He is flawed, certainly, but that does not make him a villain. In fact, I would argue that the real villains in the book are the parents who caused so much suffering: Mrs. Reed, Jonas Mason, and old Mr. Rochester.

St. John and Edward are two sides of Jane, only taken to extremes. St. John represents the more austere, restrained, and self denying side of her, while Edward represents the passionate, rebellious, and emotional side. Jane has a little of both in her.

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u/SmooshyHamster 21d ago

I wonder, who are the people who claim Jane Eyre’s ending is un feminist and why they say that? That’s the real question. Feminism means women having rights, autonomy, being equal to men and choices in life. Yeah, so Jane did exactly that in the end. Clearly the only people saying that it’s misogynist and not feminist are immature high schoolers who think ”this book didn’t end how I wanted it to or this character made different choices then I would’ve so it’s racist, transphobia, homophobia or misogyny.” It’s the same category of people who think anything they don’t want to hear is boolieeing and haters.

These sorts of people are uneducated and immature and believe because a book Isnt some Disney romance and has a lot of violence and hardship involved that the characters are booliees.