1. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
2. “I would always rather be happy than dignified.”
3. “I am not an angel, and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.”
4. “I am not deceitful: if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you.”
5. “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless?”
6. “I would always rather be happy than dignified.”
7. “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.”
8. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
9. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
10. “You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen’s children like us.”
11. “It is a very strange sensation to inexperienced youth to feel itself quite alone in the world, cut adrift from every connection, uncertain whether the port to which it is bound can be reached, and prevented by many impediments from returning to that it has quitted.”
12. “I am not an angel and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.”
13. “Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer.”
14. “It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.”
15. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
16. “I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane and not mad—as I am now.”
17. “I tell you I must go!” I retorted, roused to something like passion.
18. “I see at intervals the glance of a curious sort of bird through the close-set bars of a cage: a vivid, restless, resolute captive is there; were it but free, it would soar cloud-high.”
19. “I can live alone, if self-respect and circumstances require me so to do.”
20. “I would always rather be happy than dignified.”
21. “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.”
Summary of “Jane Eyre”:
“Jane Eyre” is a bildungsroman, a coming-of-age novel, narrated by the titular character, Jane Eyre. The story follows Jane’s life journey from her troubled childhood to her adulthood, detailing her struggles and triumphs. Orphaned as a young girl, Jane is mistreated by her cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed, and sent away to Lowood Institution, a charity school with harsh conditions. Despite the difficulties, Jane excels in her studies and becomes a teacher at the school.
Later, she moves to Thornfield Hall to work as a governess for Adele, the ward of the enigmatic Mr. Rochester. Jane and Rochester develop a deep connection, and they fall in love, but their relationship faces obstacles, including the revelation of a dark secret from Rochester’s past. Jane’s strong moral compass leads her to leave Thornfield, unwilling to compromise her principles.
After leaving Thornfield, Jane finds refuge in the home of the Rivers family, where she conceals her true identity. Eventually, she inherits a fortune from a long-lost relative, which she shares with her newfound family. Unaware of her changed circumstances, Jane returns to Thornfield to find it in ruins after a devastating fire. She learns that Rochester lost his sight and one hand in the fire.
Reunited, Jane and Rochester marry, and their love endures despite the challenges they face. The novel’s central themes revolve around social class, morality, love, and the struggle for independence and self-respect, particularly through the character of Jane Eyre. It remains a classic in English literature, celebrated for its strong, independent female protagonist and its exploration of complex human emotions.
