Jane Eyre is a classic novel by Charlotte Brontë that tells the story of a young woman’s journey from orphanhood to independence, love, and happiness.
The novel is full of memorable quotes that reflect Jane’s strong personality, values, and opinions. Here are some of the best quotes from Jane Eyre, organized by theme.
Identity and Independence
– “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will.”
– “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.”
– “I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience.”
– “I am not an angel,’ I asserted; ‘and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.”
Love and Passion
– “I have for the first time found what I can truly love–I have found you. You are my sympathy–my better self–my good angel–I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you–and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one.”⁵
– “Do you think I am an automaton? — a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal — as we are!”⁶
– “I would always rather be happy than dignified.”⁷
– “I ask you to pass through life at my side—to be my second self, and best earthly companion.”
Happiness and Freedom
– “Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.”
– “I desired liberty; for liberty I gasped; for liberty I uttered a prayer; it seemed scattered on the wind then faintly blowing.”
– “I am not ambitious. I do not seek to be rich; I do not ask to shine in society; I do not want to be a heroine or a saint; I only want to live and die in peace and freedom.”
– “Reader, I married him.”
These quotes show how Jane Eyre is a novel of self-discovery, empowerment, and romance. Jane Eyre is a character who defies the expectations and limitations of her society and pursues her own happiness and freedom.
She is a role model for many readers who admire her courage, honesty, and integrity. Jane Eyre is a novel that celebrates the power of love and the human spirit.