Jane Eyre essay

Catarina Sousa
Essay
Many authors use hypocrisy to show multiple personalities within their characters. They can also use it to foreshadow a change in the character and their overall essence. In the pro-feminist novel titled Jane Eyre, the author, Charlotte Bronte, uses hypocrisy to show the troubles that the characters under goes mentally.
An example of how Bronte presented hypocrisy through the novel with the characters Mr. Rochester, a rich, well-mannered manager of the hotel, and Jane Eyre, a plain, middle class girl, the governess of Rochester's daughter, Adele. In the beginning of the novel, these two characters seem to have a tense relationship, but manage to overcome their dispute by showing their artificial affections towards one another. Because of their differences in society, Mr. Rochester claims to have never met someone like Jane. Either the presence of her upper class gimmick or her feminist personality eventually causes Mr. Rochester to fall deeply in love with Jane.
As they spend more time together, both Mr. Rochester and Jane appear to grow strong feelings for each other. This affection gives Mr. Rochester the confidence to make Jane ''his girl''. He tries to shape her into something other than plain by dressing her up and telling her to act a certain way, while at the same time telling her that she is different and unique so that it pleases him. Not only does this make Mr. Rochester a hypocrite, but it shows the reader how shallow the character is, trying to change Jane, a character who is confident in her strong beliefs and opinions despite her disappointing childhood.
As Mr. Rochester serves as a muse for Jane by inspiring her drawings and paintings, she lets go of her stubborn opinions and falls in deeper for Mr. Rochester‘s trap. Although he is trying to help Jane prepare for his type of lifestyle incase of commitment, he begins to take Jane off track, which will eventually lead her into an emotional breakdown.