During this time, Jane is living at Thornfield Hall with Adele and Mrs. Fairfax. One day, Jane begins to realize how exhausted she is by doing the same things every single day. She decides to climb to the roof to feel more alive and a view that can make her feel unstoppable. She wants to have a sense of freedom between her long days.
When Jane steps onto the roof, she feels on top of the world. She can see beyond the building she is in all day long, and this symbolizes that there is so much more in the world for her to see. She says, " I believed in the existence of other and more vivid kinds of goodness, and what I believed in, I wished to behold," (Brontë Chapter 12). Ian Visits describes the rooftops of Hampton Court Palace and even provides multiple photos which look quite similar to the view for Jane during this moment. The Palace overlooks a large field with a beautiful blue sky; it is the type of view that can make one realize how much they really have ahead of them.
Janes realizations mean more than just wanting more for herself; they showcase Brontë's true view of women. Brontë showcases her beliefs about the standards for women of the Victorian society and while she does not directly disagree with them, she challenges them. In this specific moment in the book, She uses Jane's realization to show that she believes there is so much more to women than just their ability to be mothers and wives. She notes that there are so many things to see, so much to learn, many places to visit, and above all, a bigger meaning for women. Brontë is a strong advocate for women's independence and strength in an era where they were not allowed to have any.
Works Cited
Brontë, Charlotte [Currer Bell]. Jane Eyre: An Autobiography.Smith, Elder and Co., 1847. Cove Collective, Southeastern Louisiana University.