Episode 95 of The Autobiography of Jane Eyre ends with the notable line of Jane Eyre altered. She ends with, "Dear viewer, I made a home" instead of, "Reader, I married him” (Endings). The focus on the last episode separates from the love story followed to the end in the original novel, and instead brings attention to Jane's own growth, self-worth, and goals: a change that models Jane as a feminist icon focused on herself. Through reading comments, I realized the original Rochester left the cast. I do wonder if this changed the web series ending, or if they always intended to take an arguably more modern, feminist approach to the Jane Eyre love story, where Jane gets back to Rochester, even after the revealed deceit. With this change in the line, the web series gave more agency to Jane. The series made her own personal accomplishments and goals the focus, rather than her title as lover, wife, partner, or mother being the focal point. 

For further reading and analysis on the ways Jane Eyre addresses readers directly and indirectly, consider reading “‘Reader, I Married Him’: 19th Century Reading Practices, Reading, and Readers in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre” by Corinna Norrick. This article discusses how “Jane’s reader addresses have become a classic feature of the novel Jane Eyre – the most prominent example, of course, is her confession: “Reader, I married him” (Brontë 411). In fact, this line is so prominent that in a manuscript of the novel displayed in the British Library, the notebook is turned to the page with this address (Sir John Ritblat Gallery: Treasures of the British Library; as of June 2010). There with, she completes the series of reader addresses that have played a continuing and significant role throughout the whole novel. In dealing with the novel Jane Eyre, we are confronted with an implied reader. By choosing to address her reader directly, the autobiographer acknowledges the reader’s presence and position within the levels of reading pertaining to Jane Eyre. However, the reader addresses go beyond a simple recognition of the fact that someone is reading the novel – they also serve to draw the reader into the novel, to invite the reader to partake in the emotions felt by the narrator, to form a seemingly realistic bond between the autobiographer and her audience” (Norrick 69).

Bibliography: “Endings – Ep: 95” YouTube, uploaded by Jane Eyre, 21 June 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FclkWGdX4qo.

Norrick, Corinna. “‘Reader, I Married Him’: 19th Century Reading Practices, Reading, and Readers in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.” International Journal of the Book, vol. 8, no. 1, 2011, pp. 67–75. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=2013309760&site=ehost-live.