Romanticism was an influential and respected movement throughout the Victorian era, which consisted of literacy concepts that challenged constraints and promoted imaginative freedom. In 'Jane Eyre' our protagonist defies the formal features that society expected from children, women and class. The novel also consists of prominent Romantic features such as religion, the Byronic hero and elements of the subconscious.
Jane's sense of self-worth allows her to abide to the typical Romantic concepts of defying the formal constraints in society. As a child Jane recognises injustice as the Reed family treats her unfairly, she is referred to as a 'bad animal', this countercultural expression suggests she is inferior emphasised through its simplistic and degrading tone. Yet most prominent is our protagonists reaction to such treatment; after a vicious debate with Mrs Reed she finds herself in 'conqueror's solitude' as she reminds her half-mother of how she 'thrust me back-roughly and violently', indeed these active verbs emphasise not only severe exclusion but how Jane, from such a young age, was hardly worried about abiding to the expectations of what society regarded as the perfect Victorian child. Education's fundamental aim within this period was to create obedient and docile beings, emphasised through Charles Dickens' 'Hard Times', who would in return abide to the society and its' laws. Her belligerence is further exercised as she is described through a bird metaphor to be a 'linnet' often associated as small lacking flight and freedom as it hops around, yet she attempts to use her 'wings' to support something she shouldn't. 'Jane Eyre' was arguably a campaign for those who were less fortunate, here Bronte in the light of Romanticism has suggested that Jane, through great determination, has disregarded the lowly status awarded to her by superior figures at the start of the novel and has achieved above and beyond what was expected. This Romantic concept of challenging constraints might have been inspired by Bronte's father, who was primarily an Irish peasant but whom later succeeded as Vicar. However, Jane's return to Rochester at the end of the novel as she confesses 'Reader, I married him' leaves us questioning how far she is able to disregard societies expectations as she clearly falls back into the security and financial aid that marriage provided women.
Religion is a key theme to Romanticism and Christian beliefs, including various references to God, are apparent through various parts of the novel. Pantheism was the Romantic belief that God was seen to be everywhere and individuals experienced a personal relationship with God. After having run away from Thornfield Jane finds herself in the mountainous countryside, detached from mankind...
