Jane Eyre: A Female Bildungsroman

This thesis, from the perspective of female initiation theme, analyses Jane Eyre,the best known of Charlotte Bront’s literary production. Jane Eyre’s growth from aninexperienced young girl to a mature lady with independent personality goes througha long and painful period. This thesis exhibits this process in five segments each withits own setting: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor and Ferndean. Jane Eyre, whohas been striving for equality, freedom and independence, shows her resistance indifferent aspects. Accompanying with the resistance, her epiphany becomes anessential part in her growth. They can be shown in three major events: the red roomaffair, Helen’s death and the secret of the mad woman. Jane Eyre, who is nothing buta penniless orphan girl, can not live and grow on her own. In her life, there are variouskinds of people act as the conductors. According to their effects on Jane, we candivide them into three groups: positive conductors, negative conductors and God.Bildungsroman is a kind of fiction that sees description of the character’s growingprocess as the subject. It narrates one person’s or several people’s development torepresent the character’s experience and reflections in the complicated society andreflects the character’s changing process of thoughts and mind from immaturity tomaturity. Jane Eyre is exactly a Bildungsroman with the subject of initiation. Thisthesis is expected to enable the readers to have a clear acknowledgement about JaneEyre’s development process and have a deep feeling of her difficulty in chasingindependence and happy life. At the same time, it sets a bright example forcontemporary women to seek an independent and happy life.