Jane Eyre—Brenda Owens (Early College High School at LCCC)

Reading the novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, was like having a mirror held up to my psyche. Seeing much of myself in the character of Jane and her life events, I was able to react through the story and gain intrapersonal brevity. Through her emotional depth, strength of character and core beliefs, Jane perseveres. The theme “things are not always what they appear to be on the surface” was what I found compelling as a timeless truth. As a woman, I found myself celebrating the obscure feminine qualities of Jane that, in my opinion, made her luminously beautiful, esoteric, and incredibly desirable: warmth, a great capacity to love, and a commitment to self-respect. Unfortunately, these true qualities of beauty remain just as obscure today as they did in the time of the novel; perhaps another timeless truth. More than just a Gothic Romance, Jane Eyre continues to inspire me to strive for my truths, sacrifice temporary gratification, and witness the uniqueness and beauty of who “me” is.