Refusal to Sacrifice Moral Principles in Jane Eyre The need to love and be loved is a fundamental general characteristic of human nature. However, the moral principles and beliefs that govern this need are decided by the individual. In the novel Jane Eyre, author Charlotte Brontë vividly describes the personalities and beliefs of various characters. When the reader first meets the main character, Jane Eyre, a ten-year-old orphan, lives in Gateshead Hall in England with her aunt Reed and three cousins, whom she despises greatly. Shortly thereafter, Jane is sent to Lowood Institution, a girls' school, where she lives for the next eight years. Jane then moves to Thornfield Hall to work as a housekeeper for Mr. Rochester; they fall in love and plan to get married. However, during the wedding ceremony, it is revealed that Mr. Rochester already has a wife. Humiliated, Jane leaves Thornfield and travels to Moor House. While there, Jane hears Mr. Rochester's voice calling her name one evening; he immediately returns to Thornfield only to find a charred, desolate house burned down by Mr. Rochester's mad wife. During the tragedy, Mr. Rochester's wife dies and he loses one hand and the sight in both eyes. However, since his wife is dead, Jane and Mr. Rochester are free to marry and do so. Although Jane's existence is anchored in the need to love and be loved, she has an intense character and refuses to sacrifice her moral principles and beliefs regardless of the situation. Jane's intense character is first observed when Mrs. Reed warns the director of the film. Lowood School, "'to protect herself from her [Jane's] worst flaw, the tendency to deceit'" (41). Later, Jane tells Mrs. Reed that she is not a dishonest child and... a middle of paper... ohn she loves, but Mr. Rochester. This perspective also demonstrates Jane's reluctance to submit to an unethical situation contrary to her beliefs. Over the course of the novel, Jane Eyre, it is revealed that Jane is a character whose existence is anchored in the need to love and be loved. However, he is an intensely passionate character who refuses to sacrifice his morals and beliefs. While the desire to love and be loved is a general characteristic of human nature, how this need is satisfied depends on the individual's moral principles and beliefs. Works cited and consulted Brontë, Charlotte. The great classics of the world: Jane Eyre. New York: Grolier Incorporated.Gates, Barbara Timm, ed. Critical essays on Charlotte Bronte. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1990. Pickrel, Paul. "Jane Eyre: The Apocalypse of the Body." ELH 53 (1986): 165-82.