Date

1-14-2026

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Arts in Literature (MA)

Chair

Brenda Ayres

Keywords

Literature, Jane Eyre

Disciplines

English Language and Literature

Abstract

This thesis treats marriage in Jane Eyre as the crucible of Jane's unique, experiential, and individually crafted faith. It examines marriage as the primary arena in which Jane's faith is shaped, tested, and, ultimately, fulfilled. Situated within Victorian Evangelical culture and restrictive gender ideology, the study examines how Jane’s spirituality is shaped through personal discernment rather than submission to institutional authority. Through close readings of Gateshead, Lowood, and Jane’s encounters with Rochester and St. John Rivers, the thesis demonstrates how Jane’s faith is tested against both passionate attachment and prescribed religious duty. Her refusal of both proposals reveals a developing spiritual autonomy that preserves Jane’s selfhood rather than denying it, empowering her to resist Victorian gender ideology. Jane’s eventual marriage is presented not as a capitulation to social expectations but as the fulfillment of an idiosyncratic faith grounded in equality.

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