30 Jan My top five favourite Jane Eyre Quotes

Picking my favourite Jane Eyre Quotes

With the launch of my new Jane Eyre pencils, I spent a good amount of time this month immersed in the world of Charlotte Bronte. Every time I create a new pencil design for my literary range I go back and reread the books. Yes, I could just look up the quotes on line but I read the books so I can get a feel for the writing and style and this helps me with my design process. It helps in choosing what colours and imagery I will use.

I then go out and see if the quotes I have chosen are ones that people have chosen as their favourites. But I like to start with my own blank slate before I get swayed by popular opinion! I often find that the quotes I end up picking are all clustered around a few scenes in the novel, I had a similar experience when choosing the quotes for Persuasion.

I have ordered the Jane Eyre quotes in this post in the order they come in the novel. As I really couldn’t pick a TOP favourite. Although I do really love number 2

Quote One

This quote is from From Chapter 8 of the novel. Jane’s friend Helen says this during a conversation they have on morality and turning the other cheek to the wickedness of others.

If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you and absolved you from guilt you would not be without friends

I was watching the Netflix adaption of the Anne of Green Gables novel recently and Anne quotes this to herself often. An appropriate quote as the two characters have much in common. I often wonder did Lucy Montgomery find inspiration for her Anne in the lonely, lost little Jane.

QUOTE 2

The next Jane Eyre quote that I chose for my pencils is from Chapter 23 where Jane rails against Mr. Rochester in a scene where she believes he intends to marry another and send her to the far shores of Ireland.

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will

QUOTE 3

This Jane Eyre quote is from the same Chapter as the one above. Jane has just confronted Mr. Rochester with what she believes will be his new bride Ms Ingram, he denies this and says he has no bride, Jane then tells him he will and he agrees. Overcome with emotion, believing she is about to lose all she holds dear, Jane bursts forth with this impassioned speech.

Do you think because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you, – and fill as much heart ! And if God has gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me as it is now for me to leave you!

QUOTE 4

I have just realised that this is the only quote that I have chosen where it is Mr.Rochester speaking. They are talking about the ‘mad woman’ in the attic. Jane does not yet know it is Rochester’s wife. She says it is not fair to hate her because she is mad. Rochester tells Jane, that it is not because she is mad that he hates her and he says

“Jane, my little darling (so I will call you, for so you are), you don’t know what you are talking about; you misjudge me again: it is not because she is mad I hate her. If you were mad, do you think I should hate you?”

“I do indeed, sir.”

“Then you are mistaken, and you know nothing about me, and nothing about the sort of love of which I am capable. Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear. Your mind is my treasure, and if it were broken, it would be my treasure still:

QUOTE 5

From one of the final chapters in the novel, this quote perfectly captures Jane and Mr. Rochester’s love. Jane, having gained confidence in her own worth during her absence from Thornfield, is teasing Rochester about her cousin John. In this scene she relents and tells him that it is him, it has always been him and will be until the end of time.

All my heart is yours, sir: it belongs to you: and with you it would remain, were fate to exile the rest of me from your presence forever.

You can see the balance tipping towards Jane now, in some ways his injuries, his blindness make him more her equal as he relies on her as much as she had relied on him in the past. And so they go forward into the future as equals.

And so we come to the end

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my favourite Jane Eyre quotes, please do leave a comment letting me know which was yours? And if you love  Jane Eyre as much as me you can purchase my Jane Eyre pencils below. 

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