The internal and external conflicts of any character define a novel. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the title character’s internal and external conflicts were nothing but the shadows of past experiences and deeply imposed stigmas. The way Jane Eyre deals with the development of her womanhood, her love life and her view on wealth are all effected in some way by her past.
Jane Eyre’s first struggle is both internal and external: being an orphan. Her role models and caregivers were constantly changing as her life should’ve remained the same. Her caregivers changed from Mrs. Reed to Bessie to Helen Burns to Mrs. Temple. According to Pastor Yau, children rebel because they “lose their confidence on [their caregiver’s] moral.” This is what happened with Mrs. Reed, Jane’s Aunt. Jane, being a well behaved child could not understand her harsh punishment in the red room when her evil cousin’s abuse went seemingly unnoticed. Jane’s rebellion is only to Mrs. Reed because she believed that she did not have the “correct priorities.” Bessie is then her new caregiver, but Bessie’s mark on Jane is purely one of subservient value. “You are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep,” (p. 9—Literature Connections) sums up the imprint of Bessie.
Because of Jane’s “rebellion”, Mrs. Reed sent Jane to Lowood School, headed by Mr. Brocklehurst but reared by Mrs. Temple. Not much is known about Mrs. Temple and her care except that she was the only glue holding Jane to the school, but At Lowood, Jane meets her truest comrade, Helen Burns. Helen and Jane was a short lived because of Helen’s untimely death, but her foreshadowing made the shadow for Jane’s internal struggle about love: “By dying young, I sh ...