Q: Was Jane Eyre a real person?
A: This is a great question and something that many readers wonder about when they read the classic novel of love, religion, and social class: Jane Eyre.
It would seem like Jane Eyre is a real person because the original title of the book is Jane Eyre: An Autobiography. The definition of an autobiography is a book that someone writes about their own life. However, this book is not an autobiography because Jane Eyre never really existed. The real author, Charlotte Bronte, imagined her character and then wrote an “autobiography” as if she was that character. To be really truthful, Ms. Bronte would have had to name the book Jane Eyre: An Autobiography…But Not Really.
It’s interesting that the author chose this format for the book because many have talked about how similar the lives of the imagined Jane Eyre and the real Charlotte Bronte were. It is widely believed that, although they did have differences, Jane’s life in the novel was based on Charlotte’s real life experiences.
For instance, Charlotte had an awful boarding school experience much like Jane does in the beginning of the book. One of Jane’s school friends, Helen Burns, dies of consumption, just like two of Charlotte’s sisters (Elizabeth and Maria) died during Charlotte’s time in school. The home that the Eyre family lives in is said to be based on a real house in North Lees Hall in Northern England. And Ms. Bronte also became a governess, just like Jane Eyre does in the book.
In the end, the answer to the question “Was Jane Eyre real?” isn’t as easy as yes or no. Jane Eyre was a combination of Charlotte Bronte’s own life and of her imagination.
To read more about Charlotte Bronte, you can pick up The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell, who was a close friend of the Bronte family. Search for it at a library near you by visiting our online catalog.
