The main character in the novel Jane Eyre is a strong, ambitious, self-sufficient woman by the name of Jane Eyre. From very early on Jane struggles to find her place in the world amongst a society who places a high value on social status. Despite three major challenges throughout her life, Jane Eyre is able to find love and a feeling of belonging without encroaching upon her sense of self. In addition, she does not allow her love to restrict her intellectual, spiritual, or emotional independence. .
Jane Eyre begins her life as a young orphan raised by a wealthy family at a place called Gateshead. Jane is described as a penniless orphan forced to live on the charity of others, thus she is seen as a second-class citizen. Even the servants do not treat her with respect. Her cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed, who holds Jane responsible for everything that goes wrong in her house, raises her. At the start of the novel her cousin John attacks Jane. No longer able to allow herself to be subjected to such cruelty, Jane fights back. Mrs. Reed automatically blames Jane for the dispute and has her locked away in the red-room, "take her to the red-room, and lock her in there" (page 8). Jane believes the red-room is haunted by her late uncle, Mr. Reed, and screams and struggles her capturers the entire time. The red-room is the first in a series of imprisonments for Jane in the novel. The red-room is a symbol of Jane's feeling of isolation, although she feels both "locked in" and "locked out." While the red-room has her locked in, or locked out, from the rest of civilization, Jane feels as if she is cut off and unable to communicate with the outside world. She has no place of belonging and hates the way Mrs. Reed and the rest of them treat her. Jane reflects on how she is looked upon by Mrs. Reed and her children.
I was a discord in Gateshead-hall: I was like nobody there: I had nothing in harmony with Mrs.