Throughout the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane had lived in many places that have helped define the person she has become. Not only did these places guide her and help her realize who she was, but they also helped shape her into someone who she was proud to be. Many of these places might have had horrible conditions and cruel people, but in the end Jane would not be the strong, independent, and mature person she was if it weren't for them. Gateshead and Thornfield were not the only places Jane has lived in, but they were the most significant. From not being loved or belonging in Gateshead to being so loved in Thornfield, she felt as if she would lose a sense of self; they both played a pivotal role in Jane's development and journey to maturity and selfhood. Jane has matured from a girl to a young lady and developed a strong sense of integrity, which was constantly being questioned throughout Gateshead and Thornfield. Without the spitefulness from Mrs. Reed, Jane would not have learned the independence she needed to be the person she was Thornfield. .
Jane had an extremely lonely childhood and she never had a sense of belonging. Even though Jane lived in Gateshead with her aunt and her cousins, she was never part of the family. She was constantly being excluded regardless of the promise Mrs. Reed made to her husband on his deathbed. She promised to take Jane in as her own, but she did the opposite and treated Jane as if she was a peasant. From early on we see that Jane never fit the criteria for of a how young girl should act or present herself because Mrs. Reed wouldn't let her into the room until she had a "childlike disposition, a more attractive and sprightly manner – something lighter, franker, more natural" (Bronte, 5). Jane was constantly questioning and showed this strong sense of integrity, which was not common for children to do in those times. Since Jane was constantly being alienated, she knew that in order to endure her time at Gateshead she would have to build herself up and never lose that.
