She knew that if she loses herself she would be nothing. So, when John Reed starts to bully Jane, she took it for as long as she could, but Mrs. Reed favored John and Jane had to suffer the consequences. She suffered the punishments that were given to her even though they were horrific, the Red Room being the cruelest of them all. .
The Red Room is where we see how Jane learned to be independent. Overnight she matured from a child to a more mature version of herself. She realized that no matter how hard she tried to do right, it would never be enough to be accepted by the Reeds. Why should she continue trying when it won't get her anywhere? Why should she continue on with this suffering for no reason? "Unjust- Unjust!" (Bronte, 12) were the words she said when she finally had enough. She realized that she couldn't be afraid to stand up for herself. She knew the only way to stand up was to build herself up and become a stronger person. She must learn how to speak for herself. She had to learn how to be independent because she learned from an early age that she can't trust other people and that if she wants something, she must do it herself. .
By the time Jane was appointed the governess job at Thornfield Hall she built herself up and wasn't willing to lose herself for anything; not even for love. When Jane arrives at Thornfield she described it as dark and grey and somewhere you really wouldn't want to be. When you look at a thorn tree it looks sharp and dangerous, but the roots are buried deep down, but the roots are the most vital part of the tree. The roots of the tree symbolize growth and they are what make the tree live. That is exactly how Thornfield Hall is; on the outside it's a grey and somber, but deep down its warm and the people that live there are comforting and they make the place so lively. This is also exactly how Mr. Rochester exterior appearance was. He makes it extremely hard to love him.
