Faith and Religion in Jane Eyre by Charlote Brontë

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“I sincerely, deeply, fervently long to do what is right; and only that” (426). Throughout Jane Eyre, the characters struggle to live out and develop their faiths, according both to God’s will and their own. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, faith and religion are displayed in different forms through the characters of Helen Burns, St. John, and Jane Eyre.
Faith in Christ is the stronghold for Helen Burns. She considers living to the glory of God the purpose of her life. Her troubles and sorrows do not sway her faith, for she declares it her “duty to bear it” (56). For Helen, living a fruitful life means imitating the character of Christ. When Jane inquires why she allows her superiors to treat her unjustly, Helen first replies that Christ said “Love you enemies; bless them that curse you” and later says “we are…burdened with the faults in this world: but…we shall put them off in putting off our corruptible bodies” (58). Helen lives not for this world, but for “eternity…a mighty home” (59). She submits purely to God, because “God is good” (83). She understands His love, living “in ca...

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