Jane Eyre Identity Essay

‘The search for identity is the principle concern of the protagonist’.

How far do you agree with this statement in relation to the novels you have studied?

Introduction

[Argument right from the beginning: The question asks how far you agree with the statement… so in this case give both sides of the argument from the begging.]

Exemplar arguments include:

Argue for- Due to not having parents, she would never know whether or not she was like either of her parents. She wants to know how she is and the little family she has got left (her aunt and cousins) are nothing like her. Leaving Gateshead was her chance to discover who she was and if she hadn’t done, it can be argued she would never know who she really is- which is all she really wanted

However, this search is constantly tempered by Jane’s need for independence. She begins the novel as an unloved orphan who is almost obsessed with finding love as a way to establish her own identity and achieve happiness. (http://www.gradesaver.com/jane-eyre/study-guide/themes) In main body talk about orphans like Jane and how the alternative for jane would have been the workhouse (Victorian era)- that’s, of course, if Mrs Reed did not want to look after her- bearing in mind she knew Jane’s uncle was alive but never said a

Du Maurier establishes this theme from the very beginning by maintaining the narrator’s anonymity, as only Maxim learns the narrator’s “lovely and unusual” name. When she marries Maxim, the narrator is automatically given a new identity as Mrs. de Winter, but she does not feel comfortable or suited to the role. The narrator’s uncertain identity worsens during her time at Manderley because the constant reminder of Rebecca, the “real” Mrs. de Winter. The narrator is quickly overwhelmed by the strength of Rebecca’s presence and even considers given up all claims to an identity as Maxim’s wife. The climax of the narrator’s identity crisis is at the Manderley costume ball when even her physical appearance is overshadowed by the memory of Rebecca in the same costume. In the end, the narrator must learn the truth about Rebecca’s nature before she can feel assured of Maxim’s love and her identity as Mrs. de Winter.