Reaccurring Theme in Jane Eyre

There are a couple of themes for Jane Eyre, but the main one is Love.

Throughout the novel, Jane is looking to be loved. After her parents die, she looks for it in her remaining (known) family members but doesn’t find it. “Who could want me?”-pg 19 When Jane moves to Lowood School, she seeks it in Helen Burns, another girl at the school, and speaks very plainly about what she wants, and that is “to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest” -Chapter 8. After she escapes the school, she begins to look for romantic love, and she finds it in Mr. Rochester. Up to the time that she finds out he’s married, she finds the sense of belonging and love; meaning she’s happy. Then she moves in with the Rivers siblings and finds familial love, which Mr. Rochester can’t give her, and again is happy, to a point. When St. John proposes, Jane realizes love needs to be mutual, and returns back to Mr. Rochester, and is happy. All of this shows that love needs to be a mutual feeling, and that with it, one can be happy.