The Themes of Jane Eyre At the beginning of Jane Eyre, Jane fights against Bessie, the nurse at Gateshead Hall, and says: I have resisted all the way: one thing new to me..." (Chapter 2). This sentence prefigures what will be an important theme of the rest of the book, that of female independence or rebellion. Jane here resists her unjust punishment, but throughout the novel she expresses her opinions on the state of related to this theme is another class and the resistance of the terms of one's class can also be traced throughout the novel. Soon after settling into Lowood Institution, Jane finds pleasure in expanding her mind and talents She forgets the difficulties of life at school and concentrates on the work of her own hands. She is not willing to give it up when she is engaged to Rochester. She does not want to be like her lovers, with their fancy dresses and jewels, but also after her and Rochester are married, he wants to stay there Adele's housekeeper. She is unwilling to give up her independence in Rochester and tries to seek her fortune by writing to her uncle. Finally, when she has her money, she states, “I am my own lover” (chapter 37). Jane not only shows the reader her beliefs about female independence through her actions, but also through her thoughts. Jane wants to see more of the world and have more interactions with its people. Although he appreciates his simple life in Thornfield, he regrets not having the means to travel. She tells her feelings to all the women, not just those of her class, saying: Women should be very calm in general: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties and field for their efforts as much as their brothers; they suffer from too rigid a constraint, from too absolute stagnation, just as men would suffer; and it is mean of their more privileged companions to say that they should confine themselves to baking cakes and knitting socks, playing the piano and embroidering bags (chapter 12). It is important to also talk about Bertha here, as she is a female character who is often seen resisting.