‘WE ARE EQUAL!’ When these three words came out of the plain-looking girl’s mouth, the whole world was shocked.
We have good reason to be shocked——deprived of family happiness from an early age, with neither beauty nor wealth to speak of, Jane Eyre seems to be never destined to become the heroine shining in the spotlight we often read about in romances——but is there really such a thing called destiny? At least Jane doesn’t think so. She is not pretty; she is not rich; she is a mere ordinary governess, so what? As an individual human existence, she has dignity as well as anyone else, so she deserves the chance to love and to be loved as well as anyone else! Despite her short, delicate body, her soul is not the least weaker than others’——even greater than most of them. The moment she said the three powerful words to Mr. Rochester proudly and steadily, her pale face must have been sparkling with sacredness, which would have made her the most beautiful woman ever, because the beauty of independence is eternal. With this spirit of independence she not only gained herself love, respect and happiness but also proved to the world that nobody is second class——unless you believe yourself to be.
Hundreds of thousands of ordinary girls that usually get neglected in life——me included——love and admire Jane deeply because she inspires and encourages us to strive for our life goals against all odds bravely. She is a role model, an idol in our hearts but at the same time a friend, a big sister next door who’s not at all cold and distant, always ready and willing to stand by our side whenever we are in trouble. Every time when I feel inferior, puzzled and lose faith in myself and the strength to carry on the life path already chosen, Jane, my dear friend’s determined face and forceful words on that serene summer night would emerge inside my mind, which never failed to relight my fire of passion. Oh, how I long to be like her.
But it’s not that I totally believe in her life story, by which I mean I don’t think the story of hers can happen to anybody. To me, it’s somewhat like a fairy tale that begins with ‘long long ago’ and ends with ‘ever after’， in which the prince and princess, though having suffered much in the process of getting together, would always end up in a harmonious marriage and enjoy all the best life has to offer. Being an obscure girl herself, the author Charlotte Bronte was so generous as to have provided our dear Jane a Mr. Rochester who loves her just the way she is, appreciates her unique character and a kindhearted family （later proved to be her relatives） that took her in when she was helpless and offered her a job to support herself. In reality, not every Jane Eyre can meet the proper people at the right time, just as not every ugly duckling can turn into a graceful swan——it may depend on a matter of luck. If you are too obsessed with fairy tales, you are very likely to feel disappointed and deceived by the not-so-perfect everyday life. But what are fairy tales for? We love to read them and we tend to believe in them even though we know they are not real. Sometimes we do need a little romantic daydream as seasonings in the routine of life, and we also need an ideal to believe in, a creed to live by, and a northern star to show us directions on the long journey.
That’s maybe what Jane Eyre is for——it gives numerous common girls a possibility to look forward to, a life to reach for, and above all, a positive attitude to face all odds to encounter. Perhaps we can’t all have her luck, but we can have her independence, confidence, persistence, the courage of standing up to fight for ourselves against those seemingly taller than us, and the faith that we can finally win because WE ARE EQUAL.