Faith and Religion in Jane Eyre by Charlote Brontë Essay...

â€Å"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 â€Å"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†¦show more content†¦Faith and religion rests in the core of Jane’s character and actions, but also causes tension with her independence. At Lowood, she struggles to reconcile her desire to rebel against oppression and injustice with the words of Helen saying to submit like Christ. She chooses to submit, experiencing an â€Å"extraordinary sensation†, feeling â€Å"as if she was a martyr† (67). Through her submissions, she learns to be virtuous. This virtue is challenged when she must choose either to be Rochester’s mistress, or to forsake the man she loves, jeopardizing her happiness. Abiding by God’s law, she leaves, believing that â€Å"God directed [her] to a correct choice† (366). Jane faces her fiercest tension when she faces St. John’s proposal to marry him and become a missionary’s wife. She desires to continue in God’s will, telling St. John that â€Å"I will give my heart to God†, but knows that marrying him goes against her every desire. She wishes to be free from St. John; she desires her independence. She nearly submits, were she â€Å"but convinced that it is God’s will† that she marry St. John (426). She prays for Heaven to â€Å"show [her] the path† (426). Jane truly seeks God’s will, and in return, â€Å"seemed to penetrate very near a Mighty Spirit† (427). Her devotion to God is rewarded as she prays in her â€Å"different way to St. John’s† (427). God releases Jane from a life married to St. John and allows her to return to Rochester and become his wife. Jane’s faith in God allows her to make virtuous