I agree to a large extent that in the novel ‘Jane Eyre’, Bronte shows Jane learning about religion from characters. Throughout the novel, Jane learns about Christianity through three different characters. These characters each present to Jane different forms of Christianity and ultimately help Jane develop her spirituality and religion. Jane, therefore, learns different lessons from each of these characters, which she comes to apply in her own life. Bronte then links these lessons that Jane has learnt to wider ideas about religion, like the corruption of authority and using faith as a guide throughout life. The first significant, religious character that enters Jane’s life is Mr Brocklehurst. Mr Brocklehurst represents Evangelical Christianity, which is a movement within Protestantism that seeks to strip people of excessive pride, or the ability to feel worldly pleasure. This is shown when he comments on a girl (Julia Severns) with ‘curled hair’ and calls for ‘that girl’s hair to be cut off entirely’ because he states the girl should not ‘conform to the world so openly’. This shows the extreme lengths Mr Brocklehurst will go to to keep the girls in line. He is willing to humiliate and dehumanise the girls until they conform to his Evangelical ideal of religion. However, this also shows how hypocritical he is. Shortly after this scene, his wife and daughters enter, with elaborately curled hair and fancy dress, the exact things that Mr Brocklehurst was preaching against and shaming the girls for. It is clear Mr Brocklehurst does not practice what he preaches, which makes Jane, as well as the rest of the girls in the institution, resent him. He also uses religion as a powerful instrument against the girls, telling them that the things he is doing are for their benefit, and will help them in their future roles in life. Charlotte Bronte uses this misuse of power to criticise the rigid version of Christianity presented by religious authority and their corruption. Mr Brocklehurst’s view of religion showed Jane that she did not have to go to the extreme of letting go of all of her worldly possessions and merely focusing on spirituality. By Mr Brocklehurst’s extreme view of religion, Jane learns how to balance her desire for worldly pleasure and having too much love for worldly things. The next significant religious figure that enters Jane’s life is Helen Burns. Helen Burns is Jane’s first and best friend during her time at Lowood and this causes her to have a significant positive impact on Jane’s religious journey. Helen’s view of religion teaches Jane to endure the hardships of life and how to overcome her struggles. Helen has a strong belief in the salvation of the afterlife, which is what gives her strength to bear earthly struggles, as she believes they don’t mean anything in the larger picture. She also has a complete, unwavering faith that God is kind and watches over her, which ultimately gives her comfort. This is shown when Jane inquires about God, to which Helen responds, ‘I rely implicitly in His power, and rely wholly in His goodness’. This unwavering faith in God and his goodness shows Jane that there is more to life than Earthly struggles and torments. It also gives Jane the comfort to keep on enduring struggles, with the knowledge that there is a reason, and will ultimately turn out beneficial for Jane. As well as this, Helen also teaches Jane to have more faith in herself and to find comfort and love in herself, rather than from other people. This is shown after Mr Brocklehurst punishes Jane publicly, and she cries to Helen that nobody will love her or want to be friends with her. Jane states ‘’I would rather die than live - I cannot bear to be solitary and hated…’’, to which Helen responds "Hush, Jane! you think too much of the love of human beings…’’. This interaction is important because it shows how insecure Jane is, and Helen teaches her the importance of loving herself so she does not need to depend on the love of others, as she will not always receive it. However, Jane does not have this strong faith yet and she develops it throughout the novel. Helen also teaches Jane to forgive others and teaches her about the mercy of God. Because Helen’s view of Christianity is so optimistic, it helps Jane to let go of the past and look for a purpose in the future. Ultimately, Charlotte Bronte uses Helen as a source of comfort and personal integrity. She uses faith as a guide through life and helps Jane to do so as well. The last significant religious figure Jane meets in her life is St John Rivers (Sinjin). St John’s view of religion is very conservative and somewhat similar to Mr Brocklehurst’s view of religion, however, it is not nearly as extreme. St John’s ideology teaches him to not care for his worldly possessions or connections; he only loves his religion. He also believes that human hearts were made to only serve God and this world is a mere distraction trying to tempt you away from this purpose. This is seen when Jane describes him as ‘a good man; but…hard and cold…humanities and amenities of life had no attraction for him…’. This description of his character shows how deeply St John cares about religion, to the point where he relinquishes worldly happiness in order to completely devote himself to religion, which makes him appear cold and unfeeling to others around him. St John is often compared to ice or rock, which completely contrasts Jane’s fire (passion). This contrast is the main reason Jane cannot fully adopt St John’s view of Christianity, although she learns many important lessons from her time with him. From St John, Jane learns to have determination, dedication and to complete her jobs fully and to the best quality she can. As well as this, St John tries to teach Jane to leave her emotions behind, and although she does not adopt this, it helps her to realise that she wants the freedom to feel emotions and love whoever she wants to love - which leads her back to Mr Rochester. Charlotte Bronte then links this to the importance of fulfilling your moral duty and looking after those around you. In conclusion, I agree to a large extent that Bronte shows Jane learning about religion through various characters in the novel as each time she meets a religiously significant character, Jane’s understanding and knowledge of Christianity change slightly to ultimately help her adapt her own personal version of Christianity. As well as this, Jane learns different lessons through the characters she meets, which Bronte then links to wider messages about Christianity, such as the corruption of religious authority, using faith as a guide in life and the importance of fulfilling moral duty.