To Be Jane - What Does Jane Eyre Inspire today’s Leftover Girls?

Jane Eyre used to be on the must-read or watch-list when it came to the book, or drama or movie.

It was once the most claimed novel written by Charlotte Brontë in my school days.

I did not remember whether I read the book first or watched the BBC drama first. She was never

depicted as a princess. On the contrary, she was tiny, obscure, duck – faced, always in dark robe. I

was not a bit attracted by Jane. And I was totally lost why she stood up so hard for herself in front

of a financially well-being Rochester, as most quoted from the novel "Do you think because, I am

poor, obscure plain and little, I am soulless and heartless?”

Later I grew up, working and living in Shanghai; I am overwhelmed by Janes. Now they transfer to

modern Chinese “leftover literate women 高知剩女”. Highly educated, intelligent, strong spirited,

financially-independent in city jungle…they have it all but never flirt with men. That is despicable

slutty behavior. They read almost all readable but cheap-sold love techniques. Intellectual men

adore them but have no idea to approach them. In reality, they stealthily long for his attention

and love. But they are too proud to admit the other-half’s physic existence and his animalistic

drive.

In a summer, I watched a movie – “Definitely, Maybe” in cinema. I found there was a Jane on

screen. However she is slightly different. She is pretty, smart and definitely knows how to flirt

with men and enjoy her love life as she claims she does her want with her own body, a very

“slutty” slogan. Her name is April.

April used to be very typical teenager who asked a pair of gold rings on her 13th birthday, but was

received a book of Jane Eyre from her daddy with his own written beautiful inscription as a gift.

She was freaked out by this huge disappointment. 3 weeks later, her dad died in a car accident.

Since then, April started obsessed with collecting hard-copies of Jane Eyre, esp. those with

inscriptions.

April was struggling with her life as babysitter, copy machine girl, salesgirl in book store in Big

Apple. She was indifferent and cynic of mainstream propagandas and political views. She had a

rock’ and roll boyfriend who cared about being next Kurt Cobain far more than being her

boyfriend. She had her own ambitions but was stuck too long to a man who “should be dumped”.

As she said, every time she read Jane every year or two, it told her different things. I do not know

what messages she received from Jane Eyre. However April grew up from a copy machine girl to a

C-Suite-something in Amnesty International. She finally fulfilled her ambitions and true love.

This is a girl’s growing up story.

As Jane inspired April, Jane is a classic heroine who has been inspiring girls to question

themselves who they are, what they really believe in and what they really need in life. In a society

where Janes are not asked that ambitious, Janes choose to stand up for themselves. That is the

key message Jane Eyre is conveying in the novel. Jane Eyre’s story is about a girl’s self-awareness

awakening and self-realization. Jane, an obscure heroine, is a reflection of us here and there. She

is never intended to be perfect or glamorous. She is created to reflect the insecurity hardwired in

girls’ gene. She has no appealing look but owns the unique charming personality, to inspire every

“little girl” in us to be brave and confident; even though we self-perceive us plain and obscure.

As women pursue equality and independence, we pursue true love. Through love, we see us

clearer. Now let’s back to Chinese leftover women’s love struggling journey. As April, leftover

women quite enjoy their joie de vivre. They are not that pathetic as Chinese mass media

mercilessly stereotype them.

This time, they stand for” true love is not at cost of self-esteem and own joie de vivre.”

Let the scene in the movie end my piece of essay on being Jane. The answers diversify in every

declaration. The below one is not the proposal for an institutional marriage BUT true love. As

Jane and April stand for, we only marry for being loved, truly, equally or maybe madly.

April: You're asking me to give up my freedom, my joie de vivre for an institution that fails as

often as it succeeds? And why should I marry you, anyway? I mean, why do you wanna marry me?

Besides some bourgeois desire to fulfill an ideal that society embeds in us from an early age to

promote a consumer capitalist agenda?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GARQJHyaBD0