Theme: Social Conflict

"'Leah is a nice girl to be sure, and John and his wife are very decent people; but then you see they are only servants, and one can't converse with them on terms of equality: one must keep them at due distance, for fear of losing one's authority'"(98).

Social differences among different social classes is a theme that is very prevalent in Jane Eyre. This quote is Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall, speaking to Jane about the social differences between the residents of the hall. Mrs. Fairfax is describing her social class, relative to the other servants, and her feeling as though she is unable to talk to them because she is not on the same level socially as they are. Instead of finding company with the other servants, she instead wallows in her loneliness in fear of losing the ability to continue to manage her servants. Initially, Jane believes that Mrs. Fairfax is the owner of Thornfield Hall, and therefore her beliefs believable and understandable; however, Jane soon discovers that Mrs. Fairfax is not the owner, and in fact the manager of the household, making her only slightly above the other servants. Her placing such great importance on the social level of her fellow servants and refusing to speak to them jovially demonstrates the significance social class plays in Mrs. Fairfax's mind.