body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth—so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane—quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot."

A great deal happens even after this climactic episode, and at every juncture, Jane Eyre does her utmost to stick to her principles. She values self-respect, self-truth, and she is not willing to compromise it even for those things she desires most. Truth to self is valued above all else. This, in short, is the central theme of this novel, and the underpinning of Jane's character. 

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre has several important themes. One of the most important themes may be the injustice of a rigid class structure. Because Jane is an orphan, her life choices are far more limited than those of many of her relatives and peers, even though she is mostly more intelligent, capable and hard- working than they are. This becomes especially clear when she and Rochester fall in love. They clearly share an authentic intimacy that should have been celebrated from its inception, but Jane is reluctant to express her feelings or let others know about their bond because of the difference in their social status.

However, another important theme is the voice of women. Jane is willing to express her needs and opinions in a society that values women who are submissive and accommodating. This leads to frequent punishment in her early life, and seems much less attractive than her childhood friend Helen's more gentle style. In the end, though, Jane develops a strong sense of herself and continues to rise. Her sense of independence allows her to reject school master Mr. Brocklehurst's hypocritical self-righteousness and later, a loveless marriage to St. John Rivers. It also makes her much more attractive to Mr. Rochester, the real love of her life.

Other themes include spiritual authenticity vs. self-centered piety, and of course, the transcendental power of love. Any of these themes might be considered the “main” theme of the novel Jane Eyre, depending on personal interpretation, values and worldview.

What I find most admirable about Jane is similar to what accessteacher says.  I find her adherence to principle in the face of great pressure to be inspiring and uplifting.  When the man she loves, Edward Rochester, asks her to go away with him to a place where no one could possibly know who they are or the circumstances from which they come, she would love nothing more than to say yes.  He's right; no one would know.  But she would know, and she must be true to herself.  Morals, she says, are not for the easy times but for those times when you can barely think straight and want to follow your heart rather than your head.  If they are no good in those times, what good are they at all.  I agree.

For me, the most important aspect about the novel is the conflict between passion and reason, or desire and logic. We see this conflict in Jane herself as she starts off as a girl unable to control herself in Gateshead when her cousin attacks her, and she "flies" at him "like a wild cat". In Lowood, thanks to the influence of characters such as Helen Burns and Maria Temple, she learns to restrain and control herself, being able to bear the unjust punishment of Brocklehurst without going into a rage. This enables her to defy her passionate side and resist becoming Rochester's mistress when she discovers the existence of Bertha Mason. Lastly, of course, she is able to strike a happy balance between the both sides - she is able to marry for love but this is balanced with duty towards her legal husband who is a dependent upon her. Key to this conflict is the way that other characters represent either side of the conflict: for example, many critics argue that Helen Burns (representing self-sacrificing logic and reason) and Bertha Mason (representing the excesses of passion) are alter-egos of Jane's personality, representing the worst parts of both these characteristics, and Jane is only able to live happy once these two parts of her self have been "killed off".

What about the ideas of equality and love?  Jane struggles to understand her place in society and will not be with Rochester until they are truly "equal" (and his wife is dead.)  Why does Jane only consider herself Rochester's equal once she has inherited money and he has been disfigured?

Is the "love" between Jane and Rochester really that at all, especially in the beginning?  If Rochester truly loves Jane, why is he always finding little ways to change her?  Why, for example, does he push her to buy fancy clothes when she is more comfortable in her drab ones?

In addition to discussing Jane's independence as a woman, you could also discuss the idea of gaining independence from one's culture.  As you most likely know, the Victorian era was rife with strict social codes. Jane's whole manner of thinking about herself and her worth stems from the era in which she lives. Likewise, Rochester's struggle with what to do with his insane wife is intensified because of the Victorians' view of marriage, insanity, and social classes.  While Jane strives to discover who she is and what she is capable of accomplishing, Rochester must also decide how to handle his secret, pressures to marry, etc.  All issues that would not be so pressing if Rochester lived in a more modern time period.  You can certainly find other examples of characters searching for their own independence in spite of the rigid Victorian system.

I think that the lasting legacy of Jane Eyre is that it is one of the first feminist novels.  The character of Jane (admittedly plain) does not follow the traditional literary conception of a woman having to be beautiful and conform to stereotypical identities in order to live a contented life.  Throughout the novel we see instances of Jane's strength and perseverance, motivated by her own voice, her own mind, and her own sense of self. It is this idea, this conception of being a woman that is so profound in the novel.   I don't think you are going to find numerous examples of this in literature of the time.  In fact, one can say that the idea of Jane establishing her voice and appropriating the world in accordance to this idea is the driving force behind the book.  Bronte writes a character that is of the equal level and capacity of a man.  The idea that women can pursue lives of their own accord, of their own choice, and of their own passions and can be happy in doing so. Jane's happiness and spirit of contentment lies in the fulfillment of her own autonomy and freedom.  This is a radical idea in literature of the time, and to some extent, is still quite revolutionary in its articulation.

Jane Eyre struggled with an internal conflict through much of the story.  After some time at Thornfield Hall as Adele's governess, Jane began to have romantic feelings toward Mr. Rochester, her employer.  Jane attempted to ignore these feelings.  She soon found out about Ms. Ingram, who was Mr. Rochester's intended.  Despite their upcoming nuptials, Jane struggled with her desire to be with Mr. Rochester:

I began to cherish hopes I had no right to conceive: that the match was broken off; that rumour had been mistaken; that one or both parties had changed their minds.

Jane's secret hopes came true.  Mr. Rochester soon professed his love for Jane. He chose Jane over Ms. Ingram. Jane and Mr. Rochester became engaged.  She and Mr. Rochester arrived at the church to get married on their wedding day.  Before the minister could complete the ceremony, a man burst into the church to announce that Mr. Rochester was already married.  The story unraveled and Jane was devastated.  Mr. Rochester was married to a woman who had long ago gone insane.

Shocked, Jane listened to Mr. Rochester's pleas for her to stay with him.  He suggested that Jane become his mistress.  Jane then had another internal conflict.  Should she become Mr. Rochester's mistress?  That was the only way she could be with him.  She believed that being his mistress would be morally wrong.  In the end, Jane refused and left Thornfield.

I couldn't help but notice domestic violence and manipulation in Bronte's Jane Eyre. It seemed like every male who came into Jane's life lied to or about her and manipulated her. The worst part is that it seemed to be the norm for these men to treat women with such disrespect. First there was the male cousin in her youth who tried to play Lord of the Manner by hitting her and yelling at her. Then there was Brocklhurst who mistreated her. Finally, the two men who wanted tomarry her manipulated (or tried to) her into doing what they wanted--as if she didn't have her own willand brain to figure things out! Living life as a governess in such a male-dominated society must have been suffocating for the women back then.

There are so many different issues that Jane has to deal with in Bronte's novel. The way men treat women in book is a recurring motif that depicts the way men thought of women at that time. Men degrade, manipulate, lie to, and maltreat Jane at every turn in her life! Even her dear Mr. Rochester lies to her about his hidden-away wife and manipulates her feelings by courting another woman right in front of her. It is truly despicable how Jane is treated throughout the novel, but it must provide some truth to the "accepted" ways of English culture and society during Bronte's time.

One of the main themes of the novel I like to call “love will find a way.”  Cheesy, I know.  However, the idea is that regardless of social class, two people can fall in love.  Despite the barriers, Jane manages to find love and friendship.