Which character do you most identify with?

I might adjust it to say empathise with...that's a little gentler.

For me the word would be identify. Jane, Jane, Jane! From the first time I read the book I became obsessed. I never could put my finger on why until fairly recently. At first I thought it was simply the romance and mystery. I would also tell you that I liked Jane very much.

However, in my second year at college I had a professor in a writing literary analysis class create a fake thesis around our core text which was _Jane Eyre_. Her thesis was that Jane was a reader. She had some examples to prop up the thesis. Before that point I had always thought of Jane as a doer not a reader. Now I was convinced that she was. I laughed at myself and said, "I love _Jane Eyre_ so much because I am Jane!"

Every so often someone says something else about her character which I couldn't see, and say "just like me!"
In another group someone called Jane 'Nervous' (not in a kind way, I might add.) I am utterly and more nervous than Jane. Probably why I couldn't see it in her.

I was curious to know what others thought? (Not about my rambling but about the original question!)

I do not know that I can claim to share a lot in common with Jane personality wise, but she's definitely the character I identify with the most. I feel huge amounts of both sympathy and admiration for her. She's intelligent, passionate and she has such strength of conviction and character. Like when she says to Mr Rochester, I love you but I must leave you, and holds to that, even though he's so persuasive and sad and she really does love him. I could probably go on about the reasons why I admire Jane but I shall refrain! However, I think I identify with her because she's such an accessible character - I find it easy to understand why she thinks or feels or acts the way she does.

I also remember identifying with Agnes when I first read Agnes Grey - not as strongly as I identify with Jane, but more strongly than I've identified with any other characters in the Brontë's novels.

My post was probably a wee bit excessive. Sorry. I just get so excited talking about Jane Eyre. Especially when I have a sympathetic ear.

There's nothing wrong about being excessive when it comes to Jane Eyre! At least, hope so, because I suspect I'm guilty of it...

Herenya-

Have you read the Anne books? I do think that we are kindred spirits.

Hehe, yes I have read them (multiple times, in fact)! We must be.

Oh I also struggle with the rational vs. emotional, reason vs. feeling on a daily basis. Unfortuantely I think Jane is a little more grounded in reason.

(I wrote a paper on this topic for the class that I mentioned in my first post. It has always been an interesting conflict.)

I think I might be finished this time.

Jane is too good for me to quite identify with. I suppose I identify with Catherine, in part because she is so flawed, and in part because she has such a powerful response to weather (I find freezing winds that stuff themselves down one's throat positively enthralling ;) I also empathize with Catherine's conflicting wishes - to give free rein to her passions, but also to enjoy the civilities of pleasant company. Some people find the brutality of Wuthering Heights adolescent, but I do believe that people who love each other are capable of doing terrible, indelible things. Heathcliff's enormous jealousy and desire for revenge are to me more like Greek epic poetry than anything.

I've always identified with Jane - though I do have to say that she is probably a better person than I am - she's fictional!! Lol. I love that she appears to be a physically small, weak person but she has an iron will and stays firm to her principles. I have strong moral values and hold to them even when it makes me different from those around me so I guess that's why I cheer for Jane all the way.

Thanks for the invite to this group - sorry I don't post more often.

As a child, I always identified with Helen Burns, but looking back and really analyzing Helen carefully, I see a definite element of passive-aggressiveness in her (and in myself). It's not as prominent as in Hester (The Scarlet Letter) Prynne, but it's definitely there.