Quotation: “‘Down superstition!’ I commented, as that spectre rose up black by the black yew at the gate. ‘This is not thy deception, nor thy witchcraft: it is the work of nature…’ I…fell on my knees; and prayed in my way-a different way to St. John’s, but effective in its own fashion. I seemed to penetrate very near a Mighty Spirit; and my soul rushed out in gratitude at His feet.” (p. 640-1)

Comments: The Jane we see in these later chapters is shown to have far been changed from the Jane we encountered in the beginning.  She has gone from God-questioning, as when she spoke with Helen Burns as a child, to God-fearing, despite her many misfortunes.  This is very interesting, as the author seemed nearly anti-Christian in the beginning, though we know from the introduction she eventually marries a clergyman.  As seemingly logical and irreligious as she was, as she does not mention going to church or prayer while at Thornfield and still bears resentment towards Rev. Brocklehurst, one would not have expected her to have such a change of heart, despite the fact something unexplained happened.  Most people today, as Jane appears to be more like than those of her time, if they had heard voices on the wind as she had, would have attributed it to stress, though perhaps would have been more believing later when Mr. Rochester told his half of that night’s events.

Questions: Why did Bronte incorporate such a change of heart? Why did she seemingly encourage questioning of religion early on only to go back on it with a supernatural occurrence? Though containing Gothic aspects, the story was realistic fiction up to this point, so why turn to the supernatural? Did the author have a change of heart towards Christianity in reality in the midst of writing the novel, or did she always plan it this way?