Of all the classic heroines of literature, one in particular has my heart - Jane Eyre, of the eponymous novel by Charlotte Bronte. Unlike many other heroines, Jane has little to recommend her: she is neither pretty, nor high-born (she is an orphan), nor is she dashing.

When you compare to a lively, sparkling character like Lizzie Bennett of Pride & Prejudice, she may look much more ordinary. She has had a difficult life, and she is only able to reveal her grit and indomitable spirit piece by piece.

Jane has often been read as a stand in for Charlotte herself, who was plain and poor. I don't fully agree with that interpretation, but I do agree that both Jane and Charlotte were extraordinary in their unconventionality. When people try to make Jane bend to their tyrannical whims, she reminds them: Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion.

These truths- as powerful as they are, and as unusual for a woman to speak in those times - are the very heart and soul of Jane Eyre. The romance is wonderful too, but the character is what brings me back to this novel time after time.