From songs, to television, to books, and even newspapers, the need for love is universal. Love is an emotional necessity that even Jane, from the book Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, cannot ignore. Throughout the plot, Jane is constantly looking for love. She was looking not just for the love of a man, but the love of a family. However, Jane's search for love sometimes ends up testing her autonomy. Although Jane longs for love, she is not willing to give up her independence for it. However, as Jane grows up and her independence grows, she realizes that while she needs to be independent, she also needs love in her life. In Jane's early life, she was a very independent girl. She grew up with her aunt, Mrs. Reed, along with her 3 cousins: John, Eliza and Georgina. Jane was never shown any affection from any of the Reed family members, they all hated her. Jane finally expressed her need for love to Mrs. Reed: “You think I have no feelings, and can do without a little kindness, but I cannot live thus: and you have no mercy” (Bronte 41). Jane has been forced to be independent since she was a child. Her strength only grew when she was locked in the Red Room by her aunt. Her aunt's lack of care led Jane to be happy when she was sent away from their home in Gateshead and to Lowood Academy school, where she could begin her search for love. Jane was sent to Lowood Institution, a school for orphans. Here at Lowood Jane found kindness and acceptance from Helen Burns, another student a few years older than Jane. Jane soon shows Helen how much love really means to her by telling her: If others love me not, I would rather die than live: I cannot bear to be lonely and hated, Helen. Look... at the center of the card... to have the love he always had for her. Jane's journey throughout the entire story has been to find love. Jane has always had autonomy built into her personality, but she has had to establish that independence more prominently in her life. Even though Jane was looking for love, she wasn't going to sacrifice her autonomy for it. In Jane's eyes, being loved meant living a full life and being accepted. Furthermore, for Jane, her independence represented the truth of her worth. Without any of these, Jane could not have lived a fulfilled and happy life. Throughout her life, Jane has found answers over time and has come to the conclusion that love is far more important than autonomy because no one is meant to be alone and alone in this world. We all need someone to love and we all need to love others. Works Cited: Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1983.