Marxism in Jane Eyre In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte portrays the rigid hierarchical class system of early 1800s England. Bronte develops a complex character, Jane, to give a twist to the rigid hierarchical class system. Bronte does this to challenge the class system in England that required everyone to remain in their class position. Bronte does this by questioning the role of the governess and whether she should be considered upper class, due to her higher education, or lower class, due to her status as a servant within the family. Bronte also questions the development of the relationship between two people of different classes, such as Rochester's and Jane's. Charlotte Bronte demonstrates that class boundaries are not finite and that individuals can transcend them. From the beginning of the novel, Jane's ambiguous class status is evident. Jane is a poor orphan who lives with relatives who despise her. John Reed, Jane's cousin, states that Jane is “a dependent. . . you should beg, and not live here with sons of gentlemen like us” (Bronte 101). John cl...