Classic Novel “Jane Eyre” Faces US Bans While Gaining Cultural Embrace in China

Boston; Beijing; and Texas
|

Nov. 05, 2026, 12:12 p.m. ET

|
4 min read

Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel “Jane Eyre”—a coming-of-age story set among the dramatic moors and manors of northern England—has long provoked controversy. While critics initially bristled at the protagonist’s fierce self-assurance and emotional depth, the book quickly became a bestseller and has remained popular ever since. 

The focus on Jane’s rich inner world was radical for its time. Some readers rejected the outspoken young woman, contrasting her with the conventional little girls of Charles Dickens’ fiction, and dismissed the novel’s intensity as “coarse.” 

“We are talking about the Victorian period, after all,” says Sue Newby, learning officer at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, England. Yet even then, these critics were a minority. The book was an immediate bestseller, and it has only grown more popular over the nearly 180 years since. 

That’s precisely why Ms. Newby—along with many parents—remain puzzled by the novel’s recent inclusion on PEN America’s banned books list. This year, at least three Texas school districts have restricted access to “Jane Eyre” under Senate Bill 13, a law passed last year that narrows the definition of harmful, indecent, or profane content in library books. New Braunfels’ school district has taken a particularly stringent approach, limiting the title to advanced literature students only. 

However, supporters of the legislation, which also grants parents and districts greater oversight of library catalogs, maintain that works like “Jane Eyre” were never the intended targets. “‘Jane Eyre’ is not profane, it is not indecent,” says Bonnie Wallace, a grassroots activist who helped lead the campaign to scrutinize public school library content. She suspects that some districts “are going well beyond the intention of SB13 and attempting to make the law appear overreaching or exclusionary.” 

Another theory points to the use of AI in school filtering systems. Anne Russey, co-founder of the Texas Freedom to Read Project, suggests that such tools may have erroneously flagged the novel as problematic. 

Indeed, the novel does tackle heavy themes, including mental illness. Yet Abigail Gordy, a mother who recently relocated from Schertz, Texas, to San Antonio due to the book bans, contends that such introspection is a normal part of adolescent life. “There’s nothing in the story too dark for an intermediate child to read. They encounter far worse online,” she adds, arguing that restricting access to books makes society “closed‑minded.” 

Ms. Newby calls it a “perfect transition novel,” teaching teens resilience, compassion, and the importance of speaking truth to power as they confront the adult world for the first time. 

Transition novel

So why have certain schools taken issue with “Jane Eyre”? 

Reader, nobody knows for certain. 

Two Texas school districts—McAllen and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City—have announced plans to move the novel out of middle school libraries, in compliance with Senate Bill 13. New Braunfels’ district has gone further, restricting the title to advanced literature students alone. 

Yet proponents of the bill, which also gives parents and districts greater control over library catalogs, argue that works like “Jane Eyre” were never the true targets. 

Abigail Gordy, a mother who relocated her family from Schertz, Texas, to San Antonio because of the bans, explains: “There’s nothing in there that’s too dark for an intermediate child to read. They see far worse online,” and she adds, “Restricting children’s access to books makes people closed‑minded.” 

Ms. Newby calls it a “perfect transition novel,” teaching resilience, empathy, and the power of speaking truth to authority. 

China embraces Jane Eyre – and Mr. Rochester

A Beijing secondary school is the logical place to expect no connection to Thornfield Hall, the Gothic estate of Mr. Rochester, Jane’s love interest. Yet the novel has long been celebrated in China as an independent heroine who rejects materialism and demonstrates dignity in being “poor, obscure, plain and little.” 

Her story has taught generations of young readers “to love themselves and other people around them.” “It’s very good for teenagers to read — just as much for adults,” says Zhao Dongqing, a mother and physician in Beijing. 

For Ethan Huang, a ninth‑grade student who recently finished the novel, the childhood scenes resonated most deeply — especially when young Jane stood up to her principal. “This made me think,” he said, standing outside a large bookstore in Beijing’s Xidan neighborhood. “I can take the initiative. When a teacher says something wrong, I will point it out.” 

And nowadays, Chinese authorities see another potential advantage in teaching “Jane Eyre”: promoting romantic love. 

Faced with an aging population, the government has introduced incentives for raising families, from childcare subsidies to “photo‑friendly” marriage registration offices. Beijing Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party’s Beijing branch, notes that “Jane Eyre” can help counteract the “mixed bag of love stories” that young people encounter online and in pop culture — stories that often fixate on a lover’s looks and wealth. Famously, Jane marries Mr. Rochester after losing her fortune, sight, and left hand to fire. “Jane Eyre believes love should be founded on spiritual equality,” the paper observes. 

Nevertheless, teachers in China and beyond face challenges selling this narrative to younger generations. “How students respond to Rochester has changed quite a lot,” says Ms. Newby. “Young girls are much less romantic about him than I once was.” 

Deepen your worldview
with Monitor Highlights.

Politics with respect
Get political stories with respectful analysis.

There‘s a world of new ideas in every
Books newsletter.

There‘s more to life, enrich yours with
Culture & Learning weekly.

Follow humanity‘s discoveries with
Science & Nature stories in your inbox.

Gain a spiritual perspective
from the stories in your inbox.

Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?  Login

Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.

The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.

Source link