Lorde’s analysis could not be better more explained than through Jane Eyre. According to Lorde, “the transformation of silence into language and action is an act of self-revelation.” (42) Through the act of speaking, we become vulnerable to others because we speak out our inner thoughts. Although we may fear when our ideas are made public, we must with every attempt reveal and speak the truths for which we can then “bridge our differences” (41). Through the first twelve chapters, we see Jane’s actions transition from silence to action. Jane has lived  most of her life oppressed under the household of Mrs. Reed. She is physically and emotionally berated by practically everyone especially by her cousin, John. A young child should be nurtured by her loved ones. Instead, she is given no intimate parental love and feels more like a burden and an outsider. Although she may reply back to her aunt with a few cheeky remarks, most of the time, Jane is silent. She knows that if she were to defend her stance, she would be the only one to face punishment.

Even when she left the Reed household, she still encountered people that judged her character while treating her unfairly. Master of the Lowood charity school, Mr. Brocklehurst, did not think twice but fully trusted Mrs. Reed when she told him that Jane likes to lie. Trusting every word of the accusation, he announced it to the entire school that Jane is a liar. It was that moment that Jane began to resist. Jane was no longer silent. She refused to be accused of something that she is not. Thus, Jane refuted the accusation and was eventually able to prove her innocence.

Her friend at Lowood, Helen Burns can also be an example of Jane’s resistance towards Helen’s ideology of cruel behavior. Helen Burns submits to to the harsh behavior from one of the teachers. Jane is bewildered to see that Helen accepts the punishment and stays silent. Jane questions why Helen endures the cruelty. After Helen explains her reasoning, Jane says, “And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resist her.” (101) “I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly.” (105) Through the first few chapters, we can clearly see that Jane is assertive and strong willed. She shows no tolerance for cruel behavior, and would choose to speak up then to submit to silence especially when she is treated unfairly.