Themes- Appearance

"...if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that."

"Not a great deal, to be sure," agreed Bessie: "at any rate a beauty like Miss Georgiana would be more moving in the same condition."

"Yes, I doat on Miss Georgiana!" cried the fervent Abbot. "Little darling! – with her long curls and her blue eyes, and such a sweet colour as she has; just as if she were painted!"

Not being able to care for a child because of how they look is disgusting. Saying that it would be easier to care for a child who is pretty is horrible. Jane Eyre is known for her plain looks rather than beauty, and in this quote we see the unfair and unfortunate consequences of her plain looks. It is sad, but true, Jane does not get treated good by her Aunt or cousins or the servants. Appearance is a big theme in this novel, whether it be in good favor or not. 

 ""...I sometimes regretted that I was not handsomer: I sometimes wished to have rosy cheeks, a straight nose, and small cherry mouth; I desired to be tall, stately and finely developed in figure; I felt it a misfortune that I was so little, so pale, and had features so irregular and so marked. And why had I these aspirations and these regrets? It would be difficult to say: I could not then distinctly say it to myself; yet I had a reason, and a logical, natural reason too"(100). 

Jane wishes she was prettier, as does every other girl in America, but why? Jane couldn't even tell herself why she wishes she looks different, or so she claims. It is very obvious she wishes these things so she can appear to be on the same level as Rochester. Jane already feels like she should have more money to be with Rochester. Jane probably feels like it would be easier for Rochester to love her if she was prettier and a "classic beauty" because of how she was treated as a child as shown in the first quote.