What China sees in Jane Eyre, which is now required reading for ninth graders
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Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is widely celebrated in China for its themes of independence and equality between women and men.
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
Yan Zhuang and Li You
- China now requires ninth graders to read Jane Eyre, highlighting its themes of independence and equality, aligning with government values on women's roles and family.
- The novel's portrayal of an independent woman who ultimately marries and has children fits China's encouragement of marriage and childbearing amid population decline.
- Despite government control, readers find diverse meanings in Jane Eyre, especially her refusal to compromise values, showing women's strength and choice within societal limits.
AI generated
Nearly two centuries after Jane Eyre first defied the conventions of Victorian England, China is requiring a new generation of teenagers to read her story.
The British classic by Charlotte Bronte has long been popular in China and was already recommended reading for schoolchildren. But in 2026, ninth-grade students across the country will be required to read the novel in full, according to Chinese state media. One report in an official newspaper held it up as an anti-materialistic love story that young people could learn from.