In her preface to Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë takes a strong stance against religious hypocrisy, preempting the possible objection that Jane and Edward Rochester’s love goes against Victorian morality. Brontë points out that “Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion” (6), arguing that “self-righteous” people often use their adherence to “convention” to mask their lack of actual goodness or moral character. In the novel, Brontë exposes the fallacies, inadequacies, and outright lies of various religious philosophies, encouraging the reader to consider the moral complexity of any given situation rather than dealing in absolutes.

The novel presents numerous examples of “self-righteous,” hypocritical religious figures. Mrs. Reed is Jane’s first introduction to hypocrisy, given the contrast between her unjust abuse of Jane, whom Mrs. Reed purposely degrades despite deathbed promises to her husband, and Mrs. Reed’s elevated self-image as Jane’s charitable benefactress. This hypocrisy is poignantly revealed when Mrs. Reed warns Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane has “a tendency to deceit” (78). Mrs. Reed’s accusation infuriates Jane because her benefactress often punishes her not for lying, but for telling the unpleasant truth. Jane remains an outspoken truth-teller even at the risk of permanently severing all ties to the Reeds, yelling at Mrs.