The struggle between good and evil is a primary subject in art and literature, and the conception of evil that is adopted by the artist determines the way that struggle is depicted. Novelists Charlotte Brontd in Jane Eyre and Charles Dickens in Hard Times show different conceptions of evil, conceptions that shape the way they portray their characters and the struggle of those characters with their own personal battle with good and evil. Evil for Brontd is a palpable entity in the world, deriving from a metaphysical and psychological framework and thus with a strong religious underpinning that infuses not only the acts of human beings but the very landscape within which they interact. That view of evil is not found in Dickens, where evil is rather a more truly human product. For Dickens, evil is to be found in the destructive institutions of society and in class conflict and the self-interest that colors social relations. Thus, while Brontd would see evil as something human beings must accommodate in their thinking and guard against in their behavior, Dickens sees evil as correctable by changing the nature of society and by eliminating ignorance. In each novel, the conception of evil held by the author is expressed through the experience of the protagonist, and both novelists emphasize that ideas about good and evil begin in childhood.
In Jane Eyre, the character of Jane delves into the idea of love, the meaning of love, and the ability of the individual to find love and to be worthy of it once found. Love is a counter to and refuge from the evils of the world, and for Jane it is indeed a goal that stands in direct opposition to the evil she has experienced in her young life. Her relationships with Edward Rochester and with St. John Rivers illuminate the nature of love and the nature of evil as seen by this young girl. The two relationships represent different responses to the need for love and hence different kinds of lov...