As Holy Eyes sang, "Being God's Child is Higher than Everything"

Chapter seven of Charlotte Bronte's, Jane Eyre, focuses on how all the school girls should act as one, meaning that everybody lives equally, having no more, or no less, than the girl beside her.  This includes learning how to deal with temptation and learning how to live with as little as they need to.  The passage that best describes this theme is when Mr. Brocklehurst says, "I wish these children to be children of Grace." While the phrase is short in length, it is wide in context; it is the umbrella that covers all Mr. Brocklehurst's intentions and purposes of the girls. 

For example, when Agnes and Catherine Johnstone were invited for tea by some friends, they were each given a clean tucker. By the rules of the school, though, the girls are only allotted one. Mr. Brocklehurst responds by saying that Ms. Temple, the teacher, should "not let [these] circumstances occur to often." If these circumstances occurred more often, then the students would expect more, which is what Mr. Brocklehurst is most afraid of.

The scene worsens when Mr. Brocklehurst uncovers that the students have been given extra meals. He follows what he uncovers with a long paragraph explaining his "children [as] children of Grace". Summing up his lengthy speech, it strongly focuses on how the students should not become "[accustomed to] habits of luxury and indulgence" because they need to be "patient [and] self denying". The students should also follow God and only God. Mr. Brocklehurst says that "If ye suffer hunger or thirst for My sake, happy are ye." This means that they are better off being hungry or thirsty, than having what they need. 

Towards the end of the chapter, Julia Severn has curly hair, which clearly sets her apart from the rest of her classmates. Mr. Brocklehurst is unhappy with it, even though her curly hair is natural, so he explicitly states that all the girls should get haircuts.

Charlotte Bronte presents the theme throughout the whole passage by the use of examples and Mr. Brocklehurst's extreme reactions; however, the theme is tied all together with the phrase mentioned earlier: "I wish these children to be children of Grace." One thing that should be noted is that Mr. Brocklehurst uses the word "children" and the word "Grace", which, to the minds of the girls, may sound more appealing to get them to conform to his way(s). 


As Holy Eyes sang, "Being God's child is higher than everything". It is as if these song lyrics were taken right out of the mouth of Mr. Brocklehurst (Or maybe he secretly composed this song name under an alias!).