“Give me my name”: naming and identity in and around Jane Eyre

The article discusses the importance of names, naming and identity in connection with Jane Eyre. A focus on the framing provided by the title page is the basis for insights into the importance ‘names and naming’ has for our interpretation of the novel, leading to discussion of how these elements are innovatively handled in a mid-nineteenth-century context. Such an apprehension of what a name is (or is perceived to be) becomes key to our understanding of Jane’s and the novel’s sense of self and identity.