Jane Eyre is my favorite novel, so it's a pleasure to help you write about it in your essay. I normally tell students to try and avoid generic phrases using the word "society" because it can seem very vague and generic. The way to try and use more exacting language is to ask yourself what you mean when you refer to "society" and its expectations. Do you mean a specific culture at a specific time and place? Are you referring to the different socioeconomic groups that make up society and how social expectations differ among classes? Certainly the issue of class is an important one in Jane Eyre, since Jane's early years are directly affected by her relatives' decision to more or less disown her after the death of her parents. Instead of giving a comfortable life as a ward who is provided for, she is abandoned to an orphanage and a life of hardship. This affords her many lessons at an early age. Children who experience cruelty and hardship while young miss out on the joy and carefree enjoyment of childhood, and Jane's childhood at the orphanage was not a happy one.
The first example of a loss of innocence that affects Jane is the death of her friend Helen in the orphanage. Helen has tuberculosis which worsens over time, and the poor living conditions of the orphanage make it impossible for her to get better. Helen is Jane's only friend, and this loss is a major event in forming Jane's character; she learns to be extremely self-reliant and independent, and is wary of trusting others or asking for help when she needs it. This loss of innocence at an early age, i.e. the realization that she cannot rely on others to do the right thing, makes her somewhat cynical but also instills a deep sense of integrity that is tempered by her honesty and compassion.
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