Did Charlotte Bronte transform the ancient tale of 'Cupid and Psyche' into one of literature's most enduring novels? In this compelling study, Elizabeth Imlay argues that 'Jane Eyre' is a bold reworking of fairy-tales dating back to the tragic myth, recast through the consciousness of a 19th-century woman seeking passionate love. By tracing Jane's symbolic journey through earth, air, fire, and water-body, spirit, passion, and reason-Imlay reveals how Bronte reshapes the story through a feminist lens, redefining love as a unity of the spiritual and the physical, making 'air' a female element.