Challenging Social Boundaries In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

943 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Feminism of jane eyre

Jane Eyre: Challenging social boundaries A woman raised in the 21st century needs quite a bit of imagination to realize that not so long ago she would not have the rights she has today. The freedom of choosing a career, whether she would want to marry or not, or of having children. During the Victorian age women had limited rights. They were considered to belong to the domestic sphere and stereotypically their job was to clean the house, cook dinner, raise children and be obedient to their husband. With ‘Jane Eyre’ Charlotte Brontë questions this position of women in the social hierarchy of Victorian England. From the beginning of the novel the protagonist Jane struggles with her position in society. The ten year old orphan Jane lives with the Reed family in Gateshead Hall as the result of her late uncle Reed’s dying wish. The issue of class consciousness is quickly manifested in the young John Reed’s bullying of Jane; John, being the future head of the family, constantly reminds Jane of her inferior position. She is a dependent, she has no wealth and thus he stands above her as her superior, which in his mind, justifies his maltreatment of Jane. However the young Jane does not accept this treatment, nor John Reed’s superiority over her person, as becomes clear in the following lines;The previous passage also is a clear example of Jane’s strange position in society. She is not part of the elite class as she isn’t blood related to the Reeds, but Jane also is not part of the working class, like the servants, because she does nothing for her keep, placing her in an ambiguous place between classes. Charlotte Brontë uses Mr. Brockleburst to express the unjustness of the way the elite upper classes treats the socially lower class... ... middle of paper ... ...arge fortune she finally feels like she and Mr. Rochester are truly equal, both on intellectual and social aspect. Thus she feels that she can return to him and marry him without fear of having to change herself, or of Mr. Rochester socially degrading himself by marrying her. Also By making Jane a figure of ambiguous social standing and the embodiment of opposition regarding a women’s position in Victorian England, Charlotte Brontë has created a novel which explorers the hierarchy of social classes for women in England during the Victorian age. With Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë shows her readers how women struggle to find their place in an age dominated by men and the elite. Brontë argues that social status does not determine a woman’s worth and competence but rather her virtues, values and determination to work in order to establish a place for herself in society.

Show More
Related

  • Jane Eyre Through Bronte's Eyes

    3631 Words  | 8 Pages

    Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontë, was published in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Company, in London. This year is exactly ten years into Queen Victoria’s sixty-four year reign of the British Empire. The Victorian Era was renowned for its patriarchal Society and definition by class. These two things provide vital background to the novel, as Jane suffers from both. Jane Eyre relates in some ways to Brontë’s own life, as its original title suggest, “Jane Eyre: An Autobiography”. Charlotte Brontë would have suffered from too, as a relatively poor woman. She would have been treated lowly within the community. In fact, the book itself was published under a pseudonym of Currer Bell, the initials taken from Brontë’s own name, due to the fact that a book published by a woman was seen as inferior, as they were deemed intellectually substandard to men. Emily Brontë, Charlotte’s sister, was also forced to publish her most famous novel, Wuthering Heights, under the nom de plume of Ellis Bell, again taking the initials of her name to form her own alias. The novel is a political touchstone to illustrate the period in which it was written, and also acts as a critique of the Victorian patriarchal society.

    Read More

  • Synopsis of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    After the death of Jane’s parents, her uncle Mr. Reed has taken her in with his family to a mansion called Gateshead Hall. Nine years after Jane uncle has past she has been trapped in Gateshead Hall while suffering the bitter treatment of her aunt Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed was resentful of her husband’s favoritism toward Jane and takes every opportunity to neglect and punish her. When Jane is punished by Mrs. Reed she would be sent to the red room by two of Mrs. Reed servants, Bessie and Miss Abbot. The red-room was “a spare chamber, it was one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion” and in this every same chamber is where Jane uncle past (8). Not only did Mrs. Reed treat disrespectfully but her own son, Jane’s older cousin John Reed. John Reed would abuse and punish Jane several times a day, in the words of Jane; “every nerve I had feared him, and every morsel of flesh on my bones shranked when he came near”(4). Everyone would ignore Jane’s plea for help especially Mrs. Reed who would act be blind and deaf on the subject. No one except for Mr. Reed show any love and care for Jane during her childhood in Gateshead Hall. Jane said “I was a discord in Gateshead Hall; I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage” (10). Jane continued by saying that they did not love her not if as little she loved them. Although the family mistreats her, Jane still wished for the atte...

    Read More

  • The Search for Happiness in Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane spends her first 10 years of her life at Gateshead Hall, a lavish mansion. She lived with her Aunt, Mrs Reed, and three cousins, Eliza, Georgina and John. During her time in the mansion she wouldn't dare argue with the mistress, and fulfilled every duty. Jane is deprived of love, joy and acceptance. She is very much unwanted and isolated.

    Read More

  • Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre

    1754 Words  | 4 Pages

    Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre chronicles the growth of her titular character from girlhood to maturity, focusing on her journey from dependence on negative authority figures to both monetary and psychological independence, from confusion to a clear understanding of self, and from inequality to equality with those to whom she was formerly subject. Originally dependent on her Aunt Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Mr. Rochester, she gains independence through her inheritance and teaching positions. Over the course of the novel, she awakens towards self-understanding, resulting in contentment and eventual happiness. She also achieves equality with the important masculine figures in her life, such as St. John Rivers and Mr. Rochester, gaining self-fulfillment as an independent, fully developed equal.

    Read More

  • The Self-confidence of Jane in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the beginning of the novel while Jane is living under her aunt, Mrs. Reed, she is treated disrespectfully and cruelly.  She accuses Jane of being deceitful and a troublesome girl in front of Mr. Brocklehurst, the master of Lowood School.  Jane is so hurt by this accusation that she cannot stop herself from defending her well being, and she stands up to her aunt.  She knows she is being treated disrespectful and has much more self-worth than ...

    Read More

  • Feminism In Jane Eyre

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...inist heroism by refusing to address him as “Master Reed”. Jane admits to being “habitually obedient to John” as conventional society would have (Brontë 13). John stresses his superiority over Jane both physically and verbally: “Now I’ll teach you to rummage in my bookshelves; for they are mine, all of this house belongs to me” (Brontë 14)! Janes inferior position is highlighted when John throws the book at her. Janes reaction solidifies her as a strong willed girl when she declares him “a murderer—[...] like a slave-driver—[...] like the Roman emperors” (Brontë 15)! She attacks him physically and verbally casting herself as a key heroine in her fearless approach. Jane proves herself exceptional for her time by shattering the conventional role of women, silent and submissive, to a voice raged with passionate defiance against the patriarchal society” (Simpson 12).

    Read More

  • The Oppressed Female in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...otypical woman of the Victorian era who courteously and obediently allowed herself to be dominated by males. Through the depictions of the incarcerated female, Brontë speaks on the ills of an unjust society. Brontë's representation of Bertha as a wild, chained, and trapped animal and the symbolic use of fire reflect the difficulties women had in expressing their sexuality in an era in which men dominated and in which women played the role of the obedient, confined, and inferior being.

    Read More

  • Oppression, Suffering, and Poverty of Men in Jane Eyre

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    John Reed becomes greatly oppressed and suffers, due to societies expectations and the Victorian family structure. In the beginning of the book John Reed is portrayed as a young pompous tyrant who has the sense that when he comes of age he will have everything of the Reed fortune. When explaining to Jane her position in the Reed house John says, “…they are mine; all the house belongs to me, or will do in a few years”(Brontë). Because the social and family power structure during the Victorian era maintains that the eldest boy, or in this case the only boy, inherit the families belongings John Reed is led into suffering, poverty, and ultimately death. Without the guidance of a father John Reed is raised as a “‘Wicked and cruel boy...like a murderer…like a slave dr...

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Belonging Essay

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane’s quest to find a sense of belonging follows her from the beginning, to the end of the narrative. Ever since Jane was a child, she was taught that she would never be accepted into society. From the start, she was never considered a member of the Reed family. They belittled her and treated her as if she were a servant, making sure she knew that she was not a part of their family. “They will

    Read More

  • Independence and Love in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    The story begins with a young Jane Eyre who is essentially neither loved by anyone nor independent in nature. At this point in the story, the reader discovers that Jane is an orphan and is being supported by the Reed family. This discovery is made through the portrayal of John Reed when he is taunting Jane about her social status. John claims that since it is his family who supports Jane, it is their choice to dictate the circumstances under which she lives. In this case, Jane is not allowed to play with the younger Reed children or read a book that belongs to the Reeds. The fact that6 Jane is an orphan living under someone else's roof displays that she has not yet gained her independence.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Essay on Social Class

    569 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane is always being reminded that she is poor, and that is not very helpful, she is also always reminded that she is alone and her aunt and her cousins consider her to be of a lower class, due to the fact that she will not inherit any money. Jane thinks that she beneath everyone, even the people who are in the same household, who are all of a low social class, though in reality, she is above all the individuals in the house. Aunt Reed and others just seem to shove these horrible ideas down Jane’s throat, even when they are not true.

    Read More

  • Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre as a Coming of Age Story

    1678 Words  | 4 Pages

    The story begins as Jane lives with the Reed family in their home at Gateshead Hall. Here, the theme of education vs. containment develops immediately, as Jane is kept confined indoors on a cold winter day. The other children (Eliza, John, and Giorgiana) are "clustered round their mamma in the drawing-room" (Bronte: 39) being educated, as Jane had been excluded from the group. Jane tries to educate herself by reading from Berwick's History of British Birds, but once again, she is held back from her attempt at enlightenment by the abuse of John Reed, who castigates her and throws the heavy book at her. In anger, Jane cries out, "You are like a murderer - you are like a slave-driver - you are like the Roman emperors" (Bronte: 43). In this passage, Jane compares John Reed to a slave-driver because, like a slave-driver, he deprives Jane of her attempt at education and keeps her suppressed. Afterwards, Jane is blamed for the entire incident and...

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre?s Self-Discovery

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane makes her journey from Gateshead to Lowood at the age of ten, finally freeing her from her restrictive life with her aunt, who hates her. Jane resented her harsh treatment by her aunt. Mrs. Reed’s attitude towards Jane highlights on of the main themes of the novel, the social class. Jane’s aunt sees Jane as inferior, who is less than a servant. Jane is glad to be leaving her cruel aunt and of having the chance of going to school.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre and Feminism

    1805 Words  | 4 Pages

    Women of the Victorian era were repressed, and had little if any social stature. They had a very few rights and fewer options open to them for self-support. For most women the only way to live decently was to get married, and in many cases it was not up to the women to choose whom she married. It was almost unheard of for a woman to marry out of her social class (Cain 20). If a woman did not marry, the only ways she could make a living other than becoming a servant was either to become a prostitute or a governess. For the most part, a woman was not given the opportunity to go to school and earn a degree unless she was born into a high social class. The average Victorian woman was treated not as a person, but as an object or piece of property. She had very few rights either in society, or marriage (Cain, 25). Bronte, born into a middle class family, refused to be repressed by society. She recognized the injustices of her society, and in rebellion against society’s ideologies involving women, wrote Jane Eyre.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the beginning of the book, Jane was living with her aunt Mrs. Reed and her children. Although Jane is treated cruelly and is abused constantly, she still displays passion and spirit by fighting back at John and finally standing up to Mrs Reed. Even Bessie ‘knew it was always in her’. Mrs. Reed accuses Jane of lying and being a troublesome person when Mr. Brocklehurst of Lowood School visited Gateshead. Jane is hurt, as she knows she was not deceitful so she defends herself as she defended herself to John Reed when he abused her, as she said “Wicked and cruel boy! You are like a murderer – you are like a slave driver – you are like the Roman emperors!” to John Reed instead of staying silent and taking in the abuse, which would damage her self-confidence and self-worth. With the anger she had gotten from being treated cruelly, she was able to gain ...

    Read More

More about Challenging Social Boundaries In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

Open Document