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Gender relations in jane eyre
Jane Eyre and Rochester's relationship
Jane Eyre and Rochester's relationship
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In some respects, Rochester did see her as his equal. For example, in chapter 15, after Jane saved Rochester’s life from the house fire. After rescuing him, Rochester shakes Janes hand and thanks her, which is a sign of submission. Another example of Rochester showing equality to Jane is in chapter 21, when Jane asks to visit Mrs. Reed and Mr. Rochester accepts her request. By letting her make her own decision shows a sense of equality. Unfortunately, just like many other characters in the novel Rochester judged her upon her wealth and gender. Rochester compared Jane to the standers that society held women. He saw her as just a poor woman that needed to be married to a rich man to have a meaningful life. Once Jane saw this view Rochester had
When reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, I find myself cheering for Rochester. After finishing the book, I ask myself why Jane chooses Rochester over St. John. After all, Rochester has a "mad" wife, Bertha Mason, locked in the attic of Thornfield Hall at the same time that he is proposing marriage to Jane. He has a ward living with him, possibly the offspring of an illicit affair with a French dancer. He is arrogant, pushy, and basically ill-tempered. St. John, on the other hand, is well mannered, respected, and has a promising future. To answer my own question, then, it is essential to look at how each man fits the idea of masculinity in Victorian society, at how each man relates to Jane, and at why Bronte creates her two leading men to be such extreme opposites.
Discovering Rochester's insane first wife took its toll of Jane and Rochester's relationship, the romance ending for a time as Jane fled Thornfield. However, Jane's heart never left the house. She often thought of Thornfield and Rochester, thoughts which instantly summoned sadness and tears. Eventually she became determined to return. When she learnt of the raging fire that had engulfed her former home, Jane's heart sank. Later, she discovered Rochester alive but crippled and blind. However, these defects did not deter the affection she had for him. Amidst all the drama and betrayal Jane still kept her feelings for
Bronte uses Jane's own words to demonstrate the negativity surrounding the difference between Jane and Rochester being of different classes and how it affects how Jane believes Rochester will view her. Jane's movement between social classes was something that was a recurring difficulty in Jane's relationships. Jane's disdain for being seen as inferior to Rochester was what initially created the separation between the two. The fact that the difference between their two classes was stark enough to cause her to leave and invite judgment of others seeing their relationship unfold was very interesting. Jane did not seek wealth when it came to marrying Rochester, dissimilar to how Lucy came into marriage with Sir Michael.
Despite Rochester’s stern manner and unhandsome appearance, Jane still finds herself falling in love with him. During her first encounter with Rochester Jane describes him
This brought into question Jane’s grand need for independence. Jane’s equality in a relationship is derived from her desire for independence. Jane reveals her need for independence in her relationship with Mr. Rochester when she told him she would always call him master but she would not be inferior to him. Haiyan Gao asserts in her article “Reflection On feminism in Jane Eyre,” “Jane loves Rochester with all her heart and Rochester’s status and wealth make him so high above for Jane to approach, yet she never feels herself inferior to Rochester though she is a humble family teacher.” It is also notable that Jane does not pursue a relationship with Mr. Rochester with the intention of gaining money.
...ws us although he was mean to her at first, he did not hate her, and tried his best to save her. These actions make him less and less like a Byronic Hero. One could argue these kinds of actions done by Rochester makes him more attractive. As well as that, this shows the amount of love and care that Rochester gives to Jane, as he tries to be courageous and humble for her.
Charlotte Brontë composed her novel Jane Eyre during the Victorian era; a period of history where Patriarchy set the expectations of men and women. The effect of this social system resulted in women suffering discrimination simply because of their gender. Sigmund Freud, in his essay entitled, “The Relation of the Poet to Day-Dreaming,” articulated that women were only capable of having erotic wishes dominate their “phantasies,” and even their ambitious “phantasies” were rooted in erotic wishes (177). The predominating thought concerning women during this era was that, due to their nature, longed to marry—tending to the needs of her household. Those who were not fortunate enough to marry (due to appearance or social status) were to become governesses. Ms. Brontë, through her protagonist Jane Eyre, clearly depicts the struggles of an indigent young woman who is forced into near slavery. This tale is articulated well by Adrienne Rich in her essay entitled, “Jane Eyre: The Temptations of a Motherless Woman,” when she states that Jane wants to “choose her life with dignity, integrity, and pride” (471). Even though Charlotte Brontë depicts a woman who will not be bound by the mores of her society, she is not so exuberant as to have her protagonist proclaim “I am woman, hear me roar.” The toning down of Jane’s demeanor can be attributed to satisfaction of the critics, but Brontë also expresses that the societal expectations, or the patriarchal rights of men, produced a similar negative effect on men. From John Reed and his self-righteous attitude, to Rochester’s internal battle in regards to the treatment of women, Charlotte Brontë demonstrates that sexism—inherent in a patriarchal society—has an adverse affect on both men and women.
Jane continually advocates for herself throughout her narration. She pushes aside her ache for Mr. Rochester's affection in order to maintain her values. She does not let passion interfere with reason, arguing that if she broke her values, "What would they be worth?" a. The number of a. Jane "plants her foot" at the thought of leaving with Mr. Rochester, leaving him to travel to the unknown.
Jane is much more lenient with herself than she is with Mrs. Reed and her cousins. This due to the way in which they treat her compared to the way they are treated as well as the way other people treat her in comparison to how they treat her cousins and Mrs. Reed. At Gateshead, she is treated terribly by everyone around her, while she simply struggles to just stay under the radar. The reason for her bad treatment is a combination of two reasons. The first is that the family, being raised by Mrs. Reed their whole lives, have grown to be selfish, evil people who have little remorse for anyone but themselves. The second reason is that she is only a part of the family through marriage, and because her parents are dead and cannot stick up for her,
cannot be the business of a woman's life, and it ought not to be. The more
In 1847, Charlotte Bronte, although a woman, published her semi autobiographical Jane Eyre. She wrote her novels in Thornton, Yorkshire, England. This novel later became a classic literature novel. ( Bronte) She wrote in the 1800’s and her novel reflects the time period, which she wrote in with the various techniques and themes. In the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte uses literary devices such as, imagery and themes like religion and feminism to demonstrate the time period in which she wrote.
When attempting to marry Jane, it causes Mr. Rochester to have to expose the hidden Mrs. Rochester, but the result is a broken character. “If you think so, you must have a strange opinion of me, you must regard me as a plotting profligate- a base and low rake who has been simulating disinterested love in order to draw you into a snare deliberately laid and strip you of honor and rod you of self-respect.” In this quote, Mr. Rochester floods out what may be reeling through poor Jane’s mind, but really one can interpret it as Mr. Rochester truly exposing the evil within. Secrets do not set anyone free; it only causes a lot of trouble when exposed.
The article Preface to "What Policies Would Promote Social Justice for Women?" written in 2010 states same idea related to the work Jane Eyre about gender equality. Despite the theoretical relevance of sexual inequality and Jane Eyre the feminist literature signifying the importance of gender issues that needs to change relations on social position. Also, these analyses the impact of changing issues now a days. It is quite surprising that the same issue is continuing over the centuries. The author of the article Preface to "What Policies Would Promote Social Justice for Women?" mentions gender inequality in business, politics, education, and other areas has been closely studied. “Gender discrimination is not limited to the business world. There
Rochester, it is clear that in the beginnings he uses his gender and money against her. He has the power over her and he is her employer, but he can turn his friendly attitude whenever it benefits him. This is a key example of how Bronte displays class inequality in Jane Eyre. When Mr. Rochester has Blanche and company over, the way they treat Jane is indicative of the way they would treat anyone of a lower class. When Blanche talks about Jane as if she weren't in the room saying, [insert quote about her being a GOVERNESS and maybe connect to governesses being nasty] She asserts her power over Jane. This tactic of using wealth to make another person feel small or unwelcome is seen in the moment when Mr. Rochester argues that Jane cannot leave him to go see Mrs Reed at her death. This is one of the moments in the book where the class power imbalance is evident, but Jane’s character rejects this and continues to go her own way. This is a reaction that would have been unique to Jane in this time, because it was the British tradition to maintain a “stiff upper lip” and never show your emotions, or become emotional in standing up for yourself. The last example of class inequality is when Mrs. Fairfax considers herself above all of the other staff at Thornfield. Although Mrs. Fairfax is a member of the household staff also, she considers herself above the others, and even says “[insert quote from mrs fairfax about not associating with those other
Women, in all classes, were still living in a world which was misogynistic and male-dominated. Their purpose in life was to produce male heirs and maintain the home by hiring and overseeing servants. It was also taboo for one to marry significantly below one’s social class. This is one reason that Jane is not a conventional heroine for the society of her time. Although, as a governess, she is not considered to be as low as a housemaid, she is still part of the hired help in the house. This is why it is unconventional for her and Mr Rochester to be in a relationship. Yet this is not as peculiar as how Jane Eyre ends their relationship due to her sense of betrayal. It would have been considered extremely foolish for a working-woman’s sense of betrayal to end and turn down a man of great wealth.