Feminism In Jane Eyre

1866 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Female characters in jane eyre

Jane Eyre is a novel that explores the Victorian theme of the emergence of feminism. The Victorian Era is distinguished in history as a time when men and women started to become equal; when women started to question their place in society. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’s hero in Jane Eyre, embodied the ideas of a feminist, rather, the ideas that Charlotte believed which were portrayed through Jane. Throughout Jane Eyre, Jane is continuously on a search to love, be loved, and find acceptance. The opening of the novel, we see Jane as a helpless young girl living as a dependent. She is abused by her dense cousin, John Reed, until her wicked Aunt, Mrs. Reed, sends her away to Lowood. Living with the Reed family sets Jane up for a life of inner turmoil as from a young age no one would love her or accept her.
It is common knowledge that everyone wants to fit in, everyone wants to belong, everyone wants to be accepted. Being put into schools, being told to make friends, trying to be popular in your neighborhood or at your workplace; being accepted is something every human craves for. An individual may even change their beliefs and conform to the “norm” just for the sake of fitting in. When Jane was cast away by her extend family because she would not conform to their ideas. She was not this little girl with a sweet disposition; she was a quiet orphan, dependent of her aunt, with her nose always in a book. Her thoughts were left to wonder; were left to question everything in silence. That silent questioning stayed with her as she grew older. Jane held feminist views wanting to claim her autonomy, never wanting to be a dependent as she was when living with the Reeds.
After Jane’s uncle, John Reed, passed away it was Mrs. Reed’s responsibili...

... middle of paper ...

...make her independent so she would not have to depend on a man. Jane’s eternal desire for independence can be traced back to when she was living at Gateshead Hall with the Reed family. Jane was anxious to leave her aunt and cousins and the life they were providing her with was cruel and unloving. If Jane is autonomous then she can depend on herself knowing that she can build a comfortable life. When Edward attempts to buy Jane clothes she is disgusted at the idea of having to depend on him for money. She does not want to be his slave, she wants to be his equal.
Mr. Rochester took in Adèle, a young French girl who is the daughter of one of Rochester’s former mistresses. Adèle is Rochester’s dependent just how Jane was to her aunt; however, Adèle’s upbringing shows materialistic characteristics along with sensuality, two things Jane’s English education taught against.

Show More
Related

  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bornte

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    From an early age Jane is aware she is at a disadvantage, yet she learns how to break free from her entrapment by following her heart. Jane appears as not only the main character in the text, but also a female narrator. Being a female narrator suggests a strong independent woman, but Jane does not seem quite that.

    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

  • Cruelty In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane Eyre is born into a world where she is left bereft of the love of parents, family, or friends, but instead surrounded by hateful relatives. She resolves to attend school to begin her quest for independence. This theme is seen through Jane’s behavior when she renounces her relation to her aunt Mrs. Reed, ignoring the nurse’s orders and leaving her room to see Helen again, and when she acquires the courage to speak her opinion to Mr. Rochester.

    Read More

  • Shaping Of Jane Eyre Essay

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...eople in her life has also shaped her to feel extreme tension for the characters around her. Although it’s very fortunate that an orphan like Jane her self is able to achieve wealth and power without having education or social motivation , Jane also has manners and shows sophistication while remaining penniless and powerless.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte uses Jane Eyre as her base to find out how a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with her responsibilities. . Mistreated abused and deprived of a normal childhood, Jane Eyre creates an enemy early in her childhood with her Aunt Mrs. Reed. Just as Mrs. Reeds life is coming to an end, she writes to Jane asking her for forgiveness, and one last visit from her.

    Read More

  • The Challenges Faced In Jane E

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, has a plot that is filled with an extraordinary amount of problems. Or so it seems as you are reading it. However, it comes to your attention after you have finished it, that there is a common thread running throughout the book. There are many little difficulties that the main character, the indomitable Jane Eyre, must deal with, but once you reach the end of the book you begin to realize that all of Jane's problems are based around one thing. Jane searches throughout the book for love and acceptance, and is forced to endure many hardships before finding them. First, she must cope with the betrayal of the people who are supposed to be her family - her aunt, Mrs. Reed, and her children, Eliza, Georgiana, and John. Then there is the issue of Jane's time at Lowood School, and how Jane goes out on her own after her best friend leaves. She takes a position at Thornfield Hall as a tutor, and makes some new friendships and even a romance. Yet her newfound happiness is taken away from her and she once again must start over. Then finally, after enduring so much, during the course of the book, Jane finally finds a true family and love, in rather unexpected places.

    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's Development With Characterization

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    Two major men teach Jane to appreciate the complexities of her emotions and passions for life: Mr. Rochester and St. John. Both are antithesis of each other but both help Jane blossom into a woman with morals and ideals. With Mr. Rochester, she thrives in Thornfield’s environment where she does not need to suppress her passion and responds naturally to Rochester’s strong fervor. Because she did not receive proper moral schooling as a child, she did not know how to control her emotions. This problem is solved when Rochester fully exploits Jane’s weakness to his advantage by constantly making her feel jealous and inferior. It is not until Jane realizes Rochester’s sadistic intentions of making her feel jealous does she rebel and develop her independent thinking. “Her nature is passionate, but she also recognizes the dangers of uncontrolled passion…inherently conscious that actions must be tempered by reason” (Napierkowki 164). Because of the heartache and betrayal she experiences with Mr. Rochester, Jane finally recognizes her unrestrained emotions. His constant bombardment and humiliation leads Jane to learn to control her emotions or risk getting harmed. By becoming aware of her faults, she is able to reason her every move and make wise actions. Jane’s aspirations to finding a family of her own with Mr. Rochester overshadow her problem of being easily manipulated through her emotions.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Independence In Jane Eyre

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Family and Masculinity in Jane Eyre

    2584 Words  | 6 Pages

    Jane does not experience a typical family life throughout the novel. Her various living arrangements led her through different households, yet none were a representation of the norm of family life in the nineteenth century. Through research of families in the nineteenth century, it is clear that Jane’s life does not follow with the stereotypical family made up of a patriarchal father and nurturing mother, both whose primary focus was in raising their children. Jane’s life was void of this true family experience so common during the nineteenth century. Yet, Jane is surrounded by men, who in giving an accurate portrayal of fathers and masculinity in the nineteenth century, fulfill on one hand the father role that had never been present in her life, and on the other hand the husband portrait that Jane seeks out throughout the novel.

    Read More

  • Finding the Balance of Love and Freedom in Jane Eyre

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    Similar to many of the great feministic novels of its time, Jane Eyre purely emerges as a story focused on the quest for love. The novel’s protagonist, Jane, searches not only for the romantic side of love, but ultimately for a sense of self-worth and independence. Set in the overlapping times of the Victorian and Gothic periods, the novel touches upon both women’s supposed rights, and their inner struggle for liberty. Orphaned at an early age, Jane was born into a modest lifestyle, without any major parent roles to guide her through life’s obstacles. Instead, she spent much of her adolescent years locked in imaginary chains, serving those around her but never enjoying the many decadences life has to offer. It is not until Jane becomes a governess that many minute privileges become available to her and offer Jane a glance at what life could have been. It is on her quest for redemption and discovery that she truly is liberated. Throughout Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre, the story’s protagonist Jane, struggles to achieve the balance of both autonomy and love, without sacrificing herself in the process.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Research Paper

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    The role of women in the Victorian Era held restrictions to their roles, but women still found a way to change the world around them. Through the harsh treatment that Mrs. Reed had Jane suffer through, it forms Jane's cautious character. Jane adopts a fiery personality as a result of being around the Reeds who treat her as a discord. Mrs. Reed favors John,

    Read More

  • The Themes of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jane not only shows the reader her beliefs on female independence through her actions, but also through her thoughts.  Jane desires to see more of the world and have more interaction with its people.  While she appreciates her simple life at Thornfield, she regrets that she does not have the means to travel.  She relates her feelings to all women, not just those of her class, saying:

    Read More

  • Role of Women in Jane Eyre

    1506 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Feminism In Jane Eyre

Open Document