Jane Eyre Repression Of Women

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë communicates the dire repression of women during the 1800s. Women were viewed as trivial beings put on God’s earth to reproduce and please the men in their lives. This view was unchallenged and unavenged by most Europeans. Bronte thought differently than most though and decided to challenge this view of women in this feministic novel. Jane’s uncivilized free and wild thinking expresses rebellion against societal norms for women during the 1800s, and showcases her ability to go against expectations and fight for her own independence. In Jane’s words, “‘I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will”’ (Brontë 356).

Even as a child, Jane was treated with disrespect. Jane’s

But, Rochester has a deep secret he has been keeping from her – that he is already married to another woman. Rochester tells her that he still wants to get married but “the answer [Jane’s] mind gave – Leave Thornfield at Once’—was so prompt, so dread” (418). It was considered normal to give in to what the man wanted in a relationship, in fact in the 1800s and throughout much of the 1900s, women were supposed to please their men like it was their job. But Jane is not like other women, she sees the flaws in her oppressive world and decides to do what she thinks is the best way to precede in this unfortunate circumstance. Jane exclaims that “[she] was experiencing an ordeal… Terrible moment: full of struggle, blackness, burning! Not a human being that ever lived could wish to be loved better than [she] was loved; and him who thus loved [her she] absolutely worshipped: and [she] must renounce love and idol. One drear word comprised [her] intolerable duty—‘Depart!’”. Rochester responds with, “‘Jane, you understand what I want of you? Just this promise—‘I will be yours, Mr. Rochester’”. But Jane stands her ground and renounces him saying, ‘Mr. Rochester, I will not be yours…’”. Rochester becomes angry and exclaims, “‘Oh, Jane, this is bitter! This – this is wicked.’ It would not be wicked to love me’”. Jane’s response is ultimately truthful and feministic: ‘It would to obey you’”

This is coincidentally where her three cousins live and she decides to stay with them for a while. Her male cousin, St. John, is a missionary looking for a wife to take to India and help him with his work. One day, St. John proposes to Jane that they get married (570/571) because he wants her to be his “helpmeet and fellow-labourer” since she is so strong (570). Jane doesn’t know quite what to do. She exclaims that if she does “join St John, [she will] abandon half [herself]; if [she does] go to India, [she will] go to premature death” (574). Jane shortly decides that she does not want to marry him because she would be losing herself and because he does not love her and only sees her as a “solider (574)”, a “good weapon” (574), and “a useful tool” (590). Jane asserts herself immensely in this scene with St. John. In Jane’s free thinking she decides that she is the master of her own fate and does not want to let St. John dictate her future. She makes her own decisions, and Jane decides to stay true to herself and not just marry a man out of utility, but wants to wait for love to come along with