Jane Eyre as an Independent Woman

Jane Eyre as an Independent Woman

Jane Eyre was probably the most shocking and controversial novel of

it’s time. Not only was it almost unheard of for a readable novel to

be written by a woman, but the views and opinions expressed by the

character of Jane Eyre were unthinkable and before their time.

In the eighteenth century, when Queen Victoria was at the height of

her reigning day, People were far more reserved that the people of

today. People were much more prudish and kept themselves to

themselves. Life, in general, was very class orientated with the

aristocrats of the day dominating the social status whilst the poor

were ostracized. Therefore, moving to a higher class was near

impossible. Society was very much male dominated. Women were expected

to obey a man’s commands and were treated inferior to their male

superior. Therefore, a novel written by a woman was never read, since

it was deemed unworthy to be read by the literature critics all of

which were male. Consequently, Charlotte Bronte published under the

name Currer bell- a man’s name.

We first see Jane’s Independence at Gateshead; she was “excluded from

privileges intended for happy content little children” she was

isolated from family activities and this may explain why she was so

autonomous, standing up to her elders and the superiority of the young

Master John Reed. During a “moment’s mutiny” she attack’s him in a

“picture of Passion”. This would have been severely frowned upon since

it was unheard of for a lady not to know her place and not to strike

he benefactress’ son. She documents John Reed as being “A murder…a

slave driver…like the roman emperors” At this period of time, in which

children should be seen and not heard; young lad...

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...sing that she truly could not live without Mr. Rochester she goes

in search of him and finds Thornfield “burnt to a cinder” and the

residence residing at Fern dean manor

For the period of time this book was written, Jane’s thoughts and

actions defied the norm for women of the day. Her independence outruns

all expectations for women at this period of time, and is probably on

par with ladies of today, and rebels against stereotypical images of

women that have been present since the bible, such as men being the

stronger sex and women needing a man to succeed in life. Although

these trivial things are widely accepted as being untrue nowadays in

the nineteenth century it was though to be true and many people then

saw this novel as shocking and controversial. Therefore I can conclude

that Jane was an independent woman of her time and probably ours as

well.