Essay on A Woman's World in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Women in the Victorian era were supposed to be passive, pure, and idle; were not to be well educated; and were expected to marry.  Throughout Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre learns the realities of these social expectations and directly and indirectly speaks against them.

Charlotte Bronte created one of the first feminist novels--Jane Eyre--of her time period when she created the unique and feminist female heroine, Jane Eyre. Throughout the novel, Jane becomes stronger as she speaks out against antagonists. She presses to find happiness whether she is single or married and disregards society’s rules. The novel begins as Jane is a small, orphan child living with her aunt and cousins due to the death of her parents and her uncle. Jane 's aunt--Mrs. Reed--degrades her as she favors her biological children. Jane 's aunt--Mrs. Reed--degrades her as she favors her biological children. Her cousin--John Reed--hits her and then Mrs. Reed chooses to punish her instead and sends her to the room in which her uncle

Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre embraces many feminist views in opposition to the Victorian feminine ideal. Charlotte Bronte herself was among the first feminist writers of her time, and wrote this book in order to send the message of feminism to a Victorian-Age Society in which women were looked upon as inferior and repressed by the society in which they lived. This novel embodies the ideology of equality between a man and woman in marriage, as well as in society at large. As a feminist writer, Charlotte Bronte created this novel to support and spread the idea of an independent woman who works for herself, thinks for herself, and acts of her own accord.

The nineteenth century Victorian era woman needed wealth or position to avoid a life of drudgery.  Women were viewed as trophies or possessions men owned.  They were not permitted to develop nor expected to, and even venturing out on their own was considered inappropriate.  During the era in which Jane Eyre was published the home and family were seen as the basic unit of stability in society.  At the middle of this foundation stood a wife and mother representing the sum total of all morality - a Madonna-like image.  This image was reinforced by social institutions such as mainstream religious and political beliefs.  Women were steered away from independence, confidence, and

Charlotte Bronte wasn’t a normal Victorian woman. She took time out of what she was supposed to be doing: work around the house, making food, and washing clothes. Instead she did something she wasn’t supposed to be doing, writing. Charlotte wanted to try to speak for other Victorian women who couldn’t or wouldn’t do what she did.

To start, Charlotte Bronte experienced many hardships from a young age, and rather than letting them hinder her, she grew from them. Bronte experienced loss at a young age, losing her mother and two of her sisters, and she illustrated almost the exact same loss through Jane and Helen at Lowood (Bock). She effectively portrays her life’s setbacks through her works in which we can see many of her misfortunes paraphrased into Jane’s own. In Jane Eyre, Jane was sent to the school, Lowood, where they believe in “plain fare, simple attire, unsophisticated accommodations, (and) hardy and active habits” to teach young girls how to conform to society’s views (Bronte 42). Charlotte Bronte herself was sent to Cowan Bridge to learn how to present herself in any situation a lady may come to, and the school basically taught women how to become governesses and teachers because that’s all they could be, much like in the book (Bock). Bronte went through tough times in her life, but readers know how well she used those tough times to influence her work and end up finding a will to live through her writing. For example, in “The Wife’s Will” when the wife is talking about her hard times, making her cry, she states how the tears never lasted that long with the help of her husband (Bronte). This can be taken as a poem Bronte wrote

In the novel Jane Eyre (1847), Charlotte Bronte creates a character, Jane Eyre as a protagonist to narrate her life in Northern England during the nineteenth century. Bronte is able to interpret Eyre’s experiences through the use of harsh imagery throughout the novel. Bronte’s purpose is to show the development of Eyre’s character and her discovery of love in order to describe how a person can come from nothing yet still have self respect and principles. Although there are many adversaries in Eyre’s life, her financial circumstances are what sets herself from everybody else in the novel.

Although feminism was not a prevalent idea during the time that Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre, Bronte still valued feminist ideas and displayed them as a primary theme throughout the novel through the characterization of Jane. Through Bronte’s repetition of the contrast between the rights and treatment of the different sexes in this passage, it become evident to the reader that Bronte intends to educate the reader on her opinions on feminist ideals. During this passage, Jane gazes out her window in her room at Thornfield. In this passage, Jane reflects on her mundane and routine life, and contemplates what she would encounter if she could venture beyond the rolling hills she observes.

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is presented in the Victorian Period of England. It is a novel which tells the story of a child's maturation into adulthood. Jane's developing personality has been shaped by her rough childhood. She has been influenced by many people and experiences. As a woman of her time, Jane has had to deal with the strain of physical appearance. This has a great effect on her mental thinking and decision making. Jane Eyre's cognitive and physical attributes have been affected by her environment throughout her life.

Bronte’s Jane Eyre gave a voice to women in the Victorian era. Bronte embedded her feminist ideas into her novel, Jane Eyre. Her belief in marrying for love was a head of her time. Bronte used Jane to explore the depth at which women could act in society. Her ideas on women being more educated brought on thoughts of equality of a different level.

Charlotte Bronte, born in 1816 at Thornton, Yorkshire, England, is an English writer who is one of three sisters, who are also famous for their writings. Bronte wrote Jane Eyre based on her own life experiences, which is why the novel is subtitled “An Autobiography”. Much of the romantic appeal in Jane Eyre comes from Bronte’s own personal history. Many critics argue that the novel is simply a reflection of Bronte’s life. Furthermore, there are several ways in which, Bronte’s life is similar to the life of Jane and the events that take place in the novel.

Jane Eyre, a novel by Charlotte Brontë, contains several notable themes and messages sent to its readers. Jane Eyre is a coming of age novel that is a story of a girl's quest for equality and happiness. A common theme that recurs throughout the novel is the importance of independence.Charlotte Brontë utilizes several techniques to convey this message, incorporating her personal experiences, as well as including symbolism and motifs. Charlotte Bronte subjects Jane to several conflicts that occur because of Jane’s desire for independence and freedom, such as love, religion, and gender inequality.

Jane Eyre was written in a time where the Bildungsroman was a common form of literature. The importance was that the mid-nineteenth century was, "the age in which women were, for the first time, ranked equally with men as writers within a major genre" (Sussman 1). In many of these novels, the themes were the same; the protagonist dealt with the same issues, "search for autonomy and selfhood in opposition to the social constraints placed upon the female, including the demand for marriage" (Sussman). Jane Eyre fits this mould perfectly. Throughout the novel, the reader follows Jane Eyre on a journey of development from adolescence to maturity to show that a desire for freedom and change motivates people to search for their own identity.

Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre in 1847 during Britain’s Victorian era, a time when the societal culture was patriarchal, meaning men were considered to be superior to women in all parts of life. In general society was guided by etiquette and considered prudish, hypocritical, single minded, and arrogant. The culture of this era was defined predominantly by two main characteristics. First by the rigid caste structure, which prevented most from advancing beyond the station held by their families. Second, the extreme polarization of gender roles, especially in the upper classes. Men were expected to be honorable, enterprising, intelligent, loyal, and morally strong. However, women were expected to be chaste and in the constant company of a chaperone

A feminist is a person whose beliefs and behavior are based on feminism (belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes). Jane Eyre is clearly a critique of assumptions about both gender and social class. It contains a strong feminist stance; it speaks to deep, timeless human urges and fears, using the principles of literature to chart the mind?s recesses. Thus, Jane Eyre is an epitome of femininity - a young independent individual steadfast in her morals and has strong Christian virtues, dominant, assertive and principled. That itself is no small feat.