Analysis Of Realistic Characters By Elizabeth Gaskell

Authors in many instances use the main elements in the story such as setting and narrative to prove a point in the story. For example, writers often use characters, their actions, and their interaction with other characters to support or prove a theme. In the short story “Our Thirteenth Summer”, Barry Callaghan effectively uses characters to develop the theme that childhood is fragile and easily influenced. One of the ways that Callaghan makes effective use of characters to develop the theme is by describing the tension between Bobbie and his parents. This usage of characters supports the theme because Bobbie’s childhood is no longer free to do what he wishes, but has to bow down to his parents’

Our actions and interactions with others and society are what define us. Society’s perception of an individual may contrast with that individual’s perception of self. Our actions and interactions with others create certain stigmas which may not change despite progression and change an individual has undergone. But however at the end of the day we are our own creators and we chose who we interact with.

Throughout the course of history, social hierarchies have existed across the globe, spanning from prince to pauper or business tycoon to lowly scrivener. Authors, in turn, have written works regarding social class, often examining the negative effects of societal structure on personal growth. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre takes place in Victorian England, in the age of industry and genesis of industrial capitalism. The novel’s protagonist, Jane, first lives a life of neglect, then a life in poverty, and eventually finds her happy ending. Through Jane’s personal experiences and interactions with fellow characters, Brontë analyzes the effects of social class. Professor Chris Vanden Bossche’s article analysis “What Did ‘Jane Eyre’ Do? Ideology, Agency, Class and the Novel” examines social inclusion and monetary pressures placed on the central characters during this pivotal era of English history. Through the Marxist lens, Jane Eyre can be understood in terms of complexity and character motives. Vanden Bossche effectively argues that external forces, like money and people, both motivate and repress Jane into choosing her own path. Thus, a more developed explanation is made for Jane’s various behaviors regarding social inclusion and societal rebellion.

In the opening scene of ‘An Inspector Calls’ Gerald Croft is described as “an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred man-about-town.” This suggests Gerald is a sophisticated, respectable, well-mannered, attractive young man and has came from an aristocratic background, this is also demonstrated by his parents Lord and Lady Croft choosing to not attend the celebration of his and Sheila’s engagement- reflecting that they do not approve of him marrying into a lower social class. Nevertheless Gerald does not appear fazed by this and attempts to do and say what he feels will impress Mr and Mrs Birling. Gerald is almost portrayed as the ‘perfect son’ for Mr and Mrs Birling as opposed to their own son Eric, who is characterised as less sophisticated, confident and educated. Gerald is practically running his fathers business and is very articulate whilst talking with the Birlings’, as opposed to Eric who is merely working for Mr Birling and is more socially impaired. Gerald has recently engaged to Sheila Birling and is persistent on being a part of the family, as shown when he says “ I insist on being one of the family now. I’ve been trying long enough haven't I? (As she does not reply, with more insistence.) Haven't I? You know I have”. The repetition of "haven't I?" further enhances his longing to be part of the Birling family, although as Sheila is hesitant and questions his claims as he was barely seen all summer so this may actually suggest the engagement is less about him being with Sheila and more about his partnership with the Birling’s business.Moreover, this would represent he is narcissistic and has a superficial mentality, just like Mr and Mrs Birling.

I was pleased to have attended a lecture cosponsored by the Ethics Center, the Fresno State office of the president, the Fresno Bee and Valley PBS. The lecture began with Dr. Castro recognizing a few leaders on campus, including a past Fresno State president, Dr. John D. Welty and campus volunteer Mary Castro. Dr. Castro then mentioned a few things about Mr. Brooks stating that he is a columnist for the New York Times and an analyst for the PBS “News Hour” and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Dr. Brooks also teaches at Yale University, one the finest university in the country. Dr. Castro continued by saying that he learned that Mr. Brooks office hours are from 9am to 1pm and how “cool” it sounded to him. I was surprised how many people attended the event. I was fortunate to find a seat. David Brooks mentioned how he has some remote roots in the Central Valley because his father grew in Chowchilla, CA but Mr. Brooks grew in New York.

Those who opposed the industrialization of Manchester were more concerned with the well-being of those affected by it. These were poets, women, socialists, and health reformers who were disturbed by the living and working conditions of the middle class and the peasantry. One protester was Robert Southey, an English Romantic poet and author of Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society in 1829. Being a Romantic poet, Southey laments on the industrialization of the city and describes it as a miserable place where the buildings which are “without their antiquity, without their beauty, without their holiness,” and where, “when the bell rings, it is to call the wretches to their work instead of their prayers.” Another protester is Frances Anne Kemble, an actress, poet, and dramatist, who, in her account of a journey of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830, depicts a protest by the disgruntled working class over Corn Laws, which were tariffs on imported grain. In her depiction, the protesters scorn the “triumphs of machinery” and the “gain and glory which wealthy Manchester men were likely to derive from it.” This is a very Romantic depiction, as the protesters are breaking free from their bonds to choose liberty over wealth. A final protester was Edwin Chadwick a public health reformer, who, in his Report of the Sanitary Conditions of the Laboring Population of Great Britain, argued that the cramped conditions,

Chartism’s longevity and spread across the industrial areas of the United Kingdom is thought to have been due to its appeal to all working class people. Events and opportunities for social interaction were provided enabling members to meet together and feel as if they were actively participating in the movement. In the extract there are very few references, compared to the other themes, to the inclusive cultural community and all refer to men. “Men, brethren of the human race” (Para1Line 1) and “Honourable gentlemen ...the working class only” (Para 3 Line1). While inclusivity was important in keeping the organisation popular it would seem from the limited references that this was not the main focus for the speaker.

The novel in which Jane Eyre stars in can be seen criticizing many aspects of those times such as the role and nature of women, child negligence and social hardships for those in a lesser class. Jane Eyre’s alienation from society allows for a greater reveal of the story’s culture, values, and assumptions. It’s presented through the use of gender, class and character conflicts throughout the story. On multiple occasions, Jane is judged for the presented factors reflecting the type of society Jane lives in and what the times were like at that time.

The Victorian Era was known for its propriety, and for its social standards that could be as strict as the caste system in India. Citizens in England of low social regard faced many prejudices and limitations that could be almost insurmountable to overcome. Much like the caste system, people considered to be the dregs of society were often alienated and had little room for opportunity. In Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre, the main character, Jane, suffers social prejudice because she is a simple governess, revealing much about the social stigmas about the working class during the Victorian Era. Jane’s social status limits her not only from being with the one she loves, but also hinders her endeavor to achieve true autonomy.

Based on the ideas of Karl Marx, this theoretical approach asks us to consider how a literary work reflects the socioeconomic conditions of the time in which it was written. What does the text tell us about contemporary social classes and how does it reflect classism? Jane Eyre depicts the strict, hierarchical class system in England that required everyone to maintain carefully circumscribed class positions. Primarily through the character of Jane, it also accents the cracks in this system, the places where class differences were melding in Victorian England. For example, the novel questions the role of the governess: Should she be considered upper class, based on her superior education, or lower class,

The complete disregard directed towards the workers in the pre-war society (manifested in the character of Eric), arguably stems from the childhood that was spent within the upper-class bubble. The absolute willingness of these upper classes to maintain their utterly destructive practices on the workers, who practically provide the platform for them to stand on is shown by Priestley’s representation of the Birlings and Crofts as being robotic and directly bound on creating a legacy that is infrangible due to their egotistical and autocratic nature. Mrs Birling enunciates to Eric when outlining why she refused help to Eva in her committee: “But I didn’t know it was you – I never dreamt. Besides, you’re not the type – you don’t get drunk.” This shows the considerable ignorance of the oblivious upper classes, whom reside within their spheres of influence and thus begin to believe whatever they desire. This is demonstrated again when Mrs Birling exclaims: “(shocked) Eric! You stole money!” The irony in this is immense. Eric had just admitted to having

Chartism was a working-class political movement calling for the extension of the franchise that emerged in the mid-1830s. Motivated by a sense of ‘betrayal’ by the actions of the Whig government and the impact of a deep economic depression between 1837 and 1842, it saw political reform as essential if the living and working conditions of working people were to be improved. The power of the spoken and written word played a central role in Chartism and the foremost demagogue of the movement was Feargus O’Connor, whose rhetoric in all its ambiguity and exaggeration was published in his newspaper, The Northern Star. His speech at York, reported in the Star on 6 July 1839, was in favour of a motion that: “every male adult of the kingdom

Whilst there has been question in this essay with regards to More’s true impression of the working classes, her work did manage to include a large social class in this most significant discussion regarding the British political scene of the time, when other works of this kind such as Paine’s Rights of Man failed to engage them. With this in mind it can be easily argued that More has secured that the act of reading outside of the text was, and still is, incredibly important as well as being extremely useful in sharing views and ideas that some readers may never have considered. Village Politics may not present a fair and rational argument, as More seems as intent on discrediting Thomas Paine and his text as much as she wishes to destroy all revolutionary ideas within Britain. Whilst it can be argued that this text is indeed a piece of political propaganda rather than an educational text it is also a prime example of the effects of reading on the larger population. Not only, then, is Hannah More’s Village Politics display the effect of reading within this text, which is to the detriment of Tom Hod’s character, she also manages to portray how the act of reading can be simultaneously constructive and damaging both in the text’s original context and in today’s contemporary

Vanden Bossche identifies Charlotte Brontë’s utilization of Jane Eyre as a vessel for spreading revolutionary ideas about equality, both supporting and creating new ideology in response to the social expectations of the Victorian era. These ideas tend to fall in accordance with Marxist values, which stress the negative impact of a hierarchal social structure on lower class or marginalized groups (Brizee). Vanden Bossche, in turn, relates the common critical

Throughout the Industrial Revolution, the lower class’s population continued to increase as more and more people became poor and fell into poverty. Although the upper class was prosperous and wealthy, they failed to assist the struggling population; this only made the problem worse. As the issue of poverty became more critical, it became a topic that authors commonly wrote about. George Orwell, Charles Dickens, and Jonathan Swift were authors who presented the problem of a poor community and a neglectful upper class to the people through the use of allegory and satire. This helped to easily convince and influence their readers. Through the use of satire and allegory, George Orwell, Charles Dickens, and Jonathan Swift effectively address the pressing issue of the upper class’s ignorance and mistreatment towards the lower, struggling class.