Gender Roles In Victorian England

Even though Mrs. Fairfax believes that Rochester will marry Blanche Ingram, Blanche is not the woman of his choice. Blanche’s family believes they are a great match, due to their equal social status. However, Rochester does not have the same plan in mind. Jane is not happy with herself, because she fell in love with a man out of her social reach, but Rochester is not concerned with social status. Both Jane and Blanche Ingram have positive and negative qualities. Rochester prefers Jane based on all of her positive

These include usual depictions of females being dependent on a husband, whom was usually the financial and social superior to the wife. Instead, Jane returns to her unlikely fiancé, Rochester, in a final quest for true love. At this stage, Jane and Rochester were finally equal. Having reunited, Jane regards herself an “independent…as well as rich” woman who is her “own mistress” (p.596). This proves Jane’s defiant belief to unite with whoever she wishes despite class expectations; the marriage between two of the same social class are assumed of this time.

In John Osborne 's 1956 piece, Look Back in Anger, housewife Alison Porter is faced with the difficult decision of remaining in a toxic marriage or returning to live with her parents. Indeed, Alison is the archetype of the 1950s British woman, as depicted in both academic and popular discourse—meek, miserable and resigned to her fate as mother and housewife. While such a paradigm of the 1950s woman has long remained unchallenged, historians have begun to suggest that this stereotype is inaccurate and misleading, and overlooks the complexity of female gender roles during Britain of this era. When reviewing the literature on this topic, what emerges as a clear point of tension between academics is whether the 1950s was a static or a dynamic

Through a close reading of the selected passage of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, a reader can see that Jane attempts to separate herself from her decisions by personifying her emotions and giving them a specific voice, which strongly reflects the societal views of the time. At this point in the story, Jane has discovered, on her wedding day, that Mr. Rochester is still married to a woman named Bertha, and that woman still lives in his house. Distraught, Jane locks herself in her room and tries to decide what she should do. When she wakes up the next day, she is again confronted with what she needs to do in the wake of her discovery.

Though Jane is well educated and possesses the etiquette and training of a person in upper class society, social prejudices limit her because she is simply a paid servant, in their eyes. While at Thornfield, Jane falls desperately in love with the owner of Thornfield Hall, Mr. Rochester. Jane is Mr. Rochester’s intellectual contemporary, but her social status prevents her from being his true equal. In the novel, Jane proclaims, “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!” (Bronte 637). After Mr. Rochester finally proposes, Jane is hesitant to marry him because she feels as if he would be lowering himself to marry her. This feeling greatly increases after Jane discovers he is married to Bertha Mason, and that he keeps her locked away in Thornfield’s attic due to her insanity. Mr. Rochester proposes that Jane becomes his mistress, which, according to Victorian society, would be more fitting since Jane is a plain governess. Jane realizes that she can never compromise her morals that way and leaves Thornfield. While on her own, Jane still strives to gain independence, discovers new kin, and learns she has a wealthy uncle who has left her a large inheritance. After her loneliness and longing for Mr. Rochester becomes too great, she returns to Thornfield. Jane is

In the 1800s, the U.S. became more industrialized and factories started to become more common. This was the beginning of the market revolution, where people buy and sell goods instead of making everything by themselves. People could trade the money they earn from working for the things they needed. As the market revolution thrust workers into new systems of production, it redefined gender roles of women in family and society. During the first half of the nineteenth century, the market revolution played a significant role in changes in gender roles.

Jane Eyre is the main character on the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte who did not have strong personality while living with aunt Mrs. Reed and her children, but after Jane was sent to the Lowood Institution, a charity school for girls. During school years, about eight years, Jane became mature, and accepted the harsh truth about life; knew how to draw, to play piano; learned French, and was loved by everyone by her sweet personality. Blanche Ingram, on the other hand, is more of "very showy" but "not genuine." Mr. Rochester knew, however, marrying Jane will be too easy, and she will because of his social status and money. So instead of making Jane's life easier, Mr. Rochester plays small affair with Blanche which eventually turned out into marriage.

With England coming out of the Middle Ages, the early Modern Age was presented as a revival for the country. With a woman now on the throne the ability to play on the idea of gender was a necessity, and it created an influence on society as a whole. Like many aspects of the period, the presentation of gender and sexuality began to change with the rest of England’s Early Modern era. Conversely, gender play, and even cross-dressing, in this time period was presented as an alternative was looked upon as a disruption society and must be contained. Therefore, the structure for gender roles was concrete and strict, for its intention was used to keep the social order to remain in balanced and keep the general public to function as they should have.

Jane's Relationship with Rochester in Bronte's Jane Eyre Works Cited Not Included Jane Eyre is one of the most famous and well-read romantic novels in English literature. The novel has been translated into scores of different languages and adapted many times for dramatised productions. The relationship between Jane and Rochester is the central theme of the novel. Charlotte Brontë makes use of a simple yet familiar story line: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy and girl are reunited after some hardship and then live happily ever after.

While Jane feels in love with Rochester, she also subconsciously fears a marriage to him and the imprisonment it could become. Jane never manifests this fright and anger

In the critical essay, “Almost my hope of heaven’: idolatry and messianic symbolism in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre,” Joshua analyzes the theme of idolatry and messianic symbolism in Jane Eyre. Joshua believes that Jane Eyre is a novel that revolves wholly on religion. He argues that, “one of the novel's purpose...is to show that human relationships are successful only if the partners in the relationship avoid the dangers of idolizing each other” (Joshua). I strongly agree with his opinion. One main reason Jane denies Rochester’s proposal is because she does not want to be inferior to him. When Rochester and Jane argue over whether or not Jane is going to let him order her around she says “‘I like to serve you, sir, and to obey you in all that is right’” (Bronte 250). From the beginning, Jane sees Rochester as a sort of messiah. Due to this, she refuses to marry him for she believes they will never truly be equals. However, as the novel progresses, Jane goes through internal developments that enable her to realize that her and Rochester can be equals. She realizes her self-worth and finds a balance between her principles and feelings. In one of the final passages of the novel, Jane says that her and Rochester have been married for ten years and she is “[her] husband’s life as fully as he is [hers]” (Bronte PAGE NUMBER). Here, we can see the Jane and Rochester are equals. This supports Joshua’s claim, for their relationship is only successful because of their equality. Rochester is no longer Janes “master” and she still remains her own-self.

Jane had a bad upbringing, with her Aunt and family mistreating her. Regarding Mr. Rochester, Blanche knows she is stunningly beautiful and uses this to her advantage. She also prefers to be the center of attention. Opposite of Blanche, Jane keeps to herself and would rather sit quietly than have all the attention.

Furthermore, Jane says “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself” (Chapter 27, Bronte.) This statement greatly represents the growth that Jane has undergone. She no longer dreads the solitude that once haunted her because she respects herself enough to realize that she did not deserve to experience such great dismay. Through independence and self-recognition, Jane has discovered the importance of loving oneself. Without the reliance on the thoughts of others, the once extremely troubled girl found bliss through a lack of outside control. In regards to her relationship with Mr. Rochester, Jane understands that she must leave him behind to maintain her own well-being. She does not allow the wealth or proclaimed love from Rochester to skew her decisions and she does not linger to dominate the life of her lover. Instead, she moves forward to continue her endless pursuit of happiness and independence.

Jane’s approach could be considered romantic and embodies conventional feminist concepts; she remains headstrong and stubborn in the face of injustice. The representation of Jane as a strong, independent woman upholds the belief that woman can achieve their goals. Jane does precisely this; she marries Rochester, becomes a part of a family as well as gains financial independence. The way in which Bronte represents Jane is emphasized through her narrative stance. The reader is presented with a firm and rebellious character, her diction is simple and assertive. She addresses the reader directly and is able to identify and challenge the problems she faces with determination. Furthermore Jane is able to identify and comment on how she feels woman are subjugated by their society; she denounces that “woman are supposed to be very calm generally: but woman feel just as men feel […]” (Bronte

It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex." As a great friendship and affection grow for Jane and Mr. Rochester, Jane notices that Rochester wishes to shower her in jewels, buy her fancy dresses, raise her up to some impossible image of the bride or woman, which does not suit her at all. This new treatment feels unequal, as Rochester would pay for her completely, she feels too dependent on him, and not her own woman. Jane acknowledges that she makes Rochester promise to let her continue on as Adele?s governess and being paid for that so that they are equal, or as she puts it: ?By that I shall earn my board and lodging, and thirty pounds a year besides. I'll furnish my own wardrobe out of that money, and you shall give me nothing but your regard: and if I give you mine in return the debt will be quit." Jane's views on this affair are extremely feminist when taken out of past perspective. In actuality, she attempt to not change the power dynamics of her relationship with Rochester, to be paid for work, instead of becoming his object or property. But she admits later: "My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven.