How Does Charlotte Bronte Create Identity In Jane Eyre

Readers learn early in the story that Jane Eyre does not fit contemporary society's idea of a proper woman.  As a child, Jane stands up to her aunt, Mrs. Reed, on more than one recorded occasion when Jane feels she has been treated unjustly (Brontë 28, 37).  At one point, Jane bluntly tells her aunt, "I declare, I do not love you: I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed [Jane's cousin]" (37).  This was at best improper behavior for a child in Victorian society, and it was most definitely seen as improper by Mrs. Reed who grows to hate Jane, calling her "tiresome, ill-conditioned" and "scheming" (26).  But her aunt's reprimands and hatred do not deter Jane from speaking up in the face of injustice.

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.

Charlotte Bronte's, Jane Eyre takes place during the Victorian period of England. This gothic romance novel tells the story of an abused orphan, Jane, who later matures into a strong independent woman. The societal standards Bronte portrays in the novel consist of oppression, gender inequality, and social class. Throughout the novel, Jane overcomes each of these social norms and defies what every other person in the society believes.

Before she can become Rochester 's wife, Jane must prove her acceptability based on class. Does she have an upper-class sensibility, despite her inferior position at Thornfield? For example, when Bessie sees Jane at Lowood, she is impressed because Jane has become "quite a lady"; in fact, her accomplishments surpass that of her cousins, yet they are still considered her social superiors based solely on wealth. The conversation emphasizes the ambiguities of Jane 's family 's class status and of the class system in general: Should a lady be judged based on academic accomplishments, money, or family name? The novel critiques the behavior of most of the upper-class characters Jane meets: Blanche Ingram is haughty and superficial, John Reed is debauched, and Eliza Reed is inhumanely cold. Rochester is a primary example of upper-class debauchery, with his series of mistresses and his attempt to make Jane a member of the harem. In her final view of Thornfield, after Bertha has burned it down, Jane

The only time that a member of the Reed family speaks to Jane is when they are belittling her, hoping to further assert their elite dominance over the lower class. In one particular quarrel, John Reed, the oppressive “Roman emperor” and “slave driver,” throws a book at Jane’s head to physically proclaim his dominance over her, to which Jane responds by verbally firing back at his elitist oppression. (Brontë 13) The battle between the social classes concludes with Jane being banished to the horrifying red-room as punishment for attempting to overthrow the elite power, John Reed, even though John was the clear instigator of the scuffle. Jane is later condemned by the house servants for her attempt to overthrow her “young master.” Jane and John are both children, but due to the wealth and status of his parents, John is allowed to rule over Jane, making Jane, as the Gateshead servants would describe, “‘less than a servant’” because she does nothing for her keep. (Brontë 15) Jane continuously faces this maltreatment at Gateshead until an outburst directed towards Mrs. Reed causes her to be sent away to Lowood school, a place where Mrs. Reed hopes Jane will perhaps be taught to conform to the societal norm of how a young girl like Jane should act in

The way she is treated is denounced. Jane is not from the working class, nor is she a servant. Being an orphan who has been given a roof from her aunt and late uncle, the little girl whom we meet in the beginning of the novel is furious at the idea of being treated less than the others around her.

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.

Compared to other novels, Jane Eyre includes those of the lower class by giving servants a voice. However, the role of the servant is not given as much of a voice compared to the upper class. Jane was considered a servant, as she did work for Mr. Rochester and Adele, although, she was not seen as equal compared to them as she was considered to be in a lower class. Even Bessie and Ms. Abbot had some rights to Mrs. Reed, but they were seen as the average servant in her household. Brontë considers the servant as a minority, she writes “You are my little friend, are you not?’ ‘I like to serve you, sir, and to obey you in all that is right” (138-39). Jane and Rochester’s relationship at the beginning makes it clear that Jane is only there to serve. This in some ways can show that she is directly beneath him, in rank but also in gender. As Jane states, “I like to serve you, sir, and to obey you in all that is right” (139), this shows that Jane only knows how to be a servant, and will always be one. This clearly proves that the role of the servant is to obey their master, whether it is a man or a woman of higher social standings, or to essentially be degraded to this role of servitude. During the eighteenth century, the work force had blurred the idea gender roles, meaning that women were no longer expected to stay at home while the men were considered to be the breadwinners (Grover).

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.

Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” has captivated readers for generations. As with all coming of age novels, young adults can relate to the struggles and triumphs of Jane. Jane’s setting influences and parallel her emotions. A reader can see the novel through her eyes and perspective. In Bronte’s “Jane Eyre,” the location often parallels Jane’s emotional growth through the tone presented by the environment, resulting in the different places she lives revealing her journey through depression. Jane’s behavioral patterns and thoughts suggest clinical depression that affected her choices throughout the novel and her life at Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Marsh End, and Ferdean.

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.

Jane’s foster family, the Reeds, restrict her rights, refusing to treat her as an equal to the other members of the family. Jane, at a mere eight years old, is chastised by Mrs. Abbott, the nanny, who asserts, “you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep” (Bronte 11). When Rochester imprisons Antoinette in England, he deprives her of any sense of humanity. The people in their lives who yielded power over them unjustly repressed both women.

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.

Primarily, Jane had little choice but to become a governess as an intelligent woman. In Victorian England there were few alternative job prospects for a woman of her social class except for becoming a domestic servant – of which there was 750,000 in England - or working in industry. Although the role of a governess seems rather respectable, it is clear that the upper class – that actually employed governesses for the tutorage of their children – did not hold them in high regard, as shown by Blanche Ingham who says: “I have just one word to say of the whole tribe; they are a nuisance” . Jane, however, seems content with her place in society as she says of Lowood that she “[has] served here eight years; now all [she wants] is to serve elsewhere” and leaves for Thornfield. That said, however, her low social class does restrict her from socialising with the likes of Blanche Ingham, shown by Jane seeming to be hiding from the group and emphasised by Blanche’s blatant disregard for her presence and continuing to discuss her as she says that in Jane’s “physiognomy” she sees “all the faults of her class” , hence claiming that from Jane’s outward appearance she can determine her character which has been influenced by her upbringing. Similarly, Jane’s lower class causes her feelings for Mr Rochester to become confused as she tries to stop herself from

There are many examples in the text, but most significant come from interactions with the Reed family, Mrs. Fairfax, and Blanche Ingram. While living at the Reed’s, Jane was treated as an outcast. She was constantly reminded of her privation, this is illustrated in several interactions. This is best illustrated when John Reed tells Jane, “ … you are a dependant, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not live here with gentlemen’s children like us … “ (Brontë 10). John leverages the power that comes from his social position to remind Jane that she is below him in social standing. During her tenure at Thornfield Jane had many occasion to be reminded of her lack of social standing. Esther Godfrey makes this point in her article Jane Eyre: Governess to girl Bride when she refers to Mrs. Fairfax’s reaction to the marriage, “ For Mrs. Fairfax, Jane and Rochester’s engagement seems flaunting of a doubly violated social taboo in which class and age are boundaries … “ (863). In fact Mrs. Fairfax is not shy about pointing out class inequality to Jane, when she learned of the impending marriage she intimates that upper class men, like Rochester, never marry below their class, in particular they do not marry