Jane Eyre And The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

Throughout the Victorian-era novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte utilizes religion to examine how a character’s beliefs influence not merely his or her treatment of other characters, but also the decisions that he or she makes and the reasoning behind these decisions. Jane Eyre, on her search for autonomy, searches for God’s guidance when she needs Him most. While Jane has trust in God, and acknowledges that God’s presence is everywhere, she affirms that God gives humans the power to make their own fate. Jane’s view of religion, as well as human nature, is impacted by her relationships with Helen Burns, Mr. Brocklehurst, and St. John, as religion plays a key role in the course of the lives of these three characters. By contrasting the different religious beliefs of Helen, Mr. Brocklehurst, and St. John, and by highlighting the effects of their religious views on their actions and thoughts, Bronte is asserting that a person’s religious beliefs are not consistently a strong measure of that person’s character.

Jane’s quest for change, however, does not bring forth immediate results. She quickly becomes lonely and restless in her position as governess and feels unsatisfied with the change that she once desired. While viewing her surroundings from the attic window, Jane thinks

This is suggested by Rochester himself as he offers a comparison of the two females, contrasting his ‘wife’, whom he refers to as a ‘fierce ragout’, with what he ‘wished to have … as a change’ (361) in Jane’s somewhat tempered manner. However, Gilbert and Gubar raise similarities between the two women, arguing that Bertha ‘also acts like Jane’ (361); particularly Bertha’s ’incendiary tendencies’ (362) which echo young Jane’s ‘early flaming rages… emblematic of her mind in its rebellion against society’ (362). Furthering the manifestation of such passion is the portrayal of Bertha as ‘a big woman, in stature equalling her husband’ (359); ultimately a physical metaphor for what Jane aspires to be – an equal to Rochester, and an equal in society.

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.

In Jane Eyre, both Jane and Edward keep breaking rules and boundaries that come their way. The rules of their society forbid their relationship, which should have prevented them from being together but it brings them closer. In the period of time that the book is set in, the difference in social classes are visible between the two. This creates the problems that arise as she feels the difference that separates them. Jane Eyre is not only an orphan; she is also poor with no permanent home and relatives. Edward Rochester is a man that is wealthier and much older than she is. This displays the two people that should have not been able to meet and fall in love the way they did. The boundary that they face later in the story is that as they are about to get married, it is revealed that he is still married to a mentally ill woman. These boundaries and rules that exist in both stories are the reasons to why their love prospers as they face them together and break though limits imposed upon them.

Firstly, both women are looked down upon because of societal stigmas. Jane is independent and beyond her years, and states ‘‘I don’t think, sir, you have a right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the

Following the experiences of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, expresses many elements of gothic literature throughout her novel Jane Eyre. In her perfect understanding of gothic literature, she expresses the three types of evil commonly found in gothic literature, including the evil of the supernatural, the evil within or the instinctual evil motives of humans, and lastly, the evil because of societal influence. Jane Eyre experiences all of these three evils with her aunt and three cousins with her residency and return to Gateshead: Jane encounters the supernatural and the evil of societal influence as a child and she fully encounters the evil within upon her return.

Jane is taught at a young age to look down on people not of her caste, and to oppress them the same way that she herself is oppressed as a female orphan. Though Jane is not influenced directly by social status at all times, it is still a constant factor which Brontë makes evident. In Victorian England, a female must either be born or married into her social class, and this is what defines her. The character of Jane served to undercut the popular female stereotypes of fiction: the angel of the house, the invalid, or the whore (Brackett, 2000). Brontë creates Jane as her own force, in which she is neither the angel, invalid or whore, but a young lady who is intelligent and has pride and dignity. In this Victorian society, her unsubmissiveness and independence is her social fault, which Brontë pokes fun at (Brackett, 2000). Male Victorian writers cast women during this time as social, finagling creatures whose goals are to obtain as many friends as possible and throw the most elaborate parties. Brontë opposes this by creating Jane as an opposite of these “defining” characteristics, by making Jane a female who could are less about how many people adore her, a female who would actually enjoy a life with few companions. As mentioned before, Jane’s sense of dignity is evident. As Jane became Rochester’s governess, she is faced with the

“This book might have been written by a woman but certainly not a lady.” It is bildungsromane (Triska); a type of novel concerned with the education, development, and maturing of a young protagonist (Dictionary.com). Jane Eyre was a very shy, plain, and reserved person. Even though she had a very plain look she had a passion that wasn’t expected of her (Green). She also had hopes and dreams and aspirations. So I wonder, how might Jane Eyre react to the women of today?

At the time of 19th century England, the societal norms of women were very different from today. It is against the norm for women to get an education and to have a job outside of the house. Bronte allows the reader to follow the journey of Jane Eyre’s struggle of getting a good education and finding a job. As Brontë introduces Jane, the reader learns that she will be attending school of Lowood soon, as a way for her stepmother to get rid of her. Young Jane is thrilled at the idea of going to school and sets her hopes high.

Jane Eyre is a very intresting novel as soon as you open it the first few chapters are shocking as it shows you two big themes one of which is class and the other is gender. In 1947 people would judge you depending on your class and people in society would judge you and treat you by where you are in the hierarchy tree. Another big theme was gender women were treated as third class citizens no freedom at all. Jane Eyre was a novel about an orphan who is adopted into this wealthy family. However she feels completely out the circle and not part of there family. The family certainly did not make her feel part of them either they first saw her as poor because she came from a poor background even though now she is adopted in there family they still saw her like that and secondly she was a girl so that made things worse and those two combinations were not good. At one point in the novel Mr reed said to her "You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant, mamma says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentleman's children like us . . " he is telling her

In Thornfield Hall, she is a governess who is educated enough to qualify as a lady: she knows how to play an instrument, she draws and she speaks fluent French. However she is still seen as a subordinate because she is a servant (of sorts) to Rochester. Although Jane was treated like more than just a governess and received accolade for her work, she always humbles herself by claiming it was her duty as an employee to fulfill the job: Rochester tells her “Oh, don’t’ fall back on over modesty!... She has no talents; yet in a short time she has made much improvement. Yet Jane simply modestly responds by saying “ Sir, you have now given me my ‘cadeau’ I am obliged to you: it is the meed teachers most covet—praise of their pupils’ progress.”

The women in both novels endure a loss of personal freedom, both mental, and physical. Jane Eyre, in her blind infatuation with Mr. Rochester, allows her emotions to enslave her. She realizes her obsession when she states, "My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and

Jane Eyre’s position as governess goes further than taking care of Adele and teaching her on a daily basis. She has the help of Mrs. Fairfax and Mr. Rochester who also assist in taking on the responsibilities of caretaker. Unlike the governess in The Turn of The Screw,

This is different in Jane Eyre as she is pleased with her position in society, she doesn’t judge or put down those of a lower status due to knowing what it is like. An example of this is where she takes the positon of a teacher and she feels as though she has “taken a step which is sinking her instead of raising her in the scale of social existence.” She then mentions that she must not forget that these “coarsely-clad little peasants are flesh and blood as good as the scions of gentlest genealogy.” As readers of Charlotte Bronte 's story we are naturally prepared to offer her our affection and admiration for the duration of the book, as a teller of her own story she has to reveal with the becoming modesty what will make her loveable and admirable. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane allows us as readers to witness her remarkable skill at shaping characters into unique individuals through the most commonplace actions and events. These are prime examples of why and how these female authors are able to write successful novels.