Jane Eyre Class Analysis

Beyond the social values associated with appearance, Charlotte Bronte also points out the social ideals related to the importance of wealth. Jane seeks advice and comfort from Bessie in chapter 2, only for Bessie to tell Jane, “You ought to be aware, Miss, that you are under obligations to Mrs. Reed: she keeps you: if she were to turn you off, you would have to go to the poor-house” (Mrs. Reed, Jane’s aunt, constantly treats Jane crudely and unfairly). Bessie, in other words, tells Jane that she must put up with Mrs. Reed’s punishments and cruelties because her fiscal situation provides no alternative. Bessie shows no sympathy or remorse in her advice, as her worlds bluntly put the situation of context of how it “just is”. If one has no wealth, they become subject to whatever treatment comes to them and should expect nothing –

Although Jane herself endures prejudice because of her low position in the social hierarchy, she also displays intolerance for her own class as she has been taught that the poor are reprehensible. Jane admits she would prefer to live with the Reeds despite the mistreatment she endures, than a kind but poor family. Jane’s perception of the lower class has been warped by the narrow-minded people she has grown up around. She imagines that life in poverty is

Jane’s need for love internally is exemplified during her time at Gateshead. Under the care of her Aunt Reed, Jane is constantly being treated as an outcast. Despite her continuously aiming to please Jane is still unable to satisfy her Aunt Reed or cousins John, Eliza, and Georgiana Reed. In this toxic environment that is physically, emotionally, and mentally damaging for Jane, she begins to question her self-worth. This is evident when she expresses “Why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always accused, forever condemned? Why could I never please? Why was it useless to try to win any one’s favour?”(9). After her departure from Gateshead to Lowood Institute, the haunting memories of the difficulties she experienced during her earlier years of life still plague Jane’s mind. It is not until her arrival at Thornfield that Jane seemingly presents signs that she is confident in herself. This is evident when she says “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself”(342). Overtime Jane learns to value the qualities she possess and gains the courage to disregard the opinions of others. Furthermore, she discovers that she does not have to sacrifice her life or freedom to truly love

In its simplest form, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre tells the story of a young woman, Jane Eyre, who grows up poor, makes the decision to be independent, does so, and, eventually, marries rich. The novel follows her from her childhood to her reunion with the love of her life and she, throughout it, deals with classism and sexism and exhibits her own form of feminism. By the end, it becomes clear that, with this semi-autobiographical novel, Charlotte Bronte was providing a criticism on society’s discrimination toward those of a lower class, a subtle argument against the male-dominated society’s treatment of women, and an even subtler call to action for women to find their own agency outside of the men in their lives. On another end, however,

The class of Jane also reflects how people who are considered lower are treated worse than the rich. Those who tend to be rich see themselves as much better and deserving of greater things. A character in the story named John Reed would always treat the protagonist, Jane Eyre, like she was garbage because of the fact that she was orphaned and had no wealth to her name. “You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen's children like us”. John had a part in his family’s wealth and saw himself as above attempting to assure everyone knew how important he was. Meanwhile, Jane being of lower class is much more humble and appreciative of the good things in life. Learning to live happily and patiently as a humble citizen making sure to never be snobby like her relatives. Jane makes sure to see the beauty inside of people rather than superficial, beautiful appearances. “The refreshing meal, the brilliant fire, the presence and kindness of her beloved instructress, or, perhaps, more than all these, something in her own unique mind, had roused her powers within her. They woke, they kindled: first, they glowed in the bright tint of her cheek, which till this hour I had never seen but pale and bloodless; then they

Throughout the novel, Jane narrates and looks back on her story as an adult. In this sense she has a better understanding of how she was affected by her changing place in the class system and is able to provide a clearer picture of how she has since shaped her beliefs from childhood. When Jane recalls finding out that she had possible relatives in the lower class, her immediate response was to denounce their existence and to stay with her abusive guardian, Mrs. Reed. Jane explains her reaction by noting that “poverty looks grim to grown people; still more so to children” (29). While she admits that as an adult, poverty appears dreadful, she claims that this reaction is exaggerated in children. Firstly, Jane’s comment reflects the fact that she has since grown from her childhood disdain for impoverishment and this growth is hers alone; no other adult in the novel has exhibited maturation in thought such as this because they are stuck in their rigid class structures. Secondly, Jane’s comment on the difference between child and adult views on poverty

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

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

Jane Eyre’s life was full of oppression, neglect and sorrow. The novel was formed around a few main ideas. One of those would be the search of love and acceptance. Jane wanted to find a family so desperately and she wanted to belong to people. More than this though, Jane wanted to be treated equally. She was denied equality because of her social status, her income,her lack of “beauty” and most of all because of her gender. The book Jane Eyre shows the struggle that women face while attempting to overcome oppression and inequality in the Victorian era.

The Reed family evidently still carries this grudge against Jane’s side of the family, as they all treat her as part of a lower class that is unworthy to live with them or be associated with them in any way.

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

In Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, Jane constantly faces people and institutions that attempt to overpower and assert control over her. Throughout the novel, she struggles to fight against such powers in order to establish her true-self. The hardships and struggles she faces shape her character and exposes Jane’s values; she learns to confront the forces attempting to control her. The influences at Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor House, and Ferndean attempt to form Jane into a typical woman with Victorian values and qualities; however, Jane defies these attempts. With each attempt to overpower her at each residence, Jane’s capacity to defy the people attempting to assert their power over her becomes more natural.

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.

Britain’s Victorian Era was one in which the status of a person affected how someone lived their whole life. Not only in how they lived, but also in appearance, how they presented themselves, and how others treated them. In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontё, socioeconomic status and how it affected the citizens of England is shown through the character descriptions of John Reed, Jane Eyre -the main character-, and Miss Abbot.

An example of the effects of Jane being contained within social boundaries is shown on page 86 of Jane Eyre, when Jane cries “Then, grant me at least a new servitude!”. She is longing for freedom, yet yearns for “servitude”. This situation shows how Jane feels contained by her way of life, but is set in her ways, because the way she has been treated her entire life is the way she knows how to live, even if she wishes freedom from it. Shortly after, on page 93, Jane is shown to be, though poor, a member of the gentry, when Bessie regales her of a time shortly after she went off to Lowood that a Mr. Reed showed up to Gateshead wishing to see Jane. Bessie describes him as looking quite like a gentleman, and states “I believe he was your father’s brother”. She goes on to mention where he went, presenting evidence that he was likely a wine merchant. This solidifies Jane in her path.