Jane Eyre and Feminism Essay

As a young girl, she is essentially trapped in Gateshead. This sprawling house is almost her whole world. Jane has been here for most of her ten years. Her life as a child is

Reed did not want to take care of her anymore. However, Jane was happy that she could leave her aunt and hoped that she would start a better life from now on. Jane hoped that maybe she would able to find freedom in Lowood. Little did she know, she would not have a good time there because Lowood is just like another prison under the control of Mr. Brocklehurst. Jane was destined to be misjudged at Lowood. Mr. Brocklehurst told everyone that, “for it becomes my duty to warn you, that this girl, who might be one of God's own lambs, is a little castaway: not a member of the true flock, but evidently an interloper and an alien. You must be on your guard against her; you must shun her example; if necessary, avoid her company, exclude her from your sports, and shut her out from your converse” (64). Lowood Institute was just as dark and gloomy as Gateshead. After eight years in Lowood, six years as a student and two years as a teacher, Jane built defense for the inequality around her. Jane is constrained throughout this experience through the way she has to act, look, and speak. Lowood helped intensify Jane's yearning for the ability to control her own life, and not to be restricted by the rules of society. Jane does not let Mr. Brocklehurst take her desire of learning and pursuing a new life for herself, which makes Jane successful on pushing out of the imprisonment of

Jane Eyre Through the Feminist Lens The theme of male dominance permeates Jane Eyre, reflecting the impact of patriarchal Victorian society. Chris Lewis’ “Separate Spheres and Women’s Status in 19th Century England” analyzes Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre through the feminist lens of literary criticism. This lens involves examining problems created by a male-dominated society and how the effects of gender roles have changed over time. Revealing conditions of women in Victorian England, Lewis’ article accurately analyzes women’s dependence on men, gender expectations, and double standards on morality as causes of problems seen in Jane Eyre, thus providing apt criticism of patriarchal society.

Therefore, Jane creates a stronger sense of self worth as she overcomes

Through analysis of the culture and time period, one can gain a better understanding of the feminist themes that were heavily prevalent in Jane Eyre. During the Victorian age, women, like children, were expected to be seen and not heard. However, throughout Brontë’s novel, Jane expresses herself and voices her opinion, which at the time was not a woman’s place to do. From a young age, Jane expressed herself and fought for her equality. She questioned authority and displayed the early characteristics of an independent woman.

The interaction between both Mr Brocklehurst and Jane remind the readers of Jane’s general lack of respect for tyrannous authority figures; especially Mrs Reed. Jane’s inability to quietly accept fair treatment becomes pronounced in her interaction with Mrs Reed. The cruel, hypocritical master of the Lowood Institute, Mr Brocklehurst preaches a doctrine or privation, while stealing from the school to support his luxurious lifestyle. After a typhus epidemic sweeps Lowood, Brocklehurst’s shifty and dishonest practices are brought to light and he is publicly discredited. Mr Brocklehurst becomes a very controversial and important character that Jane encounters early in the

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a gothic and a feminist novel. The main character of the novel is Jane, she is a small, plain and poor child who grows an orphan and is adopted by her uncle, who later dies. She is the first female character to claim her right to feel strong about her emotions and act on her convictions. She lives a long journey and her novel let’s us know all about it.

Jane’s childhood begins in Gateshead Hall with her aunt and cousins, where she is physically and mentally abused by them. In a moment passion, Jane stands up to her aunt and says, which is significant as it shows her inner strength in spite of facing abuse and her young age. Mrs. Reed decides to send her off boarding school called the Lowood Institution for.

As she gains her freedom, she began to lengthen her knowledge in school, to find out that she excels in her studies. Though once again Jane finds herself to be treated bad and looked down upon. This time it is by Mr. Brocklehurst, a religious hypocrite whom embezzles the schools funds to support the luxurious lifestyle of his own family, helps Jane develop further belief in respect, fairness and equality while still standing up to what she believes in. Although Jane is also shown kindness and companionship by Miss Temple and Helen Burns at Lowood, Jane still longs for more. She does not find the warmth and love of heaven that Helen describes, at all comforting, as she craves for the love of another human being on Earth.

Jane flowers under Ms. Temple’s meticulous attention and finds a new thirst for learning which will stay with her her entire life. The education she receives from Lowood proves to be an indispensable one, for she becomes a teacher herself and wishes to become dependent. The desire for travel and a steady income leads Jane to advertise as a governess, a job most intelligent women would have spurned, for they were often paid little and had awful, spoiled children who were incredibly disinterested in the lessons of their governesses. Her advertisement was seen by the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall and a job was offered to her there which she took up to provide for herself and to confront the world.

“ . . . Women feel just as men feel . . . they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation . . . ” (Brontë 129-130). Charlotte Brontë, one of six Brontë siblings, was a feminist author who lived and wrote during the beginning of the nineteenth century. It was a time when England was going through a slow but significant change, mainly surrounding the Industrial Revolution, but still preceding the days of any major feminist movements. Brontë was angered that she had to write under a fake male name in order to have Jane Eyre published and read. Nevertheless, she was still completely focused on addressing issues concerning women, education, and marriage. Combining these topics, she produced one of the most popular novels in

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, a novel taking place in seventeenth century Northern England, has inspired readers to question and condemn gender roles through many generations since it was published on October sixteenth, 1847. At the time when Bronte originally published the book, women were not typically successful writers. As a result of this, she published it under a man’s pen name, Currer Bell. Since then, times have changed considerably and now Bronte’s work is finally credited to her. However, it defines how difficult is was for women to prosper as not only writers, but in many other careers as well. The message of the novel states just that by the way Jane expresses herself so boldly and is not afraid to stand up to men as their equal. Although Jane Eyre does not reflect modern feminist ideals, examining the novel through a lens that filters its Victorian sentiment reveals its truly progressive insights about injustice against women, which are relevant even today.

A principal characteristic of the novel, which is mainly responsible for its modern tone is its designated label of “feminist” which is very solidly glued to Jane’s forehead. Indeed, it is quite startling for a young girl belonging to a society so rigidly confining of women, socially and psychologically, to cultivate within herself a ferocious and passionate desire for independence, such an insatiable thirst for learning, discovering, growing, and living to the veritable sense of the word, to be active and master of her own destiny, not passive and submissive as are the rest of the women surrounding her, she affirms that “nobody knows how many rebellions besides political rebellions ferment in the masses of life which people earth. [...] women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. 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.”; (Jane Eyre, p.207 l.1) making of Jane a particularly positive and well-liked character to the readers. Her persona is often depicted as

She composed of the book, "I'll demonstrate a heroine as small and plain as myself," and, certainly, the protagonist unattractive portrayal was mostly uncommon in literature. Like Jane, to be able to attain financial freedom Bronte was compelled to depend on her intelligence and worked a governess with a number of different people. She joined Cowan Bridge School, which she made Lowood to the severe evangelical. John Reed's descent into gaming and alcoholism parallels the conduct of Brontë's precious brother, Patrick Branwell, who required to liquor and opium and died after "Jane Eyre" was printed.

Jane Eyre is a story of a young girl, Jane, which travels from the days of her childhood at Gates head Hall, through the maturity of adulthood at Fern dean .The writer, portrays the young girl’s struggle among the prevalent social evils of the society. The journey starts as an orphan child, who is filled with the sense of despair and loneliness, living with her aunt Mrs. Reed and her three cousins, who are all indifferent to her. Later Jane is sent away to Lowood Institution, where she receives education but is restricted and contained by harshness of proprietor Mr. Brocklehurst. After completing her education, she serves as a teacher in the same school for about two years.