Separate Spheres And Women's Status In 19th Century England

Throughout the Victorian Age, male dominance deprived women from freedom of choice. In Charlotte Brontë’s novel, Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre repeatedly struggles to become an independent young lady due to the troublesome men in the story. There are several male characters who control, humiliate, and abuse their power over Jane. The author manages to depict patriarchal dominance through the characterization of John Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Mr. Rochester.

Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre entails a social criticism of the oppressive social ideas and practices of nineteenth-century Victorian society. The presentation of male and female relationships emphases men’s domination and perceived superiority over women. Jane Eyre is a reflection of Brontë’s own observation on gender roles of the Victorian era, from the vantage point of her position as governess much like Jane’s. Margaret Atwood’s novel was written during a period of conservative revival in the West partly fueled by a strong, well-organized movement of religious conservatives who criticized ‘the excesses of the sexual revolution.’ Where Brontë’s Jane Eyre is a clear depiction of the subjugation of women by men in nineteenth-century

The status quo is challenged by strong woman who refuse to conform to society’s expectations. These woman were not content being dominated by men and being forced to hold back their opinions. In Jane Eyre, we see a very strong and independent woman who freely expresses her thoughts and opinions, the opposite to a stereotypical Victorian woman. She is abolished from her aunt’s house due to her ‘bad’ behaviour. Woman of this era were expected to marry and they had no choice in the matter.

“I desired liberty; for liberty I gasped; for liberty I uttered a prayer; it seemed scattered on the wind then faintly blowing.” These words describe the constant inner battle of one of the most complex yet transparent characters: Jane Eyre. Jane does not conform to the Victorian society and seeks freedom in her mind as well as in her position. Charlotte Bronte is the author of the book Jane Eyre in which the protagonist comes out as being one of the most realistic and near revolutionary characters. In truth, Jane was a very unusual protagonist of a novel being self-described as, “dark, plain and simple”.

Through all the hardships Jane faces, she illustrates the needs of a women. Jane Eyre, an independent, strong willed women, who affirms to do whats right, exemplifies the quote, “The individual worthy of consideration would mature under adversity...misfortune was a test of his worth. Thus, Jane Eyre does not buckle under ill treatment, but instead grows in stature as she defies

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, is a novel that depicts strong female independence. Women being independent and not needing a spouse to provide for them was not something very common in the early nineteenth century; they were usually very dependent upon men for everything in their lives. Women were not the primary wage earners and would usually feel helpless if they were not married. In general, their happiness came from the fact that they had someone who was going to provide for and marry them. The average woman lived to find a spouse and would not dare to say no at the offer of a man’s hand in marriage. However, Jane Eyre was just the opposite of the average woman of the nineteenth century. Jane was independent in every way possible. Her

   Charlotte Bronte's novel, Jane Eyre, skillfully reveals that Jane, the protagonist, has the qualities of endurance, valor, and vitality, yet she is refused self-contentment by the confined society in which she lives. Not only is this work a love story, but it is the tale of a young orphaned girl and her struggle for love and independence. Through the various environments Bronte provides, Jane oscillates between education and containment and also between freedom and servitude.

The Victorian Era was the decade of extreme social and gender inequality. In many ways, the society was polarized in that men are treated as superior individuals, whereas women are looked down upon. In the novel, Jane Eyre, inequality is portrayed through marriages of characters. The issue is further acknowledged with the different perspectives of the society, characters and the author. In her novel, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë disagrees with the society’s implication of marriage as a confinement of freedom, but instead suggests that marriage should be based on equality and duties.

The feminist merit that is seen in Charlotte Brontë’s literary classic, Jane Eyre, brilliantly illustrates the grassroots of feminist theory and the fundamental values that enable autonomy for women. The gender inequity in Victorian society disallowed women the ability to control the basic facets of their mental health and wellness in order to follow the rigid standards of pious and proper ideals. The ownership and sense identity of women were strung together through their religious devotion, chastity, wealth, appearance, and compliance to a predestined sense of purpose. Thus limiting vital wellness factors such as self-image, intimacy, finances, spirituality, and life purpose through this indoctrination of Victorian society. Title character Jane Eyre struggles to

Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” follows the life of a young woman who, through childhood and into adulthood, is attempting to find herself. Jane must overcome many obstacles and face difficult hardships on her journey through life, but every event is important in its own ways. The exposure to different environments affects Jane in unique ways, bringing out key traits of her personality and shaping her as an individual, allowing her to grow into a woman who refuses to conform to society’s standards.

Imagine being criticized for not being married and not having children; imagine being furthered criticized for not having money, but then being condemned for having a job. This is how society for nineteenth-century Victorian women functioned. The women lived in a so-called “man’s world” where everything they did depended on men and the men’s money. Women were expected to find the “perfect husband”—or actually, the men found them. If a woman did not meet the specific criteria a man required, she would not be suitable for marriage. These women were trapped: if they did not come from a wealthy family, a wealthy man would not marry them. For a woman to earn her own money, she needed a job, but according to society the only job appropriate for women was that of a wife and mother. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, however, illustrates a female character, Jane, who breaks the rules of society and embraces her differences. Jane becomes a role model for women who needed the confidence to stand up for themselves. Written to prove that women can find fulfillment through work unlike the typical Victorian women who felt that their only duty was to marry and have children, Jane discovers and proves that independence and romance are

As an artifact of the Victorian Era, Charlotte Brontё’s, Jane Eyre, is seemingly scandalous. The novel initiates the conversation as to if women can achieve longstanding success in regards to their desires through the act of questioning authority despite societal standards. Using Jane as the female protagonist, Brontё delves into how women are wholly capable of championing autonomy and fulfilling female passion if they maintain a certain level of self-respect, courage, and humility.

Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre before first-wave feminism, as a response to the socio-economic reality of 1840’s England. It is important to define feminism, because it means different things to different people, in different times and circumstances. In this paper it means the vital role of both genders working together, as well as the socio-economic imperatives (survival) involved, in empowering all women, including Jane, to make the choices that will make them happy. It will explore how and why Jane Eyre helped define what became feminism, thus becoming ‘canon.’

Equality is a given. The oldest and most relevant discussion on equality lies with the difference of sex; man versus woman. In the eighteenth century, society very much male dominated. Women were expected to obey a man 's commands and were treated inferior to their male superior. This novel embodies the ideology of equality between men and women in society. Charlotte Bronte 's novel Jane Eyre embraces many views in opposition to the Victorian gender limitations. Ultimately, the reader can see the author develops a variety of characters who not only represent but also challenge the established gender norms existing in the 1800s.

Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre, challenges the status of women through its theme of questioning authority and achieving longstanding success despite societal standards. As an artifact of the well-known Victorian Era of history, Bronte’s work is seemingly scandalous. Through the actions of the female protagonist, Jane, Bronte shows that women are creatures worthy of high recognition in society because they are wholly capable of attaining autonomy and fulfilling female passion.