“Victorian society was obsessed with reputation and appearance” Compare how this idea is presented in the texts you have studied and to what extent you agree with this statement.

sheperd, anne. “History in Focus.” History in Focus: Overview of The Victorian Era (Article), 1

One of the most famous passages from the novel comes from Jane’s very clearly feminist inner monologue. She states that “Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel…they suffer from too rigid a restraint…” (130). Jane, as a forward-thinking and progressive protagonist, exemplifies in every sense the essence of gender equality of her time. Bronte reveals the limitations experienced by the female sex and the effects of those limitations on her protagonist. By doing this, the author uses Jane to fulfill her feminist and pro-equality agenda. Another example of Jane’s inner monologue comes from her irritation with Rochester. When Rochester showers Jane with gifts soon after their engagement, Jane’s “…cheek[s] burned with a sense of annoyance and degradation” (309). She becomes increasingly irritated with Rochester because of the complete lack of respect Rochester has for her feelings due to his joy of becoming engaged. Because Jane is already considered inferior to Rochester because of her lack of wealth and her status as an unmarried woman, being pelted with lavish tokens of affection is less than an ideal situation for her. This imbalance between the two highlights the already sexist society of the Victorian era. After Jane’s engagement to Rochester, she recounts the fact that she “…could not, in those days, see God for His creature: of whom I had made an idol” (316). She becomes blinded by the overpowering love she held for Rochester, to the extent that she put him on a pedestal, seeing him as an “idol”, and not a human being capable of fallacies. Bronte uses this dangerous mental circumstance Jane is in to illuminate the clear disparity between men and women of the time. Jane’s infatuation with Rochester serves as an important device implemented by Bronte to further her argument against sexist Victorian

As a feminist, Jane is able to protect herself when she is in a situation where she needs to be defended. For instance, when her brutish older cousin John hurls a hardcover book at her head, she pounces back by attacking him in defense. She also faces no difficulty in successfully defeating her cold-hearted aunt in a verbal fight, just at the tender age of ten. Jane is surely unafraid of the consequences that she has to face on actions that she believes as rightfully done. This amazing trait remains even as she proceeds into adulthood and meets the love of her life. She is able to deal with, and even stand up to Mr. Rochester’s unreasonable verbal attacks directed at her. She clearly shows her dauntless side of her personality, by speaking her own mind when Mr. Rochester demands for the money that he had given her. Jane refuses clear cut, and Mr. Rochester asks to then at least let him see the cash. Jane refuses again by retorting that he is “not to be trusted.” Jane has an honest and truthful soul who knows how to speak for herself, unlike many women during this period of time. Jane is never concerned about what other people would think of her if she tells them the exact truth about everything. She is able to inform her departure by cancelling off the wedding between herself and Mr. Rochester after what she had witnessed and experienced. Jane cries out “you are a married man-or as good as a married man, and wed to one inferior to you- to one with whom you have no sympathy- whom I do not believe you truly love; for I have seen and heard you sneer at her. I would scorn such a union: therefore I am better than you- let me go!” Jane is able to truthfully utter her thoughts, her true opinion without being afraid; even if it was to someone she dearly loved. When Mr. Rochester angrily cries out, “Jane, be still; don’t struggle so, like a wild frantic bird that is rending its own plumage in its

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.

“The real ornament of a woman is her character, her purity” (Ghandi). The Victorian society era was an era that prolonged from 1837-1901. The era inhabited queen Victoria of England when she reigned as a monarch of Great Britain. The Victorian epoch abided to be an epoch of virtue and purity. Women in Victorianism were not permitted to be seen with a man publicly and never the less be authorized to have sexual intercourse if not married. This era of constraints for the British had one goal and that goal was to cover women up and sex was only accredited when conceiving children. Society in the outside viewed a perfect female structure but if examined cautiously society converted sex and symbols in books. Soon the society

In the critical essay, “Almost my hope of heaven’: idolatry and messianic symbolism in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre,” Joshua analyzes the theme of idolatry and messianic symbolism in Jane Eyre. Joshua believes that Jane Eyre is a novel that revolves wholly on religion. He argues that, “one of the novel's purpose...is to show that human relationships are successful only if the partners in the relationship avoid the dangers of idolizing each other” (Joshua). I strongly agree with his opinion. One main reason Jane denies Rochester’s proposal is because she does not want to be inferior to him. When Rochester and Jane argue over whether or not Jane is going to let him order her around she says “‘I like to serve you, sir, and to obey you in all that is right’” (Bronte 250). From the beginning, Jane sees Rochester as a sort of messiah. Due to this, she refuses to marry him for she believes they will never truly be equals. However, as the novel progresses, Jane goes through internal developments that enable her to realize that her and Rochester can be equals. She realizes her self-worth and finds a balance between her principles and feelings. In one of the final passages of the novel, Jane says that her and Rochester have been married for ten years and she is “[her] husband’s life as fully as he is [hers]” (Bronte PAGE NUMBER). Here, we can see the Jane and Rochester are equals. This supports Joshua’s claim, for their relationship is only successful because of their equality. Rochester is no longer Janes “master” and she still remains her own-self.

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

During the victorian age, it was expected of a woman to be submissive and do what is told. However, Charlotte Brontё, a feminist of her time, went against society’s standards for women and spoke up about such injustice. Brontё went against traditional victorian etiquette when she developed a strong, independent, protagonist female main character, Jane in Jane Eyre, a coming of age novel, who did not follow proper victorian behavior.

Throughout the Victorian Era, there was an aura of confusion and contradiction. The metaphorical envelope was being pushed in the areas of science and literature, but respectability and morality

The fact that Jane flees only a few moments later for Mr. Rochester demonstrates how St. John’s guilt and view of cannot convince Jane to stay with him. Jane is willing to serve God, but not at the risk of her own life, which would happen living

Then, setting out on her own Bronte went to Roe Head to build a foundation for her writing skills and to become a teacher and governess. Wanting to further her education Bronte went to Brussels where she “found herself attracted to Constantin Heger, her teacher and the husband of the school’s owner. The emotional tension created by her apparently unreciprocated affection became integral to the dramatic structure of Jane Eyre’s relationship with Rochester” (Jane). Living in the same era as Jane, Bronte also found herself using the pen name of a male pseudonym, Currer Bell, to mask her identity as a woman (Gerin 125). “Like Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre resents being controlled by inferiors but uses this resentment to generate energy necessary for her survival and rise to independence” (Jane). Giving Jane, a mere governess, such a strong narrative voice in Jane Eyre, challenges gender and class roles of the Victorian era.

In addition, Janes first name is a pretty “plain” name, possibly showing Janes ugliness. For instance, we know that Jane is plain, due to all the statements that have been told to us throughout the book, one being by Abbot the Reeds maid, “’If she were a nice, pretty child, one might feel compassionate for her forlornness; but one really cannot for such a little toad as that.’” (Bronte 32). As a result of this, we get an assurance of how plain Jane really is, toad like as Abbot put it. This infers to us that Jane was not a very attractive person, just being a plain looking girl, nothing special about her. Moreover, we get even more of an assurance of Janes plainness by St. John, “She looks sensible, but not at all handsome.” (Bronte 390). Once again, we are directly given the fact that Jane is not an attractive person. That Jane is just plain, and not pleasing to the eye. Further, we are shown Janes name shows us her want of independence, we are shown this by a phrase told by Jane to Rochester, “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 world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience.” (Bronte 157). Therefore, we clearly see Janes want of being independent, she likes to be controlled by no one regardless of the reason.

John is a very devoted man to God, his intentions were moral and good, but he was "cold" and lacked the passion and the love for Jane and Jane lacked the passion and love for him as well. She says "St. John was a good man; but...he would hardly make a good husband; that it would be a trying thing to be his wife" meaning that he just wasn't for her and she didn't truly love him. he never wanted her to be his mistress, unlike Rochester. She says to Rochester "Sir, your wife is living...if I lived with you as you desire, I should then be your mistress; to say otherwise is sophistical--is false" thus proving she not only is aware that he wants her to become his mistress but she denies his request. Rochester even seems to draw her away from faith-based thinking with telling the reader that she thinks of him as her "idol" which unlike St. John who draws her closer to her faith in a sense. Although she refuses to be a mistress and draws her away from her faith-based ways, she has a deep and fiery love for him and he has a passion for her also. She actually had a big crush on him while he is telling her his past with Adele, after their encounter she tells the reader that "his face the object I best liked to

The ideal woman in the Victorian Era was created around the belief that women were fragile dolls that could be manipulated and toyed with due to their inferiority to men. “By law, a woman was the property of her father, husband or even her brother,” (Haluk). Women were not allowed to be their own person. They could not own property (Thomas) or do anything outside of the home without their “owner” or another married woman (Hughes). They had to do all the work in the home and even though they were not labeled this way, many could be considered slaves to the men in their household. Others were trophies that their husbands wanted to keep polished. A woman also needed to be “innocent, virtuous, biddable, dutiful and ignorant of intellectual opinion,” (Thomas). Women in the Victorian Era were expected to be

John, his character and marriage proposal is not sufficiently emphasized in the film, neither is the fact that Jane actually considered his request to marry him and go as missionaries in India. It is a fairly significant moment in Jane’s life, having encountered with a second proposal and romantic prospect, although so unlike the first one. St. John serves as a foil to Rochester: the first one is cold, austere, ambitious, religious and reserved, while the other is passionate, impetuous, dark and mysterious. Marrying Rochester, Jane would fulfill her emotional need for love and affection but would neglect her duty to her moral principles and to her dignity (by becoming a mistress while Bertha was still alive). On the other hand, marrying St. John would bring her spiritual and moral satisfaction (as she would have a religious and righteous partner), while also leading a meaningful life as a missionary in India and having the opportunity to be more than just a governess, but, nonetheless, it would be a loveless, passionless marriage. This internal battle Jane faces between having to choose whether to gratify her emotions or her moral principles is not highlighted in the film, although, in my opinion, it represents a crucial point in her life. In the novel, she earnestly considers St. John’s proposal before finally making her decision: ‘“Shall I?” I said briefly; and I looked at his features, beautiful in their harmony, but strangely formidable in