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Rochester and Janes relationship
Analysis of jane eyre oppression
The Victorian era gender roles
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Jane is unable to escape her submissive mindset because of her position as a governess, which shapes her perception of herself and her position in society. In Victorian society, women were expected to be dependent on either a wealthy husband or a male employer. Jane finds satisfaction in her vocation as a governess, although she recognizes the dependent lifestyle that accompanies her position. Provided a wider range of labor opportunities, women serving as governesses could harness their multitude of talents and thrive in self-sufficiency, but were expected to refrain from doing so. On the other hand, women who marry for monetary security, while still deferential to their husbands, are provided positions of authority that enable them to harass …show more content…
Rochester sets himself apart by refusing to demean Jane based on her position alone. His refreshing perspective encourages Jane to distinguish different types of servitude as either active or passive based on the varying amount of pleasure she derives from each task; she perceives her teaching role at Lowood and her childhood with the Reeds as passive, but aiding Rochester outside of the contractual bonds of a governess as active (d’Albertis 268). The differentiation Jane establishes between aspects of her duty makes her even more dependent because she is now emotionally as well as physically dependent on Rochester; even Jane’s disposition becomes dependent on Rochester’s treatment of her, and his emotional fluctuations reinforce her insecurities (Owsley 59). Nevertheless, Jane is unable to pursue her affections because of the constraints of class structure that forbid romantic relationships between an employer and …show more content…
The affection between them increases as a consequence of the role reversals, as Rochester’s impairments redirect his focus from pointless male posturing to the cultivation of their emotional connection (Lyndon 25). Likewise, Jane, free from the burden of poverty, is able to express a wider range of emotions than when she first knew Rochester. Jane’s morals no longer conflict with her love for Rochester because his revelations have inspired him to place greater value on the opinions of others, so he respects both Jane’s individuality and the principles she advocates, thereby allowing her to surrender her heart to him
realizes that they both need each other, Rochester is now physically dependent on her. But, Jane
By comparing St. John to a statue, the reader is forced to see St. John as someone who is cold and rigid. Jane sets up the perception that St.John is disconnected from human feelings. Jane also presents a biased view of men when she first meets Rochester, who later becomes her husband. Furthermore, Jane’s first impressions of Rochester are also negative. Upon first being introduced to Rochester, after he asked to see her, Jane comments, “But it appeared he was not in the mood to notice us, for he never lifted his head as we approached. . .
Jane knows that she loves Mr. Rochester and is the right one for him but she is confused because he hasn’t really interacted with her. He tries to tell her to join everyone but that isn’t what she wants. She wants to talk to him how they used to talk before. The way Jane doesn’t interact with the guests is similar to her childhood.
The odd relationship that takes shape between Mr.Rochester and Jane is one that becomes serious gradually. It seems to give Jane pleasure that Mr.Rochester believes her to be of intelligence that is peculiar for a schoolgirl. The bluntness that they share in a way shows flirtation between the characters but then the way that Rochester refers to Jane as little friend shows him as a type of father-like portrait.
As the story progresses Jane is slowly but surely transforming into a new woman. From the beginning, Jane has always possessed a sense of her dignity. Jane integrity is constantly tested over the progression of the novel, and Jane must learn to balance the repeated conflicting parts of her in order to find contentment. During this era in England, women are viewed differently than they are today. In the 19th century women in England were expected to maintain a certain image or act in a certain manner which is referred to as the traditional woman who accepts her role in society. Men are the dominant ones in the society. Although women are expected to be a traditional woman, not all of them follow play the part. This is a woman who does not live by the standards of the society. A new woman does not sit back and do as she is told; she makes her own rules and determines her own success. These are all characteristics that Jane starts to gain.
Jane is the mistress of her house as her father is away on a business trip and he's gone Janes governess is very mean and rude to Jane, Bella and Yetta so Jane threatens to fire her governess, Ms. Milhouse. “You’re even more foolish than I thought! You can’t fire me! You’re just a girl. You’re nothing. Just a bit of fluff your father’s going to use to marry off, to enhance his business. That’s all you’re worth. That’s all any girl is worth.(Haddix 167). Janes governess Ms. Milhouse tells Jane, that she’s powerless and can do nothing and then tells Jane that no girl is worth anything but a business exchange. This is another example to what a great extent this bias and sexism goes, to that even Jane’s governess as a girl herself, still says extremely sexist things. Jane like Bella also naturally retaliates against this injustice because she knows that her treatment is unfair. ‘“Please!” Jane shouted at him, sliding into the backseat. “You have to take me to . . .” Where could she go? Somewhere away from this house, away from her father.”(Haddix 203). Jane rebels against this unfairness by running away because she’s upset and mad. Though this may seem like a slightly childish reaction her purpose is to attract her inattentive fathers attention. Jane though in a very different setting is still treated poorly because she’s a girl and she too rebels against her unfair treatment though in a very different
First, the 1900’s is a time where women are trying to put away the homemaker image and obtain work. This causes many hardships between husbands and wives. Jane is on the verge of beginning to leave her homemaker image and begin a career in writing. “I am sitting by the window now, up in the atrocious nursery, and there is nothing to hinder my writing much as I please, save lack of strength” (Gilman, 1599). Jane is starting to recognize that she is loosing her feminism. John recognizes this and tries to do everything he can to stop Jane. John knows that Jane is putting aside her role as being a wife, homemaker and mother. In these times, husbands’ do not believe that women could balance both home and work responsibilities. Jane decides to oppose the homemaker life and branch out into writing. The feminist role is “The concept of "The New Woman," for example, began to circulate in the 1890s-1910s as women are pushing for broader roles outside the home-roles that could draw on women's intelligence and non-domestic skills and talents” (http:/...
...life. Adams’ points out that Rochester believed he had “made” Jane a woman; she was not a woman in her own right. Without Rochester’s presence looming over her, she is simply a child. These roles are reversed, and Jane feels in control when Rochester is blinded by the fire set off by Bertha. Jane’s “nurturing custodianship” of him makes her feel equivalent to him, thus leading them to get married.
This brought into question Jane’s grand need for independence. Jane’s equality in a relationship is derived from her desire for independence. Jane reveals her need for independence in her relationship with Mr. Rochester when she told him she would always call him master but she would not be inferior to him. Haiyan Gao asserts in her article “Reflection On feminism in Jane Eyre,” “Jane loves Rochester with all her heart and Rochester’s status and wealth make him so high above for Jane to approach, yet she never feels herself inferior to Rochester though she is a humble family teacher.” It is also notable that Jane does not pursue a relationship with Mr. Rochester with the intention of gaining money.
Women of the Victorian era were repressed, and had little if any social stature. They had a very few rights and fewer options open to them for self-support. For most women the only way to live decently was to get married, and in many cases it was not up to the women to choose whom she married. It was almost unheard of for a woman to marry out of her social class (Cain 20). If a woman did not marry, the only ways she could make a living other than becoming a servant was either to become a prostitute or a governess. For the most part, a woman was not given the opportunity to go to school and earn a degree unless she was born into a high social class. The average Victorian woman was treated not as a person, but as an object or piece of property. She had very few rights either in society, or marriage (Cain, 25). Bronte, born into a middle class family, refused to be repressed by society. She recognized the injustices of her society, and in rebellion against society’s ideologies involving women, wrote Jane Eyre.
Similar to many of the great feministic novels of its time, Jane Eyre purely emerges as a story focused on the quest for love. The novel’s protagonist, Jane, searches not only for the romantic side of love, but ultimately for a sense of self-worth and independence. Set in the overlapping times of the Victorian and Gothic periods, the novel touches upon both women’s supposed rights, and their inner struggle for liberty. Orphaned at an early age, Jane was born into a modest lifestyle, without any major parent roles to guide her through life’s obstacles. Instead, she spent much of her adolescent years locked in imaginary chains, serving those around her but never enjoying the many decadences life has to offer. It is not until Jane becomes a governess that many minute privileges become available to her and offer Jane a glance at what life could have been. It is on her quest for redemption and discovery that she truly is liberated. Throughout Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre, the story’s protagonist Jane, struggles to achieve the balance of both autonomy and love, without sacrificing herself in the process.
The realistic novel places greater emphasis on its characters, rather than its plot, and explores the relationships between these characters. The selected passage shows both the servant-master aspect of Jane and Mr. Rochester’s relationship, as well as its romantic nature. At the beginning of the selected passage, Jane affectionately describes Mr. Rochester as a “kind master,” which is indicative that even after his proposal, she is unable to separate herself from her position as a servant. This is further emphasized when Jane states that “he would send for [her] in the morning,” whic...
Women, in all classes, were still living in a world which was misogynistic and male-dominated. Their purpose in life was to produce male heirs and maintain the home by hiring and overseeing servants. It was also taboo for one to marry significantly below one’s social class. This is one reason that Jane is not a conventional heroine for the society of her time. Although, as a governess, she is not considered to be as low as a housemaid, she is still part of the hired help in the house. This is why it is unconventional for her and Mr Rochester to be in a relationship. Yet this is not as peculiar as how Jane Eyre ends their relationship due to her sense of betrayal. It would have been considered extremely foolish for a working-woman’s sense of betrayal to end and turn down a man of great wealth.
...e Jane proves herself able to function, through the time she spends at Moor House, in a community and in a family. She will not depend solely on Rochester for love and she can be financially independent. Furthermore, Rochester is blind at the novels end and thus dependent upon Jane to be his guide.
This classic English novel focuses on Jane’s struggle against societal expectations of class and of gender. Jane had many struggles with many characters throughout the novel, and this essay focused on some of the most important characters and the most important instances. Those struggles helped her become a smart, independent woman.