Jane Eyre Research Paper

1393 Words3 Pages

“Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts (Brontё 130). These aspirations for freedom and equality are characteristic of the protagonist, Jane Eyre, in Charlotte Brontë’s eloquently written novel, Jane Eyre. This narrative tracks Jane’s search for identity and equal status as she faces the restrictive ideals of Victorian society, as well as the profound toil of finding true love in such a setting. Throughout her work, brilliant novelist, Charlotte Brontë, is able to illuminate the oppressive nature of society for women during her own time, while simultaneously making Jane’s struggle tangible, understandable, and one that proves her ability …show more content…

In her early life Brontё was raised in a strict household by her clergyman father and a religious aunt, after her mother and two eldest siblings passed away. She and her sister Emily attended the Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge, but these ambitious sisters also seeked more education within their own home. Being a writer all her life, Brontë published her first and best known piece of writing, Jane Eyre, in 1847 under the male pseudonym, Currer Bell. One must understand that in the 1840’s women authors were not recognized with the same credibility as male authors; hence Brontё was obligated to publish the novel under a male pseudonym. As Brontë’s life was plagued with adversity, it is not surprising to see her feminist views playing such an influential role in modeling her protagonist Jane, in her most memorable work, Jane …show more content…

Once Jane receives notice that a Mrs. Fairfax of Thornfield, needs a governess for a little girl named Adele, she immediately accepts this new position. She is introduced to many new personalities, one being her superior, Mr.Rochester. Her free spirit and vocal opinion in her relationship with Rochester proves her account as a feminist woman. Even though she is a governess, she does not consider herself as Rochester’s subordinate in terms of intellectual caliber. She claims,“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”(160). As a governess Jane has no qualms in terms of speaking up to Rochester, seeing that she states “I do not think sir you have the right” and claims that superiority is derived from what has been done with time and experience; even those who are impoverished and underprivileged, such as Jane, have had both time and experience. Due to her growth and improvement as a result of these experiences, Jane is able to equate herself with Rochester, and confirms her independent dignity and strong personality, having expressed these feelings without fear. After a shaky introduction to Rochester, Jane and he seem to formulate a

Open Document