Jane Eyre and Wise Sargasso Sea

1020 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Patriarchy in Jane Eyre

"Inequitable power relations based on gender and /or class and /or nationality are endemic to the human condition. Any aspiration towards equitable relations and/or social orders requires the undermining of power dynamics and groping towards humane modes of being. Explore in the relation to two texts articulating a clear stance on the issue."

In both novels Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea, it is evident that inequitable power relations based on gender/class/nationality plays a prominent role within the human livelihood. Males have always been identified as the dominant gender. It is exemplified in many facets of society even to this day. Men receive many different connotations attached to them which are based on stereotypes, these include independent, strong, smart and dynamic. On the other hand, most time women are portrayed in the opposite, initiating that they are weak and is dependant upon men.
Jayne Eyre was written based on life in 19th century Britain. Therefore, social class was a huge issue. Britain was governed by social class, in that people stayed in the class into which they were born into." You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not live here with gentlemen's children like us."(Bronte chapter 1) Throughout the novel, Jayne holds a position that is between classes. Jayne is both an orphan at Gateshead yet a governess at Thornfield. Jane is consistently a poor soul within a healthy environment, particularly with the Reeds and at Thornfield. Bronte created social mobility for Jayne Eyre, in so much as to examine the confines and consequences of class boundaries and gender inequa...

... middle of paper ...

... the end of the novel, rather than having to settle for the role either he or St John intended for her.
According to Angela Andersson, in general social terms, the novel does not ultimately challenge the status quo – the present state of things: it points out religious hypocrisy and the abuse of wealth and privilege in relations to women, but does not argue for any fundamental alteration in the social organization of society. To free herself in the patriarchal society Jane meets and overcomes: oppression by the Reed family and Mr. Brocklehurst, starvation at Lowood and during her wandering before reaching Marsh End, madness in the Red Room and at Thornfield and coldness by being lonely and by the way St. John treated her. Even though she longs for love she does not let Rochester or St. John exploit her and in the end she finds the equal relationship she longed for.

Show More
Related

  • Jane Eyre Essay

    1428 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre there are many occasions in which there is motifs about division and bias relations. Money was a major division between people in the Victorian Era. Family made people rise in the standings with others, If your family was rich or well known, then you were going to be well known and well liked. There are many situations in which Jane is thought of as poor and worthless, as well as having no family.

    Read More

  • Feminism In Jane Eyre

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre may be superficially read as simply a sweet romance in which Jane ends up with the man of her dreams after overcoming many obstacles and challenges. But doing so misses the much deeper—richer—messages of Bronte's lasting masterpiece. A more thoughtful reading reveals this novel, especially its heroine Jane, challenging centuries-old gender roles which assume male supremacy, characterizing men as the dominant, more privileged gender, while women are oppressed into inferior and submissive roles. Of course this Victorian novel portrays the expected gender roles of both men and women in 19th century England, but Jane rises out of the patriarchy challenging the social roles assigned her with a personality marked by sass and self-assurance . Ms. Bronte, through Jane, ultimately demonstrates that women can live their lives on equal terms with—or independent of—men.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    Independence, the capacity to manage ones own affairs, make one’s own judgments, and provide for one’s self. Jane Eyre herself is a very independent woman. Throughout her life she has depended on very few people for very little. Charlotte Brontë wants the reader to learn that independence can open many doors of possibilities.

    Read More

  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton And On The Equality Of The Sexes

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each of the texts, although in different ways, suggest that inequality serves as a function of a male dominated social and cultural hier...

    Read More

  • A Woman’s Independency

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Through Bronte's Eyes

    3631 Words  | 8 Pages

    This novel was one of the most radical books of the Victorian Era. It portrayed women as equals to men. It showed that it was possible that men could even be worse than women, through John and Jane. It taught the Victorians never to judge a book by its cover. The novel would not be as successful were it not for Charlotte Brontë’s talent in writing, and were it not for the literary devices employed.

    Read More

  • Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre

    1754 Words  | 4 Pages

    Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre chronicles the growth of her titular character from girlhood to maturity, focusing on her journey from dependence on negative authority figures to both monetary and psychological independence, from confusion to a clear understanding of self, and from inequality to equality with those to whom she was formerly subject. Originally dependent on her Aunt Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Mr. Rochester, she gains independence through her inheritance and teaching positions. Over the course of the novel, she awakens towards self-understanding, resulting in contentment and eventual happiness. She also achieves equality with the important masculine figures in her life, such as St. John Rivers and Mr. Rochester, gaining self-fulfillment as an independent, fully developed equal.

    Read More

  • Relationship Between Men and Women: Jane Eyre and The Handmaid's Tale

    1786 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sourced in Eagleton, M. (1996) Feminist Literary Theory: A Reader. Electronic Information Edwards-Capes, Kirsty (2012) Gender and Sexism in Charlotte Bront’s Jane Eyre, available from http://www.cbc.org/e http://kirstycapes.co.uk/post/19688269684/gender-and-sexism-in-charlotte-brontes-jane-eyre 18 th December 2013

    Read More

  • Family and Masculinity in Jane Eyre

    2584 Words  | 6 Pages

    Jane does not experience a typical family life throughout the novel. Her various living arrangements led her through different households, yet none were a representation of the norm of family life in the nineteenth century. Through research of families in the nineteenth century, it is clear that Jane’s life does not follow with the stereotypical family made up of a patriarchal father and nurturing mother, both whose primary focus was in raising their children. Jane’s life was void of this true family experience so common during the nineteenth century. Yet, Jane is surrounded by men, who in giving an accurate portrayal of fathers and masculinity in the nineteenth century, fulfill on one hand the father role that had never been present in her life, and on the other hand the husband portrait that Jane seeks out throughout the novel.

    Read More

  • Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre - The Victories of Jane Eyre

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    All people live by their own codes of conduct. Everyone, be they male or female, young or old, has their own sets of values, which they adhere to and which are unchanging even in the face of personal or societal pressures and conflicts to give them up. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane is tempted many times to acquiesce to others' wishes and, thereby, give up her own moral standards and beliefs. Yet Jane remains steadfast in adhering to her personal code of conduct, namely to maintain feelings of high self-esteem, not to let herself be used and abused by others, and never to give up her religious convictions. Through many disappointments that she is faced with and with her constant struggle to gain independence and love, Jane never loses her self of self, nor does she give up her moral and spiritual values. Jane Eyre, from the very beginning of the novel, shows courage and self-confidence when she stands up to Mrs. Reed for wrongly accusing her to Mr. Brocklehurst of being a liar. Jane, a quiet, pensive girl, who until now took her aunt and cousins' torment without saying a word, suddenly could no longer hold her tongue. She suddenly felt a need to tell her aunt that as much as she appreciated having her put a roof over her head and providing food for her, her existence in Gateshead was nothing less than abominable. She says that servants are treated better than she is, and that Mrs. Reed was not keeping her promise to her deceased husband to raise Jane as her own child. Mrs. Reed, unable to answer Jane's accusations, leaves the room immediately, thus allowing Jane to bask in the glory of victory for the first time in her life. This episode ...

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Essay on Social Class

    569 Words  | 2 Pages

    Charlotte Brontë’s novel, Jane Eyre, is set in a Victorian England, where social class is a huge factor in life. Brontë is very critical of Victorian England’s strict hierarchy. the main character, Jane, is a governess. Her social position is very complicated in which she has to be sophisticated, educated, intelligent, and soft spoken but she is then talked down to as she is of a lower class. The job of a governess is to teach children, whether it be art, writing or reading english literature. Victorian society is very corrupt and in the novel Brontë truly captures and illustrates the challenges that Jane has to face as a governess. The novel also emphasizes the social gap between individuals and how big it really is. In Victorian society, the rich get the most out of life and life for the poor gets harder. No individual should judge or belittle another due to the very minor factor of social status, but it seems to be very important in Jane’s society. The message that Brontë expresses in the novel is that social class is a meaningless catalyst in the progression of relationships, creating giant gaps between individuals.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Imperialism

    2519 Words  | 6 Pages

    Although women had their ideologies and independent thoughts, they were to be represented by their men. Jane Eyre gives a critical evaluation and contributing statements on the facts about female Other in the form of oppression and colonialism. Culture plays a huge role in this part because, in any society, culture overrules some of the most popular practices by Englishmen on their women. The woman captured in Jane Eyre adopted cultural systems that placed her in the house and never allowed her to grow.

    Read More

  • Charlotte Brontë’s Projections and Perceptions in Jane Eyre

    1960 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a novel about a woman, Jane, moving from place to place on a path to find her own feeling of independence. Throughout her journey, Jane encounters many obstacles to her intelligence. Male dominance proves to be the biggest obstruction at each stop of Jane's journey. As Jane progressed through the novel her emotional growth was primarily supported by the people and the places she was around. This examination will look for textual support from different sections of Jane Eyre to review how Jane had grown emotionally and intellectually as she moved from location to location, as well as looking at critical analysis from Bronte critics as to how each location plays a role in Jane’s progression.

    Read More

  • Role of Women in Jane Eyre

    1506 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Issues In Victorian Society In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre, is not a book that can easily be viewed through one critical theory. However, by knowing the historical background of when Bronte developed her novel, readers are able to understand Jane Eyre on a deeper level. The Victorian era was a time of change, and what authors like Charlotte Bronte did was help increase the change by shedding light into problems in Victorian society. Jane Eyre touches on many of the issues in Victorian society like feminist issues, class struggles, and the relationship between Britain and its colonies. Not only can readers see how much society has changed, but also the similarities. By understanding the novel at a historical level, readers can understand the novel through the lense

    Read More

More about Jane Eyre and Wise Sargasso Sea

Open Document