Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

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Recommended: Analysis of character Jane Eyre

Set in the early nineteenth century, Charlotte Bronte’s coming-of-age novel, Jane Eyre remarks upon the ill acceptance of social behaviours between various social classes in the Victorian era. When Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1832, Britain began its transformation into a world power and the fascinating aspect of that time period is the rigid class systems between the rich and poor, which also attributed to the social and economic injustice between the classes. Throughout the novel, particularly those of the experiences of Jane Eyre, it is possible to observe how Bronte expresses her “personal” modernism in Jane Eyre. Rising from this modernism, the variable that enabled the Jane Eyre to outcompete her evolutionary rivals is passion. Indeed, passion is the hallmark of modernism, aiding the prevalence of Jane Eyre amongst the mindless followers of the upper-class, albeit whilst hiding an inherent dilemma. This dilemma is the cognitive shift in the logic of the social class system, underpinned by the misperception of social behaviours stemming from this class system. This is an examination of this shift in how society is viewed, brought about by standards set by the upper class, incorporating an analysis of why Victorian readers cannot be forgiven for holding the belief that social class defines social behaviour, and discussing the way in which Jane Eyre has disclosed the altered human attitudes, values, and beliefs about the discourse of social class and behaviour. Social class, defined by the Australia Macquarie Dictionary as, “…a group which is part of the hierarchical structure of a society, usually classified by occupation, and having common economic, cultural and political status”, is a ubiquitous element of pr... ... middle of paper ... ... behaviours. The Victorian society recognise this cognitive shift but refuse to act as seen through Bronte’s novel, that informs the individualists around that time, that they were not alone. Victorian readers should not be forgiven for accepting as truth the belief that social class defines social behaviour. However, class in the field of society has led to a cognitive, underpinned by a misperception of the social behaviour stemming from an overreliance upon the capabilities of social class. This analysis recommends that in order to maintain class in society, and guarantee its ongoing positive influence, Victorians must not abrogate responsibility for the social behaviour to social class, but take foremost accountability on individualism. Class is a function of society, and social class, if allowed to flourish, will only serve to continually improve the society.

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