Discuss the treatment of women in society with reference to Charlotte
Bronte's Jane Eyre and Margaret Atwood's A Handmaids Tale.
In this essay, I will compare a pre-twentieth century novel with a
modern novel, and examine the discussion of the treatment of women in
society.
'Jane Eyre' was first published in 1847, and was written by Charlotte
Bronte. It is the story of a young woman, Jane Eyre, ill treated
through childhood, but determined and intelligent. Through the novel,
the reader watches her grow and develop as a person, and overcome many
problems, to become a respectable, independent woman. It is said that
'Jane Eyre' contains many autobiographical elements from Bronte's own
experiences of life.
Bronte uses this novel to observe and criticize oppressive social
ideas that were common in nineteenth century Victorian society. Jane's
position as a governess (another autobiographical element, as
Charlotte too was a governess) is an imperative tool in the novel, as
it provides a neutral vantage point from which to observe these
practices of Victorian society. Governesses were expected to have the
education and culture of the aristocracy, but were still looked at as
the same status as servants, as they were paid employees. They were
seen as lower class, as shown by Lady Ingram in chapter 17:
"Don't mention governesses, the word makes me nervous. I have suffered
a martyrdom from their incompetence."
"In hers [physiognomy] I see all the faults of her class."
Female oppression is another prominent issue in the book. Bronte
creates struggles that Jane must overcome to achieve equality with
men, and she resists the superior attitude of men who believe women
should have submissive positions. For ex...
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...ppressed. The message is that this balance between men and woman is
delicate and its future uncertain. In reading the book you realise
that it is entirely possible for woman to lose their rights
completely, and the social clock, in relation to woman in society,
could be turned back. The Handmaid's Tale is set in the future an any
signs of the rights of women as we know them are banished and barren,
except in the pain ridden memories of women living reduced roles.
Charlotte Bronte, although more subtle in her approach than Atwood,
displays just as much passion concerning rights of women. At several
points she acknowledges that women's role in society is questionable,
and should be a prominent issue in women's minds.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books and feel that both are
excellent pieces of literature that put across a strong, important
message.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton There have been many great feminists throughout history, who have changed and shaped society, all who have worked toward one goal, to empower women all over the world. One of these women, Elizabeth Stanton who fought for women’s suffrage was able to shape the way a nation perceived and fought for the rights of their people, allowing the women of today to benefit from her accomplishments on a substantial scale. Elizabeth Stanton was born on the 12th of November 1815, in Johnstown New York. She was fortunate enough to enjoy a privileged life and grew up among the wealthy. The daughter of Daniel Cady, a prominent judge and Margaret Livingstone, she was the eighth of eleven children.
In the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte shows us that all people have a feeling inside of them to recognizing what their personal desires and what their duty to others is. In Jane Eyre, the endless theme of unforgettable war between a passion and responsibility always appears, with a strong set of principles Jane is able to decide what is right. Throw out the book Charlotte Bronte show us that Jane’s integrity to her self is more important than what anybody else thinks of her. Duty and desire plays a huge role in which Jane has to learn to control her desire of her anger outburst and her duty to herself.
The origins of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s undying fervor for women’s rights derived from her early childhood. Stanton was born into a wealthy family, as her mother’s father had been colonel of the Continental Army and her father held an office in the New York State Assembly, and served as a judge on the New York Supreme Court. Despite her wealthy upbringing, her childhood was surrounded by the cult of domesticity and the belief on how women were of less value than men. Following her older brother’s death, she desired to fill in his void by taking up “masculine” hobbies: learning Greek, horseback riding, chess, and attending Johnstown Academy. Unfortunately, her father failed to acknowledge her achievements and acted indifferent toward them. As
Mary Wollstonecraft was a British feminist writer and intellectual person from the eighteenth century (“Who Is Mary Wollstonecraft?”). Raised by a violent and physically abusive father after her mother's death, Mary eventually left home to pursue a better life (“Who Is Mary Wollstonecraft?”). Though not receiving much education herself, Mary established a school for girls with her sister Eliza and friend Fanny, but it was shut down a year later because of financial issues (“On National Education”). Then taking up a job as a governess, she realized that an existence revolving around domestic labor did not suit her (Tomaselli). She next took up a position as a translator and publisher, and ultimately became an author with books such
Women have played a significant role even though they were not in position of power. Women have impacted their society and did many things for the citizens although nobody has really noticed it. Two women that have impacted their society is Queen Elizabeth and Empress Theodora.
Jane Eyre, the female protagonist of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, begins the novel as a ten-year old orphan living with her aunt in Victorian England. As an orphan, Jane gains very few happy experiences with her cousins—John, Georgina, and Eliza Reed—and her aunt—Mrs. Reed, and she has even fewer privileges in the Gateshead estate where she is viewed as “less than a servant [because] she does nothing for her keep” (14). However, Jane, for a youth of barely ten years, clearly communicates an intrinsic dream to find a community in which she not only feels loved and respected, but also finds that she can act independently of this community. Unfortunately, these desires work against the conventions of society that would rather see Jane be “kept humble” (36) and utilized “properly” according to her class. Nevertheless, Jane Eyre’s precise articulation, effective assimilation will help her conquer society’s conventions and gain a sense of individualism.
Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontë, was published in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Company, in London. This year is exactly ten years into Queen Victoria’s sixty-four year reign of the British Empire. The Victorian Era was renowned for its patriarchal Society and definition by class. These two things provide vital background to the novel, as Jane suffers from both. Jane Eyre relates in some ways to Brontë’s own life, as its original title suggest, “Jane Eyre: An Autobiography”. Charlotte Brontë would have suffered from too, as a relatively poor woman. She would have been treated lowly within the community. In fact, the book itself was published under a pseudonym of Currer Bell, the initials taken from Brontë’s own name, due to the fact that a book published by a woman was seen as inferior, as they were deemed intellectually substandard to men. Emily Brontë, Charlotte’s sister, was also forced to publish her most famous novel, Wuthering Heights, under the nom de plume of Ellis Bell, again taking the initials of her name to form her own alias. The novel is a political touchstone to illustrate the period in which it was written, and also acts as a critique of the Victorian patriarchal society.
The Feminist Movement begin in the in 1848 spearheaded by the Seneca Fall Convention (Smith & Hamon, 2012). Feminism is the reaction to many year of oppression by a male dominated society. In the Feminist Movement women like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Canton Stanton desired rights, opportunities, and the identity that women deserved (Smith & Hamon, 2012). Osmond and Thorne (1993) stated that Feminist respond by expressing their desire to “develop knowledge that will further social change, knowledge that will help confront and end subordination of women as it related to the pattern of subordination based on social class, race, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation” (p. 592). The “first wave” of the Feminist Movement
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.
Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre entails a social criticism of the oppressive social ideas and practices of nineteenth-century Victorian society. The presentation of male and female relationships emphases men’s domination and perceived superiority over women. Jane Eyre is a reflection of Brontë’s own observation on gender roles of the Victorian era, from the vantage point of her position as governess much like Jane’s. Margaret Atwood’s novel was written during a period of conservative revival in the West partly fueled by a strong, well-organized movement of religious conservatives who criticized ‘the excesses of the sexual revolution.’ Where Brontë’s Jane Eyre is a clear depiction of the subjugation of women by men in nineteenth-century Western culture, Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale explores the consequences of a reversal of women’s rights by men. This twentieth-century tradition of dystopian novels is a possible influence, with classics like Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984 standing prominence. The pessimism associated with novels of this genre—where society is presented as frightening and restrictive—exposes the gender inequality between men and women to be deleterious.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a novel filled with many symbolic references that reflect not only the issues/concerns of the Puritan era but also of similar issues of his own time period, which Hawthorne reveals his personal opinions on. One example of said issues evident in his work is the Puritan society’s view/treatment of women, which he appears to express contempt for through the use of his character Hester Prynne. However, even though Hawthorne appears to not be in favor of how the Puritan government perceives/deals with women, he also doesn’t seem to be willing to allow the equally involved patriarchal system to be challenged or abolished since it works in a man’s favor and at times he even concurs with society in terms
Jane Eyre has been acclaimed as one of the best gothic novels in the Victorian Era. With Bronte’s ability to make the pages come alive with mystery, tension, excitement, and a variety of other emotions. Readers are left with rich insight into the life of a strong female lead, Jane, who is obedient, impatient, and passionate as a child, but because of the emotional and physical abuse she endures, becomes brave, patient, and forgiving as an adult. She is a complex character overall but it is only because of the emotional and physical abuse she went through as a child that allowed her to become a dynamic character.
In Mary Wollstonecraft's “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”, Wollstonecraft constantly compares men and women. Her comparison ranges from their physical nature to their intelligence, and even down to the education that each sex received.
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.
In the 19th century, there was an up rise in feminism for their social role in life. Women were expected to be an average house wife, to take orders from their husbands without questioning them. The woman did not have privileges such as right to vote, to be educated, be free spirited and hold jobs. They lived in patriarchal society where man made all the decision in the household and his wife followed them. The inequality between the genders created frustration amongst females, of which after a prolonged mental impact they revolted. It can be said that the ambition for women to fight for their rights sparked the feminist movement. This movement was based on set of viewpoints, political ideologies, cultural and moral beliefs where women felt compelled to obtain their given rights. The feminist movement was a multi-facet of waves, each of which left an impression to the issues in relation to social status, legal inequalities, and liberation.