Gypsies in Nineteenth-Century England
Missing Works Cited
Despite the important role Gypsies played in the nineteenth-century, they were not automatically accepted as equals in society. In fact, from the moment they set foot on European soil, the Gyspies were misunderstood and even feared. These feelings became manifest in prejudices, which led to discriminatory actions. At the same time, however, Victorian society found itself fascinated with these strange Gypsies. The gypsy motif in Jane Eyre reflects the ambiguous attitude of Victorian society toward Gypsies. The depiction of "the Gypsy" at Thornfield Hall and the characters' reactions to her are reflections of prejudices based on the Gypsies' skin color, way of life, and traditions, and are also reflections of discriminatory treatment the Gypsies suffered. Simultaneously, many of the descriptions of the Gypsy are also the product of a romanticized view of Gypsies, which manifests itself works of fiction by many other authors throughout the Victorian Era.
The Victorians' initial impression of the Gypsies was not a favorable one. At first, the prejudices against Gypsies had obvious sources. Settled society has always had a fear of foreigners, so naturally, "the earliest response to the 'Egyptian' immigrants was rooted, generally, in a xenophobic fear and mistrust of aliens" (Mayall, "British Gypsies" 8). Besides being mistrusted as foreigners, the Gypsies fell victim to racial prejudice because of the color of their skin. Even long before the nineteenth-century, "the conviction that blackness denotes inferiority was already well-rooted in the Western mind. The nearly black skins of many Gypsies marked them out to be victims of this prejudice" (Kenrick and Puxon 19). Even if Charlotte Bronte never saw a Gypsy, she reflects these perceptions of them in her description of "the Gypsy" that visits Thornfield Hall. The Gypsy's most noticeable feature in Sam's mind as he describes her to the assembled guests is that she is "'almost as black as a crock'" (217, ch. 18). Later, when Jane goes for her interview with the Gypsy, she notes that her face "looked all brown and black" (221, ch. 19). Since the Gypsy turns out to be Mr. Rochester, and there is no indication that he actually blackened his face for his disguise, it may be that the Gypsy's black skin is an imagined product of the characters' preconceived notions about what Gypsies look like. Whatever the case, the fact that Bronte makes the Gypsy's skin color prominent in the characters' description of her reflects the racial prejudice that existed toward Gypsies in Victorian England.
The phrase “domestic violence” typically refers to violence between adult intimate partners. It has been estimated that every year there are about 3.3 to 10 million children exposed to domestic violence in the confines of their own home (Moylan, Herrenkohl, Sousa et al. 2009). According to research conducted by John W. Fantuzzo and Wanda K. Mohr(1999): “[e]xposure to domestic violence can include watching or hearing the violent events, direct involvement (for example, trying to intervene or calling the police), or experiencing the aftermath (for example, seeing bruises or observing maternal depression)” (Fantuzzo & Mohr, 22). The effects of exposure can vary from direct effects such as behavioral and developmental issues to interpersonal relationships, all of which lead to detrimental prospects on the child’s development. This paper will explore those effects and how it affects children.
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Jane was oppressed by the cultural norms and was forced to live in a society where the white society has power over the African-Americans. Emma is the result of long term overpowerment by the white society. John says, “She so despises her own skin that she can’t believe any one else could love it” (Fire, 14). Due to the cultural norms and stereotypes of the “Old Negro” she became a race radical. This is the old psychology which differed from the new psychology of the younger generations. In both plays, the opposing forces were Alec versus Jane and Emma versus John. These forces were the ideas that were attributed by the ideals that existed in society. It was believed that African-Americans talked, dressed, behaved, and thought in ways that lacked in sophistication and refinement. These were some of the attributes that society generally gave to the whites (Jarrett 837). Throughout, both plays the stereotypical language is present in both Jane and
In “Masks”, children are curious to know what is wrong with Lucy, they ask themselves why does she look the way she look. There is a moment where one of her friends asks Lucy if she is dying. Notice in this part how innocent her questions is for her to understand the magnitude of these words. Similarly, Baldwin in “Stranger in the Village” is treated different from the rest. Villagers express their doubts about the origin of his appearance. As an example, the writer describes how they start to question his physical characteristic. Some of them think that “his hair is made by cotton or wires”, also that “he can make a winter coat with his hair if he lets it grow.” The fact that “his skin color doesn’t rub off” is astonishing to them. However, he mentions that he knows there is no intentional unkindness, but a genuine wonder of what or who he
The history of the gypsies had not had a positive image in terms of what is to be considered socially acceptable. Because of the nomadic way of life. They have been looked down upon as outcast. Gypsies have been labeled as beggars, criminals, thieves and promoting the devils work by fortune telling. Gypsies are accused of being lazy, filthy, asocial, immoral, and lack work ethics. All of this being said in reference to the gypsy population raises a question in regard to the persecution of the gypsy during the holocaust. Was Hitler’s intent racially motivated, or were the gypsies perceived as a danger to society because of their conduct?
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.
Space exploration by the United States has been going on since the early nineteen hundreds. The impacts of space exploration can vary from being the first country ever to land on the moon, to having satellites orbit our planet. Despite the achievements space exploration has given to this country, there are many issues—with money, extraterrestrial threats, and the lack of a reason for funding—at hand that should be addressed to make decisions about the future of space exploration in the United States.
Moylan, Carrie A., et al. "The effects of child abuse and exposure to domestic violence on
Prevalence of childhood exposure of domestic violence can be understood considering many different things such as the numbers of children exposed and their experiences, how exposure impacts children development, factors that increase risks or provide protection against the negative effects of exposure, and the types of interventions that can be implemented to mitigate deleterious effects (Osofsky, 2003). The two most widely cited two researchers Carlson and Straus developed estimates of childhood exposure to domestic violence. Based on studies of the number of households experiencing domestic violence each year, Carlson found that at least 3.3 million children yearly are at risk of exposure to parental violence (Herrenkohl, Sousa, Tajima, Herremkohl & Moylan, 2008; Edleson et al., 2007). Straus estimated an even higher level of exposure using retrospective accounts by adults in their teenage years. Stratus estimated that 10 million American teenagers were expose...
In the beginning of Jane Eyre, Jane struggles against Bessie, the nurse at Gateshead Hall, and says, I resisted all the way: a new thing for me…"(Chapter 2). This sentence foreshadows what will be an important theme of the rest of the book, that of female independence or rebelliousness. Jane is here resisting her unfair punishment, but throughout the novel she expresses her opinions on the state of women. Tied to this theme is another of class and the resistance of the terms of one's class. Spiritual and supernatural themes can also be traced throughout the novel.
In order to discern between the Victorian and Romantic themes, Bronte selects certain characters to portray the perfect stereotype of each theme. Mademoiselle Celine Varens is the model of the Romantic attitude. Varens a “French opera-dancer” found herself as the “grande passion” of Mr. Rochester. The amour between Rochester and Varens started in a “complete establishment of servants, a carriage, cashmere, diamonds, dentells, etc.” and ended with Rochester “finding her out” with another man. Varens’ irrationality did not only affect Rochester, but also her child: “she abandoned her child and ran away with a musician or singer.” Celine Varens, a woman in a daring profession, led a life of passion, freedom and irresponsibility. Her life was ballad of adventure idolized by Romantics but frowned upon by society. Mrs. Reed is the perfect representative of Victorian realism. She had all the visual attributes found in a Victorian styled lady. She possessed gentry as the mistress of Gateshead Hall and her material wealth was made obvious by the luxuries found in her home –“a bed supported on massive pillows of mahogany, hung with curtains of damask”—and in her children “in their Muslim frocks and scarlet sashes.” Besides wealth and gentility, Mrs. Reed also maintained Victorian characteristics of insularity and censoriousness.
Lundy, M., & Grossman, S. F. (2005). The mental health and service needs of young children exposed to domestic violence: Supportive data. Families in Society, 86(1), 17-29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230168631?accountid=10825
Although Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre are comparatively different, the characters are delicately crafted to unfold a captivating theme throughout each novel which embodies the idea of the social outcast. The Monster and Jane Eyre struggle through exile due to an inability to fit into the social norms presented by the era. The characters embark on a journey while coping with alienation and a longing for domesticity which proves to be intertwined with challenges. Character, developed as social outcasts are appealing and sympathized with by readers because of their determination to reach a level of happiness. The voyage toward domesticity, away from the exile of society which Jane Eyre and The Monster embark on
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Gypsies: The last nomads, the free-spirited, passionate bohemians with their mysterious rituals and powers. This romanticism is nearly as unfair as the fear and hate distracting us from recognizing the hardships and persecution these “carefree” people have undergone for centuries. In Europe, the Roma (as they wish to be call) have been cast out, burned at the stake, sterilized, ghettoized, forced to give up their traditional way of life, caught in other people’s wars, and more than half a million were slaughtered in the Holocaust.