Jane Eyre is a typical novel of its time. Discuss.
Discuss this quotation, paying particular attention to the social,
cultural and historical context within which it was published.
There are a large number of elements in the novel 'Jane Eyre' that are
very typical of the way of life in the mid 19th century, and also of
other novels at that time. Through the novel Charlotte Bronte puts
across exactly the factors which were characteristic of the late 18th
and 19th century: class and status – both of women and of poor people;
public health and illnesses at the time; religion, as well as the
gothic elements which were particularly common in 18th/19th century
books.
Outside even of the actual story, we see evidence historically of the
status of women during the 18th and 19th century through the fact that
because Charlotte Bronte was a woman, to get her novel published –
regardless of its quality - she was forced to use a male pseudonym,
Currer Bell. This is a classic demonstration of how women at the time
were seen as inferior to men and the sexist views that restricted them
in the mid 19th century.
The second example of typicality in the novel is the "Red Room";
Charlotte Bronte uses the room to incorporate into the novel the
gothic elements which were popular culturally at that time. Bronte
puts the room across as a gothic, sinister omen through Jane's fear of
it and the association she makes with it and her uncle's death.
Further gothic elements are seen later in the novel through Bertha
Mason.
Jane's arrival at Lowood introduces the reader to the appalling public
health conditions which were customary to Bronte during her lifetime.
It's likely that the death of Jane's close friend, Helen Burns i...
... middle of paper ...
... similar to
Bronte’s experiences which were characteristic of the time she was
alive – public health and illness in the 19th century; social
incongruence and status; the importance of religion and the position
of the poorer class and of women. What, however, is most definitely
not typical of the mid 19th century, is the radical feminism which is
expressed through ‘Jane Eyre’. Jane’s belief in herself as an equal
individual is arguably the impetus of the questioning of class, status
and male superiority that followed the mid 19th century. Subsequent to
‘Jane Eyre’, the late 19th and 20th century saw the disintegration of
social segregation. The absolutely unique themes of the novel, in
particular the extreme feminism and strength of a woman’s mind confirm
that there are aspects of ‘Jane Eyre’ that are most definitely not
typical of the time it was written.
The red hue is conjointly used in The Book of Revelations as the color of the seven headed dragon. “Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems” (Revelation 12:3). This dragon represents evil and esoteric darkness. The tenebrous serpent is Jane’s burden due to her extreme passions and unpleasant aunt. While crimson is not traditionally associated with light-dark imagery, the red room was selected to illustrate both Jane’s passion as a child and as the color of war and bloodshed. At this moment in the novel Jane is bleeding from the violent head wound she received from John Reed, this physical blow only begins to scratch the surface of the horrible war Jane has been fighting. The psychological and even sometimes physical war is fought for Jane’s equality and the right to love and be loved. Brontë progresses to illustrate the vile sanguine room. “Out of these deep surroundings shades rose high, and glared white, the piled-up mattresses and pillows of the bed, spread with a snowy Marseilles counterpane. Scarcely less prominent was an ample cushioned chair near the head of the bed, also white, and looking as I thought, like a pale throne” (Brontë 17). The white chair is symbolic of justice and the victory of incorruptibility. The allusion to the stark white demonstrates the innocence of Jane, against those charges vehemently thrust upon her by John Reed. This is further affirmed with the mention of the snowy throne. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God...And the sea...
When taking into account feministic views in the book, Jane Eyre, it is important to connect with the time period to accurately understand the point of view the author is trying to express. The Victorian Era focuses on telling a story through a dramatic monologue. Their focus is to reveal aspects of human psychology and through Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte does so by showing Jane grow up and connect her with the importance of the changing views of children into adults in the Victorian Era. In relation to A Room of One's Own and The Subjection of Women, there are feministic views present throughout both poems but in Jane Eyre the feministic theme is challenged by Jane because she wants to overcome the obstacles in her life, which Bronte does an excellent job of expressing because she too went through a lot of the same experiences and can express her true feelings through this novel.
In the novel Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte, Jane is faced with a never before struggle of love. Her entire life she kept quiet on her inner feelings and very seldom did she express them fully. However, when Mr. Rochester is presented in her life, this newfound emotion comes into play. At first glance one might think that the chestnut tree has little significance in this passage, but in fact if one reads more closely, one finds that great insight is provided by potentially foreshadowing events within the novel through explicit details.
In Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre, the characters of Jane and Mr. Rochester can easily be considered a dichotomy of each other; they are dissimilar and separate, almost like polar opposites, not only because of the obvious gender differences, but also in terms of station; Mr. Rochester, is an well-educated man of privilege, and Jane’s employer, while Jane, herself, whose only education stems from an all girls boarding school, is his employee, and Mr. Rochester’s subordinate. Mr. Rochester has ‘more’ compared to Jane; he is more educated, is more well-versed, more well-traveled, and is more prosperous. With Bronte’s novel, it is understood that this abundance Rochester lives in is not solely based on his status, but also based on his sex; he also has the ability, should he choose to, to improve his standing even further because he is a man.
It is human nature to search for a sense of belonging and identity in a world in which seems vast and incomprehensible. The process of self-discovery is a long and arduous journey, undertaken by only those of the strongest character. Charlotte Brontë’s, Jane Eyre, is a classic exemplar of a “heroine who refuses to be placed in the traditional female position of subservience and who disagrees with her superiors, stands up for her rights, and ventures creative thoughts”(McFadden-Gerber). In the nineteenth century, the period in which the novel was written, “women were dominated by their sexuality, and were expected to fall silently into the social mold crafted by men, since they were regarded as irrational, sensitive, and dutiful” (“Historical”). The novel’s protagonist, Jane Eyre, struggles to understand and adhere to these strict expectations, “in some situations, Jane deploys middle-class and genteel identities and in others critiques them; in still other circumstances, she mobilizes a radical identity" (Vanden). These contradicting personalities initially prevent Jane from establishing a sense of gender identity; however, as she matures, uninhibited by society’s influence, Jane formulates her own gender identity based upon her experiences. Throughout the course of the novel, Jane begins to disregard traditional gender roles imposed on women within the Victorian society, and accept her emerging independence and sexuality.
When creating a literary work, authors often write what they know. It isn’t uncommon for an author to weave their own experiences, ideals, and opinions into their writing. Especially for a work of fiction, it is much easier for an author to create a believable and likeable story when they can extract details from the life they have already lived. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, is no exception. The original novel, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, published under Brontë’s pen name, Currer Bell, was titled as such because Brontë modeled Eyre after herself so much. In fact, in a conversation with her sisters, Brontë said she would show them “a heroine as plain and small as” herself (“Introduction”). It is for
Parallel to many of the great feministic novels throughout literary history, Jane Eyre is a story about the quest for authentic love. However, Jane Eyre is unique and separate from other romantic pieces, in that it is also about a woman searching for a sense of self-worth through achieving a degree of independence. Orphaned and dismissed at an early age, Jane was born into a modest lifestyle that was characterized by a form of oppressive servitude of which she had no autonomy. She was busy spending much of her adolescent years locked in chains, both imaginary and real, as well as catering to the needs of her peers. Jane was never being able to enjoy the pleasures and joys that an ordinary and independent child values. Jane struggles through her daily rituals and average lifestyle until she becomes a governess. This allows her to reap the benefits and some privileges that had only been available to those she had previously served. This enabled Jane to realize the infinite treasurers and possibilities life had to offer. This new way of life made Jane want autonomy and independence more than ever, giving her a reason to pursue her dreams. Throughout Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre, the story’s protagonist, Jane, struggles to find a way for authentic love to coexist with her need for autonomy; to find a workable balance between the needs of love and autonomy that promotes her sense of independence and self worth while also allowing her to give fully of herself to another.
Jane searches for independence, but gender hinders her in every stage of her journey. Troy faces similar complications. Jane’s gender ties her to specific roles in her work as a teacher or governess. She only watches children; she can only aspire to be an educator. Jane is smart enough and works hard enough to be an architect or scientist, but cannot due to her time. Such roles were not suitable for female occupation, and society decreases Jane’s chances to become financially independent. Gender also inhibits her ability to travel to India, since she cannot “be forever together-- sometimes in solitudes, sometimes amid savage tribes” with St. John (Brontë, 474). Jane’s outcry at this statement matches perfectly with her denunciation of dependence-
-the lonely drudgery, of my present life: for I _was _lonely. Never, from month to month, from year to year, except during my brief intervals of rest at home, did I see one creature to whom I could open my heart
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, has a protagonist, named Jane, who faces numerous cases of adversity. She had a bad life growing up and learns how to cope with it. In Bronte’s Jane Eyre, the main character is faced with the challenging of events of being horribly mistreated by her family members, and falling in love with someone older and of superior status; these challenges are the events that exemplify the central theme of society and class.
...f John, the husband, seems eerily inappropriate and restrictive, but was considered quite normal in the 19th century.
Brontë suggests that Jane has no family and nobody who loves her. Jane’s lack of love in her life makes her stronger and tougher. She learns not to always have to depend on anybody, but then again, it is upsetting that she has nobody to reach out to in a time of need. Brontë reveals Jane’s lack of love through Mrs. Fairfax and her questions about Jane’s family background.
Although most readers of Jane Eyre are engaged and enthralled by the illusion of suspense surrounding the climax of the novel and its subsequent falling action, Charlotte Brontë has in fact already delivered a subtle clue concerning Jane’s situation following the conclusion of the novel’s events through her utilization of a first-person narrative and her experiential familiarity with nineteenth century Victorian society. During this era, women were relegated to domestic tasks and frivolous hobbies that meant to distract them from more satisfying aspirations such as authorship, as Jane desires. However, the existence of the novel Jane Eyre itself foreshadows Jane’s eventual achievement of the personal agency that enables her to explore creative and intellectual
This term we have been reading and studying Jane Eyre, a literary classic. Jane Eyre was originally published as an Autobiography under the pen name “Currer Bell”, that was later revealed to be a woman called Charlotte Bronte. The novel follows the experiences of a young woman called Jane Eyre, trailing her growth into adulthood and being given an insight into her emotions using a first person style of writing. Charlotte Bronte reveals and discusses several controversial topics of the time period she lived in, drawing some ideas from her own personal life. Through reading this novel it has enabled us to delve into the life of a Victorian woman who experiences many similar problems that we do in the 21st century. Jane Eyre explores the social-cultural and historical realities during the Victorian Era; through exposing and scrutinizing pressing ideas about class, marriage and gender inequality.
I disagree with that part of Lorna in which she says that it is important to note that although the scenes at Gateshead demonstrate that Jane's childhood unhappiness comes largely from her inability to fit the expectations of those around her, there is no implication on the part of the narrator that Jane is in the wrong. She is unhappy because she does not fit in. I think that if she fit herself there, then she always be like her aunt Mrs. Reed and she never want to be like her. And if she fit herself there then how is it possible for Jane to feel with these phases of life and also a romantic journey.