J. White
Monday, January 31, 2011
Jane Eyre- The Unexpected Prejudice
Upon initially choosing Jane Eyre to read, I was immediately apprehensive manily for the book's literal size. Hundred's of pages? All about one girl? I was not sure my attention span could handle the story, but reading the first two chapters in class helped me become interested in Jane. I couldn't help but wonder how her curiousity and maturity developed despite the oppression from her family. I expected a story about how this orphan learns to adapt to her abusive family, but I soon saw the discrimination and prejudice she faced as a female as she grew older.
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre depicts a patriarchal society characteristic of male dominance and female submission typical of Victorian Society. Protagonist Jane Eyre is undisruptive and passive towards the Reed family that is allowing her to live with them following the death of her immediate family. In Chapter Two when her cousin John Reed physically abuses the young girl, Jane retaliates in self-defense and yet is the one who gets reprimanded for antagonizing John. This type of mistreatment pursues Jane throughout the novel, in which the women in Victorian society are respected as inferiors, or sometime like children. Though Jane furthers her education, assembles into a middle-class role, and becomes a governess at Thornfield, she still earns a meager wage and remains under the control of the master of the house. Jane soon falls in love with her wealthy master Mr. Rochester, but due to culture’s perception of women she feels forbidden to act on her emotions. She says, “He is not of your order, keep to your caste”, showing her lower-class mindset of social inequality that prevents her from true happiness. The inadequacy of females is further demonstrated through the development of their relationship. Mr. Rochester intentionally talks about his marriage to more beautiful women other than Jane, thus torturing her emotions and making her feel substandard. Although the master claims it was to “assure Jane’s feelings” for him, it depicts the typical male-manners of twisting female emotions for his own pleasure and advantage. Additionally, his deceit towards Jane and infidelity towards his own wife epitomize the lack of reverence females possessed in the Victorian era. Conversely, Bertha Mason represents the contrast to expected female behaviors by acting boisterous, violent, and aggressive in pursuing her desires. However, her captivity in Thornfield and disregard by her husband show society’s disapproval of outspoken and whereas Bertha’s eventual death symbolize the Victorian era’s censure for aggressive women.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like your thoughts on this. I completely agree. Social class really did have a big effect in Jane's days. I even think race has a great effect during this time as well.
ReplyDelete-angela
"...it depicts the typical male-manners of twisting female emotions for his own pleasure and advantage. Additionally, his deceit towards Jane and infidelity towards his own wife epitomize the lack of reverence females possessed in the Victorian era."
ReplyDeleteThis statement is interesting because it suggests that this behavior is "male" even though all men were likely not this way. This seems to be what we often argue against when it comes to women -- determining character through gender. However, I would also suggest we think about Rochester's own societal expectations -- what impact do Victorian ideals have on a man's sense of self? Perhaps his behaviors and attitudes are forced upon him to a degree, as well?
I think your points on gender issues and especially male dominance are very interesting. Although I did not read Jane I think what you are saying is also relevant to Tess. It reminds me of the way one of the characters Angel has committed his own indiscretions, but then can't accept Tess when he finds out she has been raped -- a situation totally out of her control. It seems as if in both novels, the protagonists are subject to male dominance and are forced to stand by while men are continuously given preferred treatment.
ReplyDelete-Audrey T.
I also read Jane Eyre and noticed how her being a woman affected her status in the places she went to and it was understandable why she craved equality so badly. However, I wonder how much of the way she was treated was also because of her appearance. Throughout the novel she was constantly described as "plain" and this surely contributed to the mistreatment she received, especially in Gateshead, where she had to live under the same roof as her two prettier cousins.
ReplyDeleteIts actually pretty disgusting to think about how although she was very well-educated and capable, she was kept at a lower level in society because of her sex, appearance, and the caste she was born into. Bronte also pointed out how this was a common double-standard with the character of Mr. Rochester, who was also deemed ugly but instead of being oppressed, he was well-liked, respected, and even sought after because he was a man with money. It is interesting to reflect upon how things have changed between the time period the novel was written and now to see what has changed and stayed the same between the sexes and classes.
I agree, in beginning Jane Eyre I believed it to be a story where a young abused girl managed to live with her cousins. Though as the story progressed I became further interested partially because the change in scenery, though what I continued to notice was that no mater where she went, as a woman she was regarded with less respect.
ReplyDelete-- J. Keagy
Through I agree with you, I also have a feeling that Mr. Rochester treated Jane like that because she was different. Their first conversations together he asks her opinion, which shows that he respects her knowledge. But overall, he believes that he has more experience in life than her making her feel inferior.
ReplyDelete-A. Mouser
I like the insight in this post and I agree wholeheartedly on your feelings regarding gender bias. Jane horrified me quite a bit in the beginning. Then, a bit later, I thought it would get a little better and it did, for a while. But she still had to conform. I suppose I take it for granted that I can not conform and still be treated humanely.
ReplyDelete-Melanie N.
I liked how you conveyed the victorian society, and the views that society presented. I also loved the way you represented the way men thought of women, rather than just writing about how Jane feels. I feel that Jane and all the other women in the England society had to face many hardships due to the irrational behavior of the men. I also thought your picture also presented your ideas in nice way. :)
ReplyDelete-Semarn K
The way you analyze the pertaining factors of Victorian societal norms, social views, and status shows a depth that allows the reader to better understand the hisotrical context and surrounding elements that Jane must face in the novel. Your multi dimensional explanation of the topic really sheds light on the context, themes, and questions that are pertinent to the novel. And your picture encompasses and reaffirms all those ideas. Well done
ReplyDelete@ Stephanie: I never thought of it that way. I suppose the seemingly expected oppression of Jane overshadowed the fact that Mr. Rochester faces society's expectations too. I did not intend for that passage to mean that all men are pigs and mistreat women, but rather that Bronte implies a male dominance common in the Victorian era. In this time period, we expect women to be passive towards men because of their assumed inferiority. However I did not think that maybe it was the idea of male ascendancy that caused the gender roles. Concievably I should not have blamed men for being controlling, superior species in the Victorian era, for the time may have put the pressure on them to be just that.
ReplyDelete-Jacy
Jacy, I like how you decided to write about the romantic relationship that developed between Jane and Mr. Rochester! The very presence of this relationship, I believe, shows the importance of relationships in Western culture. While animals and perhaps some some indigenous cultures would place reproduction in the forefront, our culture places romance in the forefront. It is indeed an interesting evolutionary adaptation!
ReplyDeleteDavid
I read Tess, but I must admit I had the same fear before reading it. I looked at the cover of the book saw how thick it was and really didnt want to touch it. It suprised me however, that the book was so filled with twists and turns. I've never really been a hardcore feminist but to see the feminist view in the victorian age it made me feel happy for all the rights that we as women have now.
ReplyDelete--- Talor T.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre truly surprised me because I never expected it to be a novel with such strong feminist view points. I expected the novel to be somewhat like "Wuthering Heights", which was written by Charlotte Bronte's sister, but it was less like a love story, and more like a novel that portrayed religious hypocrisy and gender-based prejudice in 19th century England. I would think that the book caused some controversy upon its release because it takes such a strong feminist stance, especially when Jane states "...but women feel just as men feel... and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings..." in Chapter twelve. Though gender roles and feminsim play a major part in this novel, what I really want to know is why religion ( specifically Christianity) is alway portrayed as hypocritical and is cast in a negative light in the books we read (Jane Eyre, Tess of D'Urbervilles)?
ReplyDeleteRebekah Adeyemo
I agree with the point you made about women's roles during this time. Women had a completely different standard to live up to than men which was completely unfair.
ReplyDelete-Karissa C.
I felt the same way when I chose this book. I didn't really want to read it because I thought it would be uninteresting and one of those books where the woman is weak and submissive. Once I did get into it, I was surprised at how great Jane was even though in her society she was very oppressed. She became a strong and independent woman. I enjoyed this novel. (:
ReplyDelete-Stephanie Kang
First reading this book, I denied every aspect of it due to some of the repulsive violence Jane endures from the Reeds' but after reading through the book, I feel that through her past experiences being ignored and hated upon, she grows stronger and develops her sense of freedom and identity. Great post!
ReplyDelete