ipl-logo

Theme Of Classism In Jane Eyre

1319 Words6 Pages

One of the cornerstone aspects of Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre is classism, focusing on Jane’s and other character’s struggle to live meaningful and fulfilling lives in a society deeply rooted in class divisions and social norms. Examining the story through a classism lens illuminates our understanding of the manner in which “power” operates in the novel and allows us to develop a rich, unique framework for understanding the mindsets of the characters and their circumstances. From the beginning of the novel, Bronte immediately establishes society 's prevailing class and power hierarchy, and as the story progresses, Jane’s growing sense of will leads her to have to make critical decisions about what she truly values and what life path she will follow. Bronte initiates her story immediately immersing the reader in the societal class divisions of the Victorian society. The first segment of the novel that can be explicated through a classism lens is Jane’s experiences at Gateshead and Lowood. Towards the beginning, when young Jane is reminded by Bessie that she must obey Mrs. Reed, Jane ponders: “I had nothing to say to these words: they were not new to me: my very first recollections of existence included hints of the same kind…. ‘And you ought not to think yourself on an equality with the Misses Reed and Master Reed, because Missis kindly allows you to be brought up with them. They will have a great deal of money, and you will have none: but is your place to be humble,

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Outsiders In Jane Eyre

    988 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mrs. Reed likewise separates Jane from the Reeds’ social circle by confining her to the nursery while her cousins spend their days in the drawing room (22) and calling Mr. Lloyd, the apothecary for “ailing servants,” instead of the family physician for Jane’s illness (15), thus placing her among the servants. However, the servants too reject Jane from their group—Miss Abbot told Jane that she is “less than a servant” because she does “nothing for [her] keep” (9). Jane thus

    Read More

  • What Are The Similarities Between Harriet Jacobs And Jane Eyre

    1693 Words  | 7 Pages

    We will analyse, in this essay, the differences as well as the similarities which exist between Jane Eyre and Incidents in the life of a slave girl written by herself. We will see that they differ in terms of genre, the period of history in which they find themselves, the way the characters are presented and so forth. However, they share some of the main values concerning womanhood, race and some other aspects of life which they both treat in different ways and yet they do so in a specific aim. Charlotte Brontë and Harriet Jacobs present to us two texts which are both based in totally opposite moments in history. While many differences exist between the two texts, they have several aspects in common.

    Read More

  • Charlotte Brontë Use Of Setting In Jane Eyre

    411 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this passage, Jane is delivering a letter to from Thornfield to Hay for Mrs. Fairfax and is describing her surroundings. She had been working as a governess for Adele and was tired of being staying inside the house all the time. Brontë incorporates both long sentences and imagery to provide vivid descriptions and develop Jane’s environment. The setting Brontë describes provides the reader with a visualization and reflection of what is occurring in the novel. With this detailed depiction, Brontë establishes the setting before latter events such as when Jane meets Rochester for the first time; Brontë also accordingly adjusts the description of the setting and breaks the serene landscape previously painted.

    Read More

  • Social Construction In Jane Eyre

    1438 Words  | 6 Pages

    In Northanger Abbey, Henry is painted as the perfect person in Catherine’s perspective because while he understands the rules of society, he is able to manoeuvre them to act in his favour. Catherine sees him as a model of who she desires to be as she enters the upper class. By the end of the novel she is able to interpret to what extent to follow the societal expectations and understand when to keep her own values. In the end Catherine has a happy ending, as “Austen is often happy to follow the Cinderella plot, and to make a happy ending out of marrying her heroine to a man notably above her in income and social prestige.” (McMaster 117)

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

    1691 Words  | 7 Pages

    In Charlotte Brontë 's, Jane Eyre, we see a reversal of gender roles for both Mr. Rochester and Jane. In multiple scenes of the book the two switch back and forth from their “natural” roles, which ends up benefiting the two. In the story, Mr. Rochester, the big burly owner of Thornfield, occasionally drops his natural patriarchal role to become a feminine character. Jane also does this as she takes on a more masculine role from time to time, and drops her feminine complacency. While usually both characters dropping their gender-specific roles could turn out bad, in this story, dropping the stereotypical gender roles by blurring them leads to happiness by the end of the story.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Patriarchal Oppression In Jane Eyre

    1638 Words  | 7 Pages

    Examine how either text represents either class or gender. Are these representations problematic or contradictory? How do they relate to the plot and structure of the novel? Jane Eyre is a female Bildungsroman written by Charlotte Brontë in 1848.

    Read More

  • Emotional And Character Development In Bronte's Jane Eyre

    1588 Words  | 7 Pages

    To deliberate these points further, the setting of Gateshead, Lowood and Thornfield will be closely analysed. Additionally, it will discuss how Bronte used the setting of Jane Eyre, to demonstrate that women can go beyond the oppressive limitations of their gender, and social class and find fulfilment. It will also consider how the setting reflects the political and social conditions of the era. The novel opens with a vivid description of the setting at Gateshead, which epitomises the first stage of the protagonist’s Jane Eyre’s life journey and her childhood development. The passage declares that ‘the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre and a rain so penetrating’ (Bronte, Jane Eyre, [1847] 2000, 1.1, all subsequent page

    Read More

  • Development And Development In Jane Eyre

    901 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Charlotte Bronte’s novel “Jane Eyre” Edward Fairfax Rochester plays a contributing role in Janes development and growth as a character and human being in the Victorian time period. Not only does he play a large role in her independency, but in her emotional and spiritual growth as well. She grows around him whether she likes it or not. Due to Edwards manipulative and seductive nature, jane has to grow and develop in a way that has her frequently questioning her own ideals, whether that be spiritually or morally, and strengthening her independence by constantly refusing her feelings for him and adapting to punishing situations. Edward also opens Janes eyes to a world that is bigger than she realized due to his company at the house, wealth, and opportunities at the favorable Thornfeild manor at which she was employed by him.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Jane Eyre

    1189 Words  | 5 Pages

    In chapter nineteen of Jane Eyre, Jane encounters the strange gypsy women that has shown up at Thornfield for the night. After having an unusual conversation, Jane recognizes the gypsy to be Mr. Rochester and gets on to him for attempting to trick her. After getting over the initial surprise, she tells Rochester of Mr. Mason’s arrival. While the chapter seems simple and rather comprehensible, there is much more thought going into it to enable the audience to get a better picture of Jane’s character as a whole; it also illustrates some of the work’s themes and symbols. Chapter nineteen certainly has much more going on than what the reader might think.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Religion In Jane Eyre

    747 Words  | 3 Pages

    With Charlotte Brontë’s father being a clergyman and member of the Church, Charlotte Brontë, as well as her sisters have been in constant contact with religion throughout their whole lives. Even though her father gave Charlotte relative freedom in developing her own ideas and beliefs, religion was an important factor in Charlotte Brontë’s life nevertheless. Through Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë expresses several issues of Victorian Britain, such as gender equality or the class system but religion is a reoccurring and omnipresent subject in Jane Eyre. Throughout the whole novel Jane is confronted with religious characters such as Mr Brocklehurst, Helen Burns and St. John Rivers. Those characters all represent three vastly different variations of Christian faith in the Victorian Era.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Psychoanalytic Analysis

    1485 Words  | 6 Pages

    Jane goes against the expected type by “refusing subservience, disagreeing with her superiors, standing up for her rights, and venturing creative thoughts” (Margaret, 1997, p. 325-346). She is not only successful in terms of wealth and position, but more importantly, in terms of family and love. These two needs that have evaded Jane for so long are finally hers. Adding to her victory is her ability to enjoy both without losing her hard-won independence. Everybody has the rights to pursue happiness, to pursue the true spirit of life, which can be seen from Jane Eyre’s struggle for independence and equality.

    Read More

  • Race And Social Class In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    1662 Words  | 7 Pages

    The characters Catherine and Heathcliff, a Marxist perusing, take into account financial beliefs, concentrating on the relationship between classes, and the collaboration between rich and poor. This viewpoint sees Heathcliff as the working class, climbing over his oppressors in a gallant battle for a libertarian culture inside the microcosm of 'Wuthering Heights ', “in a society where the importance of inheritance and familial social status dictates the class system,’’(Critical study of Texts – “The richness of a text lies in its ability to lend itself to different readings” ) ‘’structure of ideas and values which related to the Bronte ' ambiguous situation within the class-system of their society. ’’(Palgrave,

    Read More

  • The Social Class In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

    866 Words  | 4 Pages

    In addition, class is complex, it is a way to label everyone. Class is portrayed in this novel by the wealth and standing one were in at this time there were the high class and the middle class standings. The difference between these social classes creates tension and prejudice. Those in the same social classes would interact and soon get married. They kept their boundarie, while families in the middle class could communicate with those in the higher class but would not be treated with the same respect as those of the higher class.

    Read More

  • Feminism In Jane Eyre

    791 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rebecca West once said, “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat”; feminism and other social issues are fundamental to literature, with them commonly being a driving force behind both modern and classic works of fiction. Feminism is everywhere, with women still fighting for gender equality in modern day Britain as demonstrated through Emma Watson’s United Nations speech which was broadcasted in September of 2014 where she differentiates feminism from ‘man-hating’. Feminism has developed considerably over time as general attitudes have been swayed through literature, political movements and women’s portrayal of themselves. In 1847, Charlotte Bronte released her novel ‘Jane Eyre’ which was viewed as very radical for its time as Bronte uses Jane to exhibit her resentment towards society. Jane is presented as a morally strong, determined character who, when she falls in love, embraces the notion instead of the label and profits which are associated with it; she states that she “cares for [her]self” and that “more unsustained [she is], the more [she] will respect [her]self” as she is not tempted away from her self-respect.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Marriage In Jane Eyre

    805 Words  | 4 Pages

    Topic: Marriage in “Jane Eyre” In “Jane Eyre” Charlotte Brontë rejects the traditional role of women subdued by social conceptions and masculine authority by generating an identity to her female character. Thesis: Jane´s personality will bring into being a new kind of marriage based on equality, meanwhile her choice for romantic fulfilment will depend solely on her autonomy and self-government. Introduction Charlotte Brontë´s “Jane Eyre” stands as a model of genuine literature due to the fact that it breaks all conventions and stereotypes and goes beyond the boundaries of common romance in order to obtain love, identity and equality. 1.

    Read More

More about Theme Of Classism In Jane Eyre

Open Document