Essays on Jane Eyre And Feminism Text

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length: 1971 words 5.6 double spaced pages a feminist is a person whose beliefs and behavior are based on feminism belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. Jane eyre is clearly a critique of assumptions about both gender and social class. It contains a strong feminist stance it speaks to deep, timeless human urges and fears, using the principles of literature to chart the mind?s recesses. Thus, jane eyre is an epitome of femininity a young independent individual steadfast in her morals and has strong christian virtues, dominant, assertive and principled. Firstly, jane eyre is a young woman who faces hardships with great determination. Reed, a cruel aunt, she is sent to lowood, a bleak charity school run by the tyrannical mr. Human beings must love something, and, in the dearth of worthier objects of affection, i contrived to find a pleasure in loving and cherishing a faded graven image, shabby as a miniature scarecrow.

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Jane faces the prospects of a young woman lacking the social advantages of family, money, and beauty, and therefore especially vulnerable to the fascination of admiration and security. Jane endures so much suffering through out the novel jane suffers through the cruel treatment of lowood because her aunt wants to punish her for her rebelliousness, she suffers heartbreak for her attempt to marry her beloved rochester, and suffers an. When she can no longer trust herself to exercise good judgment, she looks to these principles as an objective point of reference. Throughout the novel, the author raises a question on how a woman in her society can have passion and principle, love and independence. Though jane eyre does not so much suggest definitive answers, she is truly an epitome of femininity a young independent individual steadfast in her morals and has strong christian virtues, dominant, assertive and principled and the novel, as create the questions with urgency and a depth of imagination that challenge readers not only through comprehending but also its outcome on its audiences? life.

to view the full essay now, purchase below feminism has been a prominent and controversial topic in writings for the past two centuries. With novels such as jane austen's pride and prejudice, or even william shakespeare's macbeth the fascination over this subject by authors is evident. In charlotte bronte's jane eyre the main character, jane eyre, explores the depth at which women may act in society and finds her own boundaries in victorian england.

As well, along with the notions of feminism often follow the subjects of class distinctions and boundaries. There is an ample amount of evidence to suggest that the tone of jane eyre is in fact a very feminist one and may well be thought as relevant to the women of today who feel they have been discriminated against because of there gender. At the beginning of the 19th century, little opportunity existed for women, and thus many of them felt uncomfortable when attempting to enter many parts of society. The absence of advanced educational opportunities for women and their alienation from almost all fields of work gave them little option in life: either become a house wife or a governess. Although today a tutor may be considered a fairly high class and intellectual job, in the victorian era a governess was little more than a servant who was paid to share her scarce amount of knowledge in limited fields to a child. With little respect, security, or class one may certainly feel that an intelligent, passionate and opinionated young woman such as jane eyre should deserve and be capable of so much more.

The insecurity of this position, being tossed around with complete disregard for her feelings or preferences, is only one of many grueling characteristics of this occupation. However for jane to even emerge into society, becoming a governess seemed the only reasonable path for her. The women of the victorian era can be regarded as the first group to do battle for the equality of the sexes. They lead all women to follow after them, and though their progression may not have been as vivid as the women of the 70's, they did have an effect. Feminism was not outright spoken of in this time, rather passed through literature, such as this very novel. Stories and novels were the primary means in which to communicate information and ideas in that time. Without mass communication systems books were the few information carrying devices to cross borders, and encompass lands whenever people traveled.

Though many agree that jane eyre is a feminist novel, there are some who argue that charlotte bronte's only intention was to argue the social structure of the time. They argue that the use of a women was simply so bronte could relate to the main character, not to prove any point in regards to equality of men and of women. However, those who do see the feminist tendency in this novel may back their point by citing jane's response to rochester's proposal in chapter 23 as one of the earlier breakthroughs towards feminism. Do you think i can stay to become nothing to you? do you think i am an automation? a machine without feelings? and can you bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? do you think because i am poor, obscure, plain, and little, i am soul and heartless? you think wrong! i have as much soul as you, and full as much heart. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh it is my spirit that addresses your spirit just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at god's feet, equal, as we are! this quotation explicitly portray bronte's attempt to raise the issue of sexual equality. Jane is fighting for her individuality in this quote, and refuses to be reduced to some mere machine. She will not act in the manner that custom or conventionalities would deem her to act, but through her own free will.