Feminism in Jane Eyre

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Feminism in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre 1. Introduction Women in the nineteenth century were imprisoned by their duty as “the Angel in the house” who was expected to be loyal and obedient to their husband. The Angel was passive, defenseless, gentle, captivating, graceful, kindhearted, self-sacrificing, pious, and pure. In other words, the women conformed to the commonly accepted standards and roles, which did not necessarily provide them with liberty, dignity, or independence. Their opinions were not to be expressed publicly, at least not in the presence of men. While many women were internally conflicted about the sexist treatment, most went along and behaved innocently and dutifully. Charlotte Brontë, living in the Victorian age where women were dependent to men, wrote her first novel published in 1847, Jane Eyre, about a young woman who quietly rebelled against the woman’s standards and roles at that time. Several Brontë’s experiences in her own life that were full of obstacles in the Victorian era became the background of the story in this novel. Through her character Jane, a brave, strong, determined, intelligent and independent young woman, Brontë conveyed the message of feminism that every woman has rights to be treated as equal as men. 2. Literature Review About what feminism is, the Victorian women, and Charlotte Brontë’s work, Jane Eyre will be discussed further in this chapter. * Feminism “Feminism is a beliefs and aim that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men” (Oxford English Dictionary Online) is the simplest definition of what feminism is. Beatrice Forbes-Robertson Hale, the author of The Nest Builder and What Women Want, has her own perception related to the definition of feminism. She delivers the definition of feminism explicitly in her What Woman Want that “Feminism is that part of the progress
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