Jane Eyre is essentially a negative critique of Victorian social structure. Through the use of Jane as an ambiguously classed governess, Charlotte Bronte can effectively critique the standards of the time. Jane's largest barriers in achieving what she wants are her low to middle class and the prejudices held against her because of it. Without the inclusion of these obstacles, the novel would have no driving force, and so the interest is indeed found in the depiction of social class. Jane Eyre is part of the bildungsroman genre, meaning that the protagonist has to overcome a variety of obstacles, both psychological and moral in their journey from childhood to adulthood, and every hurdle which Jane has to jump is rooted either directly or indirectly in social order.
Shockingly we find that at just fourteen years old John is verbally and physically abusive to everyone in the house especially Jane. Up until this point it seems Jane has habitually taken this abuse from not only the Reed family but from the help as well them however now it seems as though Jane has reached her boiling point. After causing Jane to shed blood she strikes him and whatever she does seems to hurt him. At the end of the chapter she is shunned into a part of the house known as the red
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Evoked Female Identity During the 1960s in America, where phallocentrism is still ruling society, many social problems caused younger people to be unsatisfied with reality and to become rebellious. In Oates’s story, the character of Connie is affected by patriarchal oppression. Oates gives Connie an independent identity while using her mother and sister as opposite characters to reflect her uniqueness and to let the reader understand the female identity. Connie's mother and sister portray typical females under patriarchal oppression. In the case of Connie’s mother, she rejected Connie’s attitudes because it often went against the patriarchal society's code of conduct.
Mrs Reed views Jane as a burden, she treats Jane horribly as is shown in the beginning of the first chapter, “…she had dispensed from joining the group… contented, happy little children.” When Jane tried to defend herself Mrs Reed disregards her and tells her not to talk back as it is rude, without giving Jane a chance to explain her side of the story. The next encounter in the book is between Jane and John (Jane’s cousin and Mrs Reed’s only son). John treats Jane worse than one would an animal, he talks down to her and physically assaults her, and Jane’s reactions to these occurrences make it obvious that this has happened many times before as she is quite accustomed to it. However, this time Jane strikes back, this leads to her being locked up in the red room. The lack of justice in this situation is another aspect that furthers the readers’
In comparison Fay Weldon’s Letters to Alice, written a few centuries after, shows a clear link of how particular concerns, held by society, have altered. A women living in the late 1800’s had very few rights and freedoms. Education was a thing men and if a women engaged in such activities she was at risk of being shunned by society or “left on the shelf.” Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice follows a young girl, Elizabeth Bennet, who struggles against society’s expectations. Being a smart and well educated women, she is somewhat frowned upon, however this has been disguised by Austen through her dialogue. An example is seen near the beginning of the book in which Mr Darcey and Mr Binley’s brother are engaged in polite conversation.
David Palagashvili Period 7 AP Sen. Lit. September 11th, 2010 Mrs. Boness Charlotte Bronte, in her famous feminist novel, Jane Eyre, used her narrator and protagonist to stress and emphasize the critical need for the reformation of childcare. She does this through a textual illustration of the atrocities against women and children of the Victorian Era in England. The story’s main character, Jane, is the depiction of an average yet peculiarly exceptional woman who takes the reader through the story of her life from childhood to present. The given passage is an excerpt of a portion of Jane’s late childhood at her boarding school, Lowood.
The description of the ten-year-old heroine as “a picture of passion” at the beginning of Jane Eyre is fitting in several instances throughout the first five chapters. Neglected by her Aunt Reed during the first ten years of her life, and treated extremely harshly by her supposed “benefactress”, Jane is unable to assert herself and often acts in defiance to the injustices placed upon her. She is a fiery and passionate character, due to the way she often does not think of consequences before she speaks or acts, bringing her far more trouble than reward. Bronte uses a combination of powerful language, imagery and symbolism to present the complex character of Jane in a vivid and memorable way. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Jane Eyre is continually portrayed by Bronte as a defiant young girl, whose strong feelings often forsake the reason and rational thinking that her unusual maturity suggests she is capable of.
In the same way, literature has affected the thoughts and actions of people throughout history. Throughout the Victorian Era, authors played off of their large female audience by creating strong female protagonists to which their readers could relate or learn from. Throughout the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte challenges her readers views’ on the role a woman should play in society during this era by manipulating the tone and diction given to Jane Eyre through Gothic and Romantic elements. From the beginning of Bronte’s novel, the reader is exposed to the issue of gender limitations regarding social status during the 19th century. Jane Eyre is depicted as a child, yet is capable of illustrating her surroundings and memories in such a sophisticated manner.
In Alldredge’s criticism of Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying one of the prominent things she discusses and give a valid, and strong point on is Addie Bundren’s favoritism to her illegitimate son Jewel and how it made Darl become bitter and eventually undoes him. When Alldredge states that Addie’s “relationships, or lack of them, with [her]… family is essential to any understanding of the inner conflicts in her children” (Alldredge) this is especially true with Darl. She hardly paid attention to her other children besides Jewel and it really struck home with Darl. Darl is so bitter by his mother and Jewel’s relationship that he keeps him from her death bed and his excuse is that “[He] wants [Jewel] to help [him] load” (Faulkner 7.6-10) knowing full well that his mother would want Jewel there more than anything. Does Darl care?
This parody, set in the early nineteenth century, shows the constraints of culture in England, and the tendency to judge others, but not one’s self. In Jane Austen’s Emma, the protagonist influences others into making decisions that fit her beliefs, because of her lack of perception to other’s beliefs, and her disposition to think highly of herself. Emma’s lack of perception that a person could possibly think different than she, ultimately leads to several great mistakes that affect the lives of others. From the start of the novel, Austen explicitly states the character flaws of the perceivably perfect Emma: “The real evils indeed of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much of her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself; these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments” (4). This revelation made by Austen hints at the future: though Emma appears to be consistently right, her opinions do not always have other’s best interests at heart.