In the first two chapters, bestial metonyms are utilised by the author to establish power relationships between Jane and other characters. The author uses these to make subtle judgements on the Victorian society, and this is one if the continual themes throughout the book. The main example of the use of bestial metonyms is when John refers to her as a ‘rat’ (this occurs a number of times). He says, ‘and for the look you had in your eyes two minutes since, you rat!’ John says this with venom, malice and anger; he detests her presence in his house.
Charlotte Bronte uses this technique to reinforce this theme, when shortly afterwards, John bellows, ‘Rat! Rat!’ He also says in a demeaning and derogatory way, ‘bad-animal!’ to Jane. John’s use of the word ‘rat’, considered repugnant and a detested creature, tells us two things. Firstly, it tells us how much John dislikes Jane, and of his will to abuse and punish her for this. It also has a strong link to the author’s theme of how John views a female of lower social status. He is the epitome of chauvinist ideology, and he treats Jane as an inferior being. He sees the world in a hierarchical sense, with ‘higher-class’ men firmly at the top. He believes he is the continuation of the patriarchal Victorian household. The author wants to convey a clear message with this theme. She wants to delineate what morality is, as she says in the preface ‘conventionality is not morality’. Charlotte Bronte’s choice of language is instrumental in the conveying of this theme. The way John talks to Jane is primarily how she achieves this. He says, ‘you have no money, your father left you none.’ This again emphasises the importance of the father in the Victorian household, and how money is a high priority to John.
Jane’s values are distinctly juxtaposed with those of the patriarchal Victorian household. John is seen to be important in the Victorian household because of his status as the oldest male in the family, despite his poor behaviour which his mother overlooks, he is still given importance in the household. There are many instances where John is shown to be of importance in the text. John is extremely aware of his position in the house and makes every effort to exploit it. Charlotte Bronte uses a clever selection of words here to demonstrate this concept. The narrative says, ‘and seating himself in an arm-chair he intimated by a gesture that I was to approach and stand before him.’ Her use of language here shows that John believes himself to be superior to Jane, and by just saying, ‘he intimated by a gesture’ shows how he feels so self-important that he only need gesture to have someone stand before him like a servant. The words ‘stand before him’ already suggest an examination of some sort, as if by a king. This is an excellent example of where the author carefully selects the language to acheive maximum effect. Even the servants refer to him as ‘Master John’ even though he is only a child. Another example of these ideas is when John accosts Jane for reading the books.
He says:
[You] eat the same meals as we do, and wear clothes at our mama’s expense. Now I’ll teach you to rummage my bookshelves: for they are mine; all the house belongs to me or will do in a few years…
What he says clearly illustrates his role in his household. He says ‘my bookshelves’ and ‘all the house belongs to me’, he shows how he deems everything to be his, and that Jane has no right to take or use what is his. Charlotte Bronte evidently disagrees as she uses the character of John, a ‘bad’ character to personify all the Victorian ideals of the patriarchal household (which she is opposed to). In the preface to the first edition, she says how ‘convention is not morality’ referring to the way woman were treated in Victorian times, and possibly to the way working-class people were treated. She also discusses how ‘self-righteousness is not religion’ meaning that believing oneself to be doing what G-d wants is not what religion is about, and that those who purport to be doing so are just bigots disguising themselves with religion.
John and Jane’s likes/dislikes are contrasted so as to undermine the principle of the eldest male being dominant. John believes in the patriarchal household, and Jane believes that this is unjust and she does not think that he should automatically inherit that right, just by being the first-born male. The author demonstrates this where John ridicules her by striking her and calling her ‘Rat! Rat!’ and when he says that she should refer to him as ‘Master Reed’ even though she is not a servant. Jane says ‘[he] is like a slave-driver-you are like the Roman emperors!’ This shows how she views the ‘man of the house concept’ as unfair. Charlotte Bronte generates this theme by using specific vocabulary. When Jane says ‘like the Roman emperors’ the reader instantaneously feels sympathetic towards Jane and angry towards John because they know of the tyranny of the Roman emperors; this is an example of an excellently used simile.
The working-class servants view Jane’s position as their masters do because they support the class system and the social order regardless of their low position within it. They do not empathise with Jane’s situation even though they might be more inclined to because of their perceived deficiency of social value. The author illustrates this concept in the dialogue of the servants when talking to or referring to Jane. At the beginning Jane discusses how she is saddened by ‘the chidings of Bessie.’ Charlotte Bronte already introduces this idea early on by showing that not even the servants pity or sympathise with Jane’s predicament. Furthermore, this is shown later in the form of always siding with John and criticising Jane. For example, where Bessie exclaims, ‘What a fury to fly at Master John’. This additionally shows their contempt for Jane and their persistent nature of being slightly ingratiating towards John and his sisters. The author again pays fastidious attention to ensure that the language used by the servants fulfils this dual purpose. The novel portrays the social divisions of the nineteenth century in an unfavourable light. The author was clearly opposed to the social structure of Britain, and wanted to rid it of its iniquities. The novel despises the fact that wealth and social position have greater importance, acknowledgement and recognition than intelligence and sensitivity. The author was deeply disturbed and outraged by the fact that class and gender decided your social rank.
The novel strongly reflects women’s place within Victorian ideology. In the nineteenth century, women were not only restricted heavily in the profession they chose, but also they were not perceived as intelligent, rather as emotional. There is a good example of it when Abbot says to her, ‘it is your place to be humble.’ The author imbues the reader with a sense of pity for women’s place in society, and the author intends to make the reader pity Jane. It is apparent in the novel that Jane seems to be in a state of hysteria for a variety of reasons. This hysteria was undoubtedly brought about by her abuse and her oppression. However, Jane is forced into hysteria because she does not believe in the Victorian ideology and has no outlet for her radical ideas. Jane dislikes the lack of egalitarianism in the Victorian social structure, and wants to eliminate its (in her opinion) intrinsic disparity. The author’s desire in the preface concerning her efforts to show that ‘external show’ is not mistaken for ‘sterling worth’ is definitely fulfilled. This is shown in numerous cases: When Jane, (in the narrative) says, ‘I really saw in him a tyrant: a murderer.’ The author here describes how Jane sees beyond the John’s externalities, and into his personality. She sees how he was cruel and malicious. Charlotte Bronte here uses her words to change the reader’s view of John. This theme is enhanced by her skilful usage of words. The reader would until now not have really thought John to be wicked and cruel, just a bit naughty and arrogant; but when she said that Jane saw in him ‘a murderer’, it significantly changes the reader’s thoughts about John.
In conclusion, I would like to outline the ways in which Jane Eyre has been informed by novels from the seventeenth century through to the nineteenth century. Novels from the seventeenth century have influenced Jane Eyre insofar as Jane falls in love later on in the book, to a married man, and there is a romantic story. This is indicative of seventeenth century novels that were predominantly about illicit love. Eighteenth century novels that involved virtuous and sympathetic characters, like Jane and other characters later on in the book, have also definitely influenced it. Nineteenth century novels also affected it. Many nineteenth century novels used psychological landscaping and ‘pathetic fallacy’ to describe the character’s emotions. These factors unquestionably engendered the use of the psychological techniques in the first two chapters. Furthermore, in the preface to the first edition, she alludes to nineteenth-century authors such as Thackeray that have influenced her.
