'Jane Eyre and Animal Farm' - Abuse of power.

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                       Wide reading

           ‘Jane Eyre and Animal Farm’

                    Abuse of power

‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others’

George Orwell, Animal farm

‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘ Animal Farm’. Two entirely different novels with seemingly nothing in common, in fact the genres are of no similarity and the characters do not even classify under the same categorical species. However, both books similarly share an aim, and are essentially alike in what they intend to achieve.  ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Animal Farm’ are both novels used as vehicles for social comment and similarly contain an underlying message against the inequality of society, which in this case is the abuse of power.

         Styles of writing do however differ greatly. The authors use strikingly different writing techniques and style also contrasts dramatically. ‘Jane Eyre’, having been written during the Victorian era, is a notably more lengthy novel to that of Animal Farm. This is mainly due to the fact that Charlotte Bronte uses a great deal of description throughout the novel, as was usual in Victorian literature. Another reason for this difference could be that Charlotte Bronte concentrates greatly on the novel as a story as well trying to put a message across to the public, whereas Animal Farm was written purposefully as an allegory and uses the story simply to keep the reader entertained.

           Charlotte Bronte tends to use a very complex sentence structure as well as complex vocabulary, for example, it would not be unusual to come across a sentence of the sort;

        ‘ Unjust! -unjust! Said my reason, forced by the agonising stimulus into precocious though transitory power…’

George Orwell would however disagree with Charlotte Bronte’s style of writing, as he believed that a message was best conveyed through simple, straightforward language. This belief is reflected in the style with which Animal farm is written; in simple, plain language, also often lacking use of imagery. All these factors also cause the novel to be quite short.

             It would have been impossible however, for Charlotte Bronte to write Jane Eyre in such a way. Having written Jane Eyre almost a century prior to Animal farm, She did not have the freedom to criticise society so strongly. Indeed it would have been unjustifiable for even a powerful male to speak against social order so directly, let alone a woman.  Therefore, in a way Charlotte Bronte disguises the message she is putting forth to the public not only with a troubled love story but also with abundant imagery and complex vocabulary.

             Despite the differences in style’ however, both authors feel very strongly about the abuse of power in society. Authority figures abusing their power seems to be a timeless problem which has been the cause of many wars and revolutions. Bronte represents the abuse of power through the character of Jane Eyre. Jane is the typical victim of everything Charlotte Bronte believed was negative about Victorian society.

She is a child; Bronte felt strongly about evils of child abuse. She is a female; oppression of females was common in the Victorian era. Jane Eyre is also an orphan; and even though Jane Eyre lived with an upper class family, it is hinted throughout the novel of her real family as working class, making Jane’s mistreatment in the novel a representation of the unjust treatment of the upper classes towards the working classes.

            The first few chapters of Jane Eyre are the most significant in terms of observing Victorian values towards children. The Victorians were influenced greatly by religious ideas which taught that children were ‘born wicked’ and could only improve by continual punishment. Children were often beaten for the most trivial of offences. Parents also had very little contact with their children, who were more often than not looked after by nannies or governesses (in upper class families). The role of the mother was seen as to make sure that they were ‘properly brought up’ to behave like serious, law-abiding adults. The role of the father was to command respect and obedience, they were taught respect for authority, and so children would seldom answer back.

               In the first chapter of Jane Eyre we are given several examples of Jane’s mistreatment, perhaps the most striking is the incident with John Reed, Jane’s cousin. After having been told that Jane was unwelcome to join the company with her aunt and cousins in the drawing room, she slips into a small library where she picks out a book and seeks refuge in a window-seat. This refuge is soon discovered by John Reed however, who then launches into a lecture about Jane being a dependant and not having the right to take their books;

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              ‘ You have no business taking our books; you are a dependant, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not live here with gentlemen’s children like us…’

John Reed then proceeds to make Jane stand against the wall, pick up the book and thrust it at Jane’s head so violently that it bleeds. The typical Victorian child would have resisted such abuse from their male ‘superiors’ without retaliation, but Jane, being a passionate child with a strong sense of justice, becomes furious at this ...

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