The Portrayal of Education in 'Jane Eyre'.

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Kimberly April Maglantay                      Prose Study                           Ms. Boyd

The Portrayal of Education in ‘Jane Eyre’

Jane Eyre provides a truthful view of education in nineteenth-century England. It is also largely autobiographical, as some of the events that happen in Jane’s life also happen in Charlotte’s for example, Jane's time at Lowood is similar with Charlotte's education at a school for daughters of the clergy, which she and her sisters Maria, Elizabeth and Emily left for in 1824.

'Jane Eyre' is set in the early to mid eighteenth century and we see how life in the present compares to the time in which Jane lived. In the eighteenth century, school was not compulsory and that is why many people had little or no education at all. If you were wealthy, you would have a high-quality education, and you wouldn’t have to work. If you were underprivileged however, your education, if any, would not be of a very good standard and you would have to work to earn enough money to survive.

In ‘Jane Eyre’ Charlotte Bronte used her experiences at the Evangelical school and as governess. Jane Eyre in terms of education is a severe criticism of the limited options open to educated but poor women, the idea that women "ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags." It is also shows the separation of social classes. 

    In “Jane Eyre” the clear division of classes and education is shown in the depiction of the higher classes in society being able to afford governesses for the education of a child where as the lower class children were sent to public schools.

Jane Eyre an orphan is living with her aunt Mrs. Reed and her three children; Eliza, John and Georgiana. J. Mrs. Reed believes she is from a poorer family and is only keeping her because she had promised her late husband, Jane’s uncle that she would. Ten-year old Jane lives at the Reed's Gateshead Hall. It becomes obvious that Jane's place in the household is not a comfortable one, and Mrs. Reed does not think highly of her. 

After an accident in the ‘red room’ where Jane is knocked unconscious, she wakes up to find herself in her own bed. Mr. Lloyd, the apothecary, comes to see her, and the next day she is up and about, though she is still feeling a little dazed. Mr Lloyd starts to question her and asks her is she wanted to go to school, Jane answers yes.

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A few months pass without the mention of school, until Jane is called down to meet with Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst of Lowood School. There it is decided that Jane will go to Lowood Institution, which Jane later finds out is a charity school.

Lowood Institution was set up for girls that had lost one or both of their parents. These girls' parents would have come from a professional background but most likely would have failed to produce the money to send their daughters to a fee-paying school. The hypocritical Mr Brocklehurst ensured that these girls were ...

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