Jane Eyre Is A Feminist Novel: Discuss.
In the early nineteenth century, which was when Brönte wrote the book, men were considered to be superior to women and therefore played a much more dominant role in society whereas women were secondary and thought to be merely appendages to men. The heroine of the novel Jane Eyre contradicts the role women played as she is brave enough to say “no” to the social conventions and instead play the role that she wants to play instead of the role she “should” portray. As the author of this classic, Charlotte Brönte is thought to be a pioneer of the feminist movement. This essay is to explore the aspects of feminism and the oppression of men within the novel to explain why the book is considered to be a feminist novel.
Jane was oppressed by four different men during the novel although in different ways. The first of these was her cousin John Reed, who tormented and bullied young Jane because she was an orphan. She did nothing to ignite his rage and was unable to do anything but withstand it. “Accustomed to John Reed’s abuse, I never had an idea of replying to it: my care was how to endure the blow which would certainly follow the insult”, this quotation shows how Jane never once thought to retaliate to his words or actions, reflecting the fact that it was a woman’s place to do as she was told and not as she wanted. It was only after John’s harsh reminders of her past that it was as if she could withstand no more, “Wicked and cruel boy!” cried she, symbolising her determination to fight against this unfair world. This is the first representation of feminism in the book. However, despite the reasons for Jane’s actions, she is later reprimanded and punished for it, is this the consequence of her standing up to a male figure or is it a reflection of their individual social class?
