-Chapter 27
Both situations however, pose certain risks for the women themselves, risks that both men are aware of but selfishly unconcerned about. For Jane, the risk is of loosing her self-respect, in becoming Mr. Rochester’s mistress:
“ If I lived with you as you desire, I should then be your mistress.”
“ Mr. Rochester I must leave you.”
- Chapter 23
For Offred, the risk is of her visits to the commander being discovered, which could lead to a serious punishment:
“ My presence here is illegal. It’s forbidden for us to be alone with commanders.”
“If I’m caught, it’s to Serena’s [the commanders wife] mercies I’ll be delivered.” “ After that, reclassification, I could become an unwoman.”
-Chapter 23
Both men appear quite willing for the women to take these risks and a selfish aspect of both characters is shown. Mr. Rochester conceals the fact that he already has a wife from Jane, and would probably have continued with the deception, had Jane not found out through the announcement by Mrs. Rochester:
“Mr. Rochester has a wife now living!”
Mr. Rochester and Jane’s marriage would have been illegal and void. When Jane does find out, Mr. Rochester proposes that they move away and live as husband and wife anyway, quite willing to sacrifice Jane’s dignity:
“You shall be Mrs. Rochester, both virtually and nominally...”
The Commander, although at first appearing charitable in his friendly visits with Offred, is later revealed as having solely selfish motives. Had the evenings they spent together been discovered, it would be Offred in great danger and he himself would not have been penalised, a fact he would have been well aware of.
While revealing weaknesses in the male characters, these situations are prime opportunities to display the great strength of character in both Jane and Offred. Jane’s resists becoming Mr. Rochester’s mistress, despite her love for him, and this being the easier choice in the moral dilemma.This shows her sense of self worth and possession of enough emotional strength to remove herself from a demoralising situation:
“That man nearly made me his mistress, I must be ice and rock to him.”
Offred’s situation is tougher and she cannot stop meeting the commander for fear of punishment:
“But to refuse him could be worse. There is no doubt who holds the real power.”
However she realises the commanders selfish act, and recognises him not as a prisoner of the system, but as a guard that helps construct that system, that represses her and all women. In doing this she succeeds in a small way in refusing to comply with his way of thinking, and not becoming mentally subservient to a superior attitude and force.
Both Offred and Jane posses self worth and dignity, despite difficult situations, however, Jane Eyre appears to be the stronger character, with the greater integrity, because with every decision she faces throughout the novel, she chooses to preserve her self-respect and constantly searches for true freedom. For example, as well as refusing to marry Mr. Rochester, she refuses to go away with St. John Rivers, because although this would liberate her in the sense that she could act unreservedly on her principles, her right to love and true emotions would be restricted and her true passions would be imprisoned.
Offred however, although initially having the fighting spirit to defy the system in small, personal ways, lacks the courage to actively join the resistance. We do have to accept that Offreds predicament was much more dangerous than that of Jane and the decision to join the resistance could have lead to her murder; however, as the reader we do notice a slight weakening in her principles as she continues her relationship with Nick. Although the relationship itself is illegal and defiant, her thoughts appear to turn to a more contented state as she has found a small amount of happiness in what was before a world of total misery. She continues to conduct her small ‘crimes’ that give her a tiny sense of satisfaction, like stealing butter to moisturise her face, or chatting to her friend Ofglen. But, her thoughts become more submissive to the Gileadean system and thoughts of escape appear less and less. By softening her approach to the Gileadean system here, Atwood is trying to say that acceptance by women is perhaps a big factor in the treatment of women in society. She is commenting that the lack of constant resistance could have lead to the lowering of women’s social position.
The third character comparison we can make is the relationship between Mrs. Rochester (a.k.a Bertha Mason) and Serena Joy (the commanders wife). Both have relatively small parts in the novels but contribute greatly to the message and the story, and are used cleverly by the authors to conduct a huge effect and influence on the lives of the main characters. Mrs. Rochester has the smaller part in ‘Jane Eyre’, with only two actual meetings with the reader, although we hear of her history through the story telling of Mr. Rochester:
“Bertha Mason is mad; and she came from a mad family, idiots and maniacs through three generations!”
-Chapter 26
When we do meet Bertha, she is described as a monster, for whom Jane feels a mixture of fear, horror and pity. Bronte does not allow us to get to know Bertha as a person because we are never introduced to her as such. This is quite symbolic of how she would have been viewed by both Jane and Mr. Rochester, and represents what mentally disabled people were seen as in Victorian times. When describing Bertha, Bronte uses cold language, as if she is describing an animal rather than a human being:
“The maniac bellowed: she parted her shaggy locks from her visage and dazed wildly at her visitors.”
“It grovelled seemingly on all fours; it scratched and growled.”
-Chapter 26
Jane sees Bertha as a lunatic and the reason she cannot be with Mr. Rochester. Jane resents Mr. Rochester’s deceit more than Bertha’s existence and sees her as part of the problem she faces and a factor in the decision she has to make rather than a rival or third party in the situation. Mr. Rochester detests her presence in his life and regrets every issue with her. This is another example of how she is not recognized as a person. Neither expresses anything about hating Bertha because you cannot hate someone for who they are if they do not have feelings or a soul, which is how Bertha appears to be seen. Despite this, Bertha does possess a lot of power in the novel. I think the burning of Mr. Rochester’s house symbolises the end of Bertha’s reign over Mr. Rochester. She dies in the fire, and in doing so allows Jane to marry Mr. Rochester with a clear conscience, and without the shadow of Bertha over them. This shadow always would have existed in the house where she had lived as his wife. A wife to a rich man was seen as a better person than a governess or mistress. This is also a factor that ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘A Handmaid’s Tale’ have in common, that despite these wives status that society considers superior; their faults (though unavoidable) drive the men to seek refuge with women of a ‘lower class’.
Serena Joy is the wife of the commander, but we do not hear of her having any emotional closeness with anyone, especially her husband. Her husband leans to other women (in this case Offred) for his needs. This is reflected in Jane Eyre with the emotional detachment and coldness between Bertha Mason and Mr. Rochester.
Offred remembers Serena from a time in her childhood when Serena was on TV. I think Atwood introduced this issue to remind the reader that Serena too was a normal woman before the Gileadean system was installed, and she to will be feeling unhappy in her situation. It brings to light the possibility that she too could have loved ones she misses, and although her position in the Gileadean society is higher, she suffers in ways too. This way the reader begins to empathise with Serena and almost pity her, but she forfeits our sympathy by taking out her misery on Offred, whom we as the reader are closer to.
“There is loathing in her voice, as if the touch of my flesh sickens and contaminates her.”
-Chapter 16
She is cruel to Offred on several occasions, an example of this is when she claims to have information on Offreds daughter. It is this cruelty that removes her from the reader feelings of sympathy to her. Offred however, appears to, initially at least, feel for and try to empathise with her, as at one point, just after ‘the ceremony’ she ponders:
“Which of us is it worse for, her or me?’
-Chapter 16
Both these characters, Serena Joy and Bertha, provide the reader with a view of women in a state that is not so socially inferior. However, both are in positions that evoke sympathy and pity rather than admiration, because both are unsettled and discontent. This shows that although some women in society, in both novels, were treated well, and closer to a mans equal than other women, they were still unhappy with their lives and did not live a life of equality. Even the highest ‘standard’ of women were not respected as the individuals they were.
The treatment of woman in society is obviously a major theme throughout the two books, and there is a feminist message in both. Feminism is obviously an issue close to the hearts of both writers and is defined as the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of the equality of the sexes. At the time when ‘Jane Eyre’ was written, any feminist idea was considered quite radical, although the ideas in the novel seem tame and modest by modern day standards. Jane had quite a respectable position in society for a woman, and displays an independence of spirit that was not common or considered proper by Victorian standards:
“I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more un-sustained I am, the more I will respect myself.”
-Chapter 27
This goes against common Victorian opinion that a woman’s self worth was defined by her husband, her obedience and tranquillity, and her social circle. Jane also has a strong will to be her own person and searches through the novel for self-knowledge. She refuses to rely solely on Mr. Rochester for emotional and financial support, and only consents to be his when she is reassured that she is his absolute equal. In fact in many ways his superior, when they finally wed, because he is physically weaker than she, due to his disabilities caused in the fire. Mr. Rochester calls Jane his
“Prop and guide.”
But it is in Chapter 12 that Jane really expresses herself in terms of feminist philosophy:
“Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but woman feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, to absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their privileged fellow creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more and learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.”
This was a wonderfully feminist speech for the time, and would have shocked many nineteenth century readers. It expresses all that many repressed women might of felt at the time, and all that might never had occurred to some women that never considered that they could be equal to men.
‘A Handmaid’s Tale’ looks at feminism in a very different way. Its feminist theme is nowhere near as subtle as that of ‘Jane Eyre’. It supports feminism, but looks in to what would happen if women’s rights were reversed, so is negative. The book made a great impact on women at the time because women were in mid-flow of their liberation and equality with men, in the mid eighties, when women in the work place were gaining respect and acceptance. Offred is not a particularly pro-feminist person, but her character is used to communicate a strong feminist message. Evidence of this was her embarrassment in her teens when her mother rallied for women’s rights, and the fact that she had a secret affair with Luke, paying for hotel rooms to meet him, before their relationship became open and they got married. She was a ‘normal’ woman who begins to realise just how much she took for granted in her equality with men. The intrusiveness of the Gileadean system has a big effect on the reader, as even the most personal parts of a woman’s life are not her own. An example of this is when Offred is thinking about how the system denies women the ability to have a personality and emotional needs:
“There are no toe-holes for love. We are two legged wombs, that’s all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices.”
-Chapter 23
This expression: ‘we are two legged wombs’ is extremely expressive of how women were treated in the book. They were not seen as people, only for their purpose, of reproduction. This lack of identification for being their own person relates back to Jane Eyre. Although this quote would be seen as feminist within the Gileadean system, in real life, women see this as a basic human right, and the idea that women were seen purely as machines for the purpose of reproduction would have shocked Offred.
The end of the book is very poignant and the silence in answer to the many questions left with the reader makes a point that is much more powerful than any explanation. We never discover Offred’s real name and this is a very clever decision by Atwood. It allows Offred’s real identity to remain anonymous, therefore highlighting the message that she was just an ordinary woman and could, infact have been anyone. In giving Offred a name, Atwood would have slightly extradited the reader from her situation, because with animosity, comes the chance that Offreds name could have been the reader’s name, increasing the empathy between them.
The end is poignant because although it is hinted that Offred has a chance of escape, we do not know whether she does in fact receive help, or has been tricked, and has been taken to a punishment, an unknown fate. This sense of unknowing leaves you with a feeling of frustration as the reader wants to know what happens to her. But, on finishing the book you realise that you could not actually know what happened to her. She could have been a lucky one or an unlucky one. There was just as much chance of either scenario. There would have been hundreds of other handmaids and Offred was only an individual to us as the reader because we saw the world through her eyes. This prospect of loss of individuality, and in turn loss of identity is quite frightening and makes a solid impression on the reader. It makes you realise that women do have a right to be a person, an individual and appreciated for their independence, giving this book a strong feminist message.
Both writers are talented and successful in their different styles of writing. They use different tools to get their message across through the novel. Charlotte Bronte uses Jane to voice her then radical feminist opinions, whereas Margaret Atwood uses a horrifying situation and the reaction of a normal woman to it to get this message across.
Margaret Atwood was trying to say that although western woman are nowadays very confident in their position and almost take for granted their equality with men, in parts of the world woman are still oppressed. The message is that this balance between men and woman is delicate and its future uncertain. In reading the book you realise that it is entirely possible for woman to lose their rights completely, and the social clock, in relation to woman in society, could be turned back. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in the future an any signs of the rights of women as we know them are banished and barren, except in the pain ridden memories of women living reduced roles.
Charlotte Bronte, although more subtle in her approach than Atwood, displays just as much passion concerning rights of women. At several points she acknowledges that women’s role in society is questionable, and should be a prominent issue in women’s minds.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books and feel that both are excellent pieces of literature that put across a strong, important message.
