The Role of Education in Charlotte Bront(TM)s Jane Eyre

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Essay-The Role of Education in Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre”

Done by Diana Griciuviene Af 0606 U

        Charlote Brontë in her romantic novel Jane Eyre presents factual information and attitudes toward education in the19th century England. As far as is known, during this period people experienced the harmful effects of severe class division typical of the era. At all levels of society boys and girls were taught separately. The children of poor or workingclass families were taught in local schools and the children of upper and upper-middle-class families were enrolled in exclusive private schools (known as public schools). Additionaly, young children in upper-class and upper-middle-class families — both boys and girls — often received their earliest education from governesses. In other words, before 1870, education was largely a private affair. Throughout the novel, we can explore Jane’s own education at one of the Victorian charity school , her work in education  at one of the local school, her position as a governess and beneficial consequences of the education also.

        The Lowood School for girls, portrayed in this novel, can be described as one, which  curriculum was designed particularly to train children to a lower-middle class occupation, such as becoming a governess or a school teacher, unlike private schooling for upper-class girls, which focused much more on acting like a lady. Education there was not concerned at all with the abilities and talents of individual students.  They were all taught strictly the same things to give them the kind of education that would prepare them for their limited future job options. Pupils were rewarded and moved up in the class when they did well, and they were punished if they didn’t learn. Moreover, pupils were expected to memorize many facts in order for learning to take place. The novel portray the girls of Lowood being forced to recite facts they were to have memorized, reflecting the Victorian teaching methods of memorization through repetition and testing.  Furthermore, Charlotte Bronte is using Lowood school as an example of how terrible and unhealthy boarding schools could be and to demonstrate the need for change.  Lowood is portrayed as extremely bad in terms of sanitation, nutrition. As Jane says „keen appetites of growing children, we had scarely sufficient to keep alive a delicate invalid. “ (62). Moreover, life at school is strict, discipline harsh, the philosophy behind it class-bound, Calvinistic, and hostile to all independence of thought and action. The head master, Mr Brocklehurst, controls the regime of punishment which amounts to sadism, and he is followed in this by the worst of the teachers (Miss Scatcherd) and silently opposed by the best (Miss Evans). However, once Mr. Brocklehurst’s authority was reduced and the girls at Lowood benefited from healthier conditions, Jane becomes rather satisfied with the school. She says „I had the means of an excellent education placed within my reach; a fondness for some of my studies, and a desire to excel in all, together with a great delight in pleasing my teachers, especially such as I loved...”(88).

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        As I mentioned above, many of the rich young children were privately tutored at their homes by governesses. In 19th century England, being a governess was one of the few occupations considered suitable for an unmarried middle-class woman. In this novel Jane Eyre secures a job as governess to the lovely French girl  named Adèle . Jane Eyre taught her French, music, drawing and other subjects. Lessons came from what Jane had learned from Lowood School. Furthermore, as a governess she rarely received any formal instruction regarding teaching or curriculum. Even within the schoolroom, Jane Eyre and Adele were utterly ...

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