FEMINISM ON JANE EYRE

Feminism in Jane Eyre

Feminism is a collection of movements at defining, establishing and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. Feminism seeks to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist is a person whose beliefs and behavior are based on feminism.

There is an ample amount of evidence to suggest that the tone of Jane Eyre is in fact a very feminist one and may well be thought as relevant to the women of today who feel they have been discriminated against because of their gender. At the beginning of the19th century, little opportunity existed for women, and thus many of them felt uncomfortable when attempting to enter many parts of society. The absence of advanced educational opportunities for women and their alienation from almost all fields of work gave them little opinion in life. With little respect, security, or class one may certainly feel that an intelligent, passionate and opinionated young such as Jane Eyre should deserve and be capable of so much more.

Jane Eyre lived a hard lie, filled with hatred and anger. However, her ability to overcome all of this shows her strength. Her ability to comfort the aunt who had once treated her terribly is more powerful than some people could ever hope to obtain. When she found out that the man she loved was already married, she was able to control herself better than any men would ever be able to. When leaving Rochester the feelings of sadness, betrayal and remorse were overwhelming. However, she was still able to break free. Two of Jane’s actions are the most explicit in proving her role as a feminist. The first is her attitude toward Mr. Rochester’s attempts to lavish her with jewels and expensive garments for her wedding. The second action is Jane’s leaving of Mr. Rochester, which exhibits her courage. By this deed, she both defies the Victorian expectation of submitting to a man’s will and shows that she can break from the emotional power that Rochester wields over her.

Miss temple has an independent spirit that has allowed her to accomplish a certain level of open-minded intellect. As Jane’s first positive female role model, Miss Temple encourages the spirit of independence and dignity in Jane. This dignity was also strongly influenced by her childhood friend Helen Burns. Blanch Ingram is a female in the novel who has given into those demands. Blanch Ingram is probably the best example of a woman who does not fall under the category of “feminist”, due to her misplaced self-worth.

Jane is a strange heroine to be sure. She's a woman from a poor background, who has been mistreated in childhood, and yet she is open to life. The fact that she's a woman limits her power in the world she lives in. She always tried her best to make the life better and happier. From Jane's behavior, I can see hopes of women. We cannot look at people by race or class; we must evaluate the quality of the person, for his or her education and intelligence. Men and women have the ability to do any work. We cannot continue to discriminate by sex. The novel Jane Eyre is a clear example of overcoming even if being an orphan girl. The novel Jane Eyre is one that can be interpreted in many different ways. I see this novel as one full of passages criticizing the gender specific fiber of that time; others may see it as simply everyday experiences of governess who falls in love with a man who is already married. In conclusion Charlotte Brontë presents a woman who fights against the bars of the cage, looking disconsolate that the horizon can never reach; you want to feel for her and not according to what others marked for it. Jane was a feminist heroine in a Victorian society. Jane Eyre has successfully demonstrated the image of a woman who is intelligent, independent, kind-hearted and most importantly, brave enough to say “no” to the social conventions and live up

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