The Roots of Feminist Novel: Jane Eyre

The nineteenth century was conceptually full of contradiction and conflict; also, it was a period of change and awakening in every sense. British Empire had become the leading power in the world, the Industrial Revolution had begun, and the remaining unexplored regions of the world had been discovered. Besides all these significant developments, a woman was trying to write a novel in a dark room, and she did not know that this novel would be a classic in the future.

Charlotte Bronte was born in 1816, in Yorkshire as a daughter of a middle-class family. Her father was Patrick Bronte, an Anglican clergyman. After serving in several parishes, he moved with his wife Maria Bronte and their children; Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell. Charlotte was the eldest of the siblings, just like Emily and Anne, and wrote novels and poems as well. Charlotte, therefore, found herself somewhat lost in the middle of her sibling group; she was an introverted woman. As a clergyman, Mr. Bronte went around to spread the gospel, and the family had to move with him to a new, isolated place. ‘A strange, uncivilized little place’ was how Charlotte apologized for her hometown in the 1840s and how it struck many visitors. The children’s childhood was depressed and without joy. Their father taught them to read. Besides, the children were sent to Cowan Bridge, a charity school where the living conditions were terrible. There were many things about the regime at Cowan Bridge that grated on Charlotte Bronte’s nerves and tiny, skinny, eight-year-old body: the cold, the scant, bad food, the rote learning, the strict discipline, the soul-stifling air of Calvinism. Prayers and church services dominated the school week, and on Sundays, come rain or shine, the pupils had to walk to Wilson’s church at Tunstall, two miles away across the country. It was too far to walk back in the middle of the day for lunch, so the girls ate bread and cheese at the church before the afternoon service, and in the winter suffered a great deal from these long, cold, hungry Sundays, much like the Lowood girls in Jane Eyre. At this point, it is clear that when Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre, she was inspired by her own life.

As they grew up, the Bronte sisters made a living by being governesses. Charlotte was a governess in a wealthy family’s house, but she was unhappy there. All of her life, Charlotte waited for social climbing, but unfortunately, it did not happen. She felt invisible; it was sort of true because her employers misprized her, and they never recognized her writing ability. Even she wrote ‘’There is no importance being a governess.’’ in one of her letters to her sister, Emily. But, her disliked job contributed to her writing a classic like Jane Eyre.

The most important thing in Jane Eyre is that it shows the readers the attitude toward women in the Victorian era. Although the throne belonged to Queen Victoria, living conditions were forcible for women in the Victorian period. Society was man-controlled and man-dominated; women were just the subject. They were seen as 'the weaker sex.' In other words, they were trapped in the thorny jar created by men. They were entirely banned from public life: excluded from college, from choosing a career, and from voting in any election. In addition to all these, the Victorian era restricted women with moral impositions; women must have obeyed rules of etiquette. Also, sexuality was taboo, and most marriages were without love. Families made their children married, according to their financial and social benefits. The ideal young man needed to show that he was rich enough to support his future family to get approval from the girl's father. On the other side, the ideal woman was to be the angel in the shelter and support her husband no matter what he did. Women became the property of their husbands with the marriage. Besides that, there were lucky ones too; Women of the aristocratic class were the only class who lived comfortably after the queen at that time, but their freedom was restricted as well. Every rule bound them to their husbands or fathers. In that period, there was a thought that women should stay at home; that's why women of the aristocratic class learned the world through books. If a woman worked, she would lose her title. Therefore, middle-class women were vindicatory of the era. By the last of 1840, the first organization of women's movements had begun; thus, women could work as tailors, maids, and governesses, but their work conditions were hard, and salaries were low; also employers' attitudes were as well. Many women authors explained the lives of women and took their pens to speak in their novels at that time, but Charlotte Bronte explained the position of the woman and the life of the governess in Jane Eyre successfully.

Charlotte Bronte created Jane Eyre in a dark room while accompanying her father, who had eye surgery. Jane Eyre's and Charlotte's lives have parallels in some ways, and there is no doubt that her own life experiences inspired Charlotte while she was writing. The novel was first published in 1847 under pseudonyms pretending she was a male writer. When it was published, it had a great influence on society. The novel itself represents the modern view of women's position in society. Jane Eyre was different from any other woman; she fought for her life and defended her destiny in struggles and challenges. Contrary to the Victorian period's thoughts about women, the image of Jane Eyre cast a sharp contrast to the man-dominated image. She fights for her equality, independence, esteem, and true love throughout the novel; these are the main elements why readers think Jane Eyre is a feminist character. The heroine of the story, Jane, is an orphan girl who stays with her uncle’s family. But, unfortunately, her uncle died after a few years. Her aunt, Mrs. Sarah Reed, and her children are the only relatives Jane has, and they do not like her, besides that, they always criticize, neglect, and abuse this poor girl. Even though Jane is a relative of Sarah Reed’s husband, Mrs. Reed sees Jane as a maid, thinking that Jane is a liar. Eventually, one day, Jane argues with her cousin John; therefore, she is beaten. Moreover, she is locked in her uncle’s old room for a night, and she is ill after that night. This incident leads to her early feminism coming out when Mrs Reed accuses Jane of being a liar; she defends herself and refuses to be regarded as an inferior being and eventually speaks out through sharp and harsh exposure against Mrs Reed’s prejudice. In the eyes of everyone, Jane should be very grateful to her aunt instead of being mean.

When Jane is about to leave Gateshead for the charity school, Mrs Reed feels she will frighten Jane with her status and tries to give a dishonest and holy speech to guide Jane to show appreciation in front of the apothecary, Mr Lloyd. Nevertheless, Jane refuses to be the toy of this wealthy woman, being regarded as emotionless and shameless. Jane's resistance against Mrs Reed and John shows her feminist awareness of getting esteem from other people. Then, she is sent to Lowood boarding school; during the school years, she becomes stronger. After the hard years she spends in school, young Jane starts working in Thornfield as a governess.

Eventually, she falls in love with Mr. Rochester; this contributes to Jane's thoughts in terms of feminism. Even though Jane is a modest family tutor and Rochester's social position is higher than Jane's, she never feels inferior to him. As a matter of fact, Jane's social position is unimportant to Rochester because he loves her uprightness, loftiness, and sincerity. Besides that, from the bottom of his heart, Rochester thinks that Jane is the divine companion he yearns for. Also, Jane loves Rochester with all her heart, and she believes that they are respectful to each other. But, on their wedding day, Jane learns the sad truth that Rochester has had a legal wife. This news not only upset Jane but also trapped her in a dilemma about whether to stay or leave. Although she loves Rochester deeply, she cannot ignore the truth that he is already married. Therefore, she chooses to leave her beloved to make a new life for herself.

Thus, she would not give up on her self-respect and independence. However, at the end of the novel, she comes back to Ferndean Manor and marries Rochester. But, nothing remains the same; through the years, Mr. Rochester loses his eyesight of both eyes, loses his wealth, and becomes disabled. According to most people, nobody wants to marry a sick and poor man, but for Jane, it is pure love. At this point, nothing is essential except being with Mr. Rochester. In the Victorian era, Jane Eyre was a unique character; she portrayed an insurgent woman eager for esteem. Women like Jane would not get true emancipation without the respect of other people. Moreover, the pursuit of true love is a significant reflection of her struggle for self-realization in Jane’s life. According to Jane, the phenomenon of love is pure, and divine, and also cannot be measured by status. After experiencing a poor childhood, she wants to be loved; that’s why she expects to find true love. 

For this reason, she does not abstain from suffering in her pursuit of true love. Finally, in her long and challenging pursuit, she obtains it. In the novel, after she learns of Mr. Rochester's marriage, she leaves Thornfield's and meets new people; John, a priest and handsome guy. He proposes to Jane, but she cannot accept him; this represents her determination to pursue true love. In other words, she does not want a non-loving relationship because John sees love as a duty, not of passion. He only proposes to Jane because he thinks that Jane is a good option for the wife of a missionary since she is docile, strong, and tenacious. Also, he needs an assistant in India, and Jane suits that duty as well. But, Jane does not share the same opinion with him; according to her, true love should be based on genuine love, equality, and respect. Consequently, she thinks if she went there, she would be half dead; thus, she refused his proposal. At that point, Jane is different from her fellow creatures, she fights for her ideas, and it is an unusual attitude in Victorian society.

Charlotte Bronte always dreamed of being noticed, and she achieved this with the help of a novel about a life she didn't want to have.

WORKS CITED:
Gordon, L. (1996). Charlotte Bronte: A Passionate Life (Illustrated ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
Harman, C. (2017). Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart (Reprint ed.). Vintage.