Victorian feminist writers, while
applying the ideas and concepts of enlightenment philosophers created novels
and other forms of fiction that not only challenged the conservative
male-dominated society's traditions and customs but also created female lead
characters as role models for women of their time. Their fiction focused on the
independence and identity of women. They challenged the idea of idle women.
Charlotte Bronte looking at the hardships and difficulties of women of her time
was inspired to write the novel Jane Eyre to tell the people that women
are capable of exercising their independent agency. Through the character of
Jane, Bronte reflected on the inherent qualities of women to face hardships and
difficulties and yet make rational and capable decisions. The theme of the
novel is centered on the idea of identity exploration by the lead character in
the conservative Victorian society.
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Influenced by her progressive
beliefs, Charlotte Bronte through the novel Jane Eyre, has spoken for
the oppressed women. Through the character of Jane, Bronte has contradicted the
idea that a woman cannot be moral, modest, and independent at the same time.
Jane is a perfect woman, modest, morally strong, and intelligent. She is
independent and equipped with the necessary surviving skills. Unlike her
fellows, she is not dependent on men and is capable of making informed
decisions on her own which leads to her happy marriage with Mr. Rochester in
the end.
At the time when Charlotte Bronte
wrote Jane Eyre, it was not normal for women to enter into the
profession of writing. Consequently, she used a pseudo name to publish her
novel. Women were required to live under strict social and moral codes.
Aggressiveness, passion, self-assertion, and boldness were not appreciated in
women as character traits. The character of Jane is the antithesis of what an
ideal woman was regarded to be in the Patriarchal Victorian society. She is
strong, passionate, and can fight injustice. The novel is a journey of Jane
trying to find her true self. This journey is a mountain to climb for her as
she has to fight conventional patriarchy and hardships. But in the face of all
odds, she never loses her true character. She never surrenders or gives up. She
is always identity-conscience and thinks about her wellbeing more than social
conventions. Jane is an emotional character, having genuine and progressive
ideas, and is never afraid to express them.
The personality of Bronte can be
seen in the character of Jane. Whatever Jane does or says can be traced back to
her creator. Jane believes in a sort of marriage that is based on emotional
attachment. At the time when marriage provided a shorter ladder to financial
security, Jane despised compromising herself for the sake of financial gains.
She will never lose her identity to get married. She refuses to do something
that can somehow undermine her womanhood. Her conscience for her self-respect
and her identity as a woman leads her to reject the idea of becoming Mr. Rochester’s
mistress even though she has fallen head over heels for him.
Jane holds radical feministic views
in a patriarchal society. She strives for equality and independence in the face
of suppression and oppression. She is a character who challenges all the
societal restraints placed on women at the time. The character of Jane
expresses the views of its creator. She speaks whatever Bronte thinks.
Despite the immense power that Mr. Rochester
holds owing to his age, wealth, and experience, he cannot make Jane dance to
his tunes. Jane always stands up to him if she finds something inappropriate
about him. Consider this quote:
I don’t think, sir that you have a right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have;
It is evident that despite the
master-servant relationship, Jane can stand up for herself.
To Jane intellect is a far more
important personality trait than mere physical looks at a time when a good
physical outlook qualified a girl for attracting a potential suitor. Therefore,
despite being less attractive than Blanche Ingram, she never feels envious of
her because her intellectual faculty made her superior to her.
Jane is a person having strong
desires and is capable of making independent and bold choices. When St. John
offers Jane to be his wife she refuses, because to her it would be a loveless
union, in which bodies would meet but souls would be miles apart. There would
be sex, but not no emotional warmth. Jane realizes that John is different from
Rochester, and if she married him, she would be stripped of her identity and
independence. Though, she agrees to go with him to India, but not as a wife
because marriage with him would suffocate her and lead to her premature death.
When she reunites with her lover,
the power imbalance between them that previously existed has shifted. They are
now on equal footings. She has inherited wealth, has a family, and does not
have to be his mistress but rather an equal partner. Thus she finds the love
and relationship she had longed for without putting at stake her identity,
self-respect, and independence.
The oppression she suffers at the
hands of Reed's family in childhood, prepares her to fight against the
patriarchal society. Jane's quest for identity culminates at Marsh End when she
finds her relatives. She is no longer alone in the world.
Jane marries Rochester when he has
nothing left. He has lost one of his hands, is blind, and has no wealth. She
still marries her and vows to take care of him for times to come. This shows
that for Jane love transcends wealth or anything else for that matter.
This article is written by AsifAbbas, one of the contributors at the School of Literature.
