Female Portrait in “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

Subject: Literature
Pages: 6
Words: 1592
Reading time:
6 min
Study level: Master

In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; females are portrayed from various perspectives in which different women come out to possess various personalities, different from others. In this book, Charlotte Bronte introduces a very well-behaved young girl who is an orphan; and one who had been severely receiving mistreatments from her aunt; the wife to her uncle. The character of Jane’s aunt comes out to contradict that of Jane, who is a very humble and well-behaved girl; who lived by her strong principles (Drakulic 125-145).

According to the theory,’infection of the science: the woman writer and the anxiety of authorship’ Charlotte’s writings seem too much influenced by her pre-cursors in the sense that, she seems to have anxiety in her authorship to bring male characters to be humane. In this book, the author brings the two characters, Jane and her aunt; who seem to be contradictory to each other in the sense that the likes of each seem to differ from those of the other.

Critically, such characters portray the disparity of characters in individuals even if they happen to be of the same gender. This difference in personality is far much rooted in certain life events that people undergo; which are different from each other’s, where afterward such characters develop to dominate the personalities these different people generally develop. Charlotte’s anxiety in her authorship seems to revolve around her work in this book Jane Eyre in various aspects as scenes unfold in the story (Duhacek 131-137).

The issue of gender and oppression comes out to be depicted in the book, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This is portrayed when Jane is openly mistreated by her cousins who are boys, as she is a girl. On this basis, therefore, it can be seen that gender issues are emerging to explain how women in the society undergo abuse and mistreatment from males; who seem to dominate over the person of a woman. This is one of the many instances that Jane is mistreated by male characters; indicating the way females in the society are often mistreated by males (Drakulic 125-145).

The theory of literacy sub-culture on the other hand seems to bring out Charlotte’s works as being influenced by her female predecessors in the authorship of books. This is better explained by her work when she brings in to focus the gender issue. On the gender issue still; when Jane completes her schooling excellently securing a position in a teaching post; she is later portrayed to be loved by the character of her employer. In the first instance, Jane seems not to love him but the administrator insists that she must marry him; which Jane later falls for. To Jane; the fact that the school administrator was married makes her not like the idea of their having a relationship between them.

After she fails to comply with her employer regarding the relationship issue; she loses her job which makes her start living the life of a beggar despite her being educated and holding onto the good morals she had. Generally, the mistreatment of women by men is witnessed more often in this book; where Jane finds herself to be the victim of situations in many instances (Erich 77-80).

Love and passion are also other issues that the book, Jane Eyre expounds in-depth; where Jane is the key player in bringing out this issue to focus. As it has been revealed; Jane’s success in the various things she has been doing, all revolve around the theme of love and the passion she had for other people. The love that Jane had for her aunt despite her ill-treatment of her; portrays the way the simplicity of the life of the poor differs from the complexity of the life of the rich; who seem to be heartless and cruel. In his case, Jane who comes from a poor family lives with her rich uncle’s family; from which she receives various mistreatments from the madam and in return shows her brutal aunt a lot of love in exchange (Duhacek 131-137).

In this perspective therefore the book Jane Eyre seems to revolve around love and passion where the main character seems to portray love to every situational encounter; despite the ill-treatments, she receives from these various characters. As it is seen, when Jane’s employer in the school falls in love with her; Jane does not provoke her inhuman nature but mainly displays her morality by refusing to be married as a second wife; until the death of her employer’s wife when she returns for a reunion with her employer getting on to the marital issue (Erich 77-80).

Generally, this book seems to revolve around love and passion; which according to my view the writer wanted to bring out the love and care that should be borne in all people and across all dealings. From the plot this is used to mean that, women in contemporary society should be good-hearted and ones who portray love and care; for and to the other people within the society (Burg et. al. 535-550).

Another issue that is brought out within the story is sovereignty; where the writer of the book brings out the appeal for the appreciation of an individual’s significance. Throughout the story, Jane seems to be on her own and the author treats her as an independent girl with her likes, talents, and interests. Jane’s defiance from her aunt is one of the instances that show how Jane’s life was independent; and that she never feared any person who came along her way to ideality (Drakulic 125-145).

More so, when Jane is pushed by her employer who happens to be very rich; Jane does not accept in the first instance his advances; which portrays how Jane lived an independent life despite her supporters withdrawing the support that they had on her. Further, when Jane loses her job after she objects to her employer’s confrontations of engaging her into a love affair knowing that he was married; Jane lives her own life despite its being a pathetic one, as she becomes a beggar with all the education she had attained (Drakulic 123-130).

Generally, the author brings Jane out as an example to depict how women are expected to be and live within the society. From a personal point of view; the book depicts the expectations of the society from the women, who should be self-reliant and independent in one way or the other; a character which Jane in the book Jane Eyre is portrayed to have. In this perspective therefore the independence part of humans is very crucial; to maintain oneself regardless of the prevailing conditions. In this aspect therefore the writer seems to contemplate the mark of inferiority in women by bringing in the female characters who demonstrate very strong grounds of being independent (Burg et. al. 535-550).

Lastly, atonement and forgiveness seem to prevail in various scenes as the story unfolds. The religious concerns by various characters in the book seem to seek forgiveness as the events in the book reveal. Rochester, who was Jane’s employer, is greatly tormented by reviewing how he had previously mistreated Jane; when she refused to accept his marriage proposal at first, which was followed by Jane’s loss of her job. Rochester makes atone of his behavior; after which she openly accepts Jane when she comes back to her for reconciliation. Jane on the other hand finds it in her heart to forgive most of the people who wronged her from the various incidences shown in the book (Drakulic 123-130).

Jane’s humility and good-heartedness from these instances is the basis for her character of being ready to forgive everybody who wrongs her. The first incidence is seen when Mrs. Reeds, her aunt mistreats her; after which she finds herself in trouble and Jane offers to help her. More so, Jane forgives Mr. Rochester for all the wrongs he had done to her even to the extent of sending her off his job after she failed to fulfill his desires for marrying him. Despite all the torture Jane gets from being sent out of job and having nowhere to go; which leads to her leading the life of a beggar, Jane forgives Mr. Rochester who was the ultimate cause of all the torture that she went through (Burg et. al. 535-550).

The fact that Jane’s mistreatment by the various characters seems to follow her in all the places that she goes; is used to show the fact that she generally forgives all the wrong against her very easily. From a personal point of view; the author brings out the character that is expected of the ladies within the contemporary society for co-existence. Further, Jane gives a good example of the kind of women that society today deserves; so as not to cause much alienation among its members.

Works cited

Burg, Steven and Berbaum, Michael. “Community, Integration, and Stability in Multinational Yugoslavia.” New York: Harvard Publishers. (1989): 535-550.

Drakulic, Slavenka. “Women and the New Democracy in the Former Yugoslavia: In Gender Politics and Post-Communism: Reflection from Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union”. New York: Rutledge. (1993): 123-130.

Drakulic, Slavenka. “The Balkan Express: Fragments from the Other Side of War”. New York: Norton & Company Inc. (1993): 125-145.

Duhacek, Dasa. “Women’s Time in the Former Yugoslavia: In Gender Politics and Post-Communism: Reflection from Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. New York: Rutledge (1993): 131-137.

Erich, Vera. “Family in Transition: A Study of 300 Yugoslav Villages”. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1966.