Amanda Allen

 The Bronte sisters are perhaps one of the World's Greatest assets to the world of American Literature during the course of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a lifelong reader, I have always loved many of the American classics. I have to say that Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is perhaps one of my absolute favorite novels of all time. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels of all times because of the way in which Charlotte Bronte uses the concept of gender roles in Victorian England and allows us as the readers to see how this impacts the life of her main character, Jane Eyre from the very start of the book to the very end. From the very beginning of the novel, it is very clear to see that Jane Eyre has many issues to contend with aside from just general gender roles within Victorian England. For example, she also has to learn to come to terms with the differences between the classes in what is now known as class hierarchy. Furthermore, she also has to deal with several instances of patriarchal domination. In the time period during which the novel is set, Victorian England, this was when men had the idea that they were socially superior to women as well as superior to women in truly every way that mattered. Within the course of the novel, we see Jane have to deal with three of the novel's main male leads: Mr. Brocklehurst, Edward Rochester and then finally St. John Rivers. While each man deals with Jane Eyre in his own specific manner within the story, they all three seem to believe in ultimately the same principal idea: That the three of them are smarter than she is in more ways than one. Furthermore, each of the men try to give Jane the idea that she is to be submissive to them in everything that she does. In other words, they try to control how she thinks, feels and who she interacts with. Within the course of the novel, Jane comes to realize that she has to escape from Mr. Brocklehurst, leave Rochester when she realizes that she doesn't love him and then finally realizes that she can be with St. John but only if they can marry as equals. One of the best examples of this occurs in the following passage from Chapter 12 of the novel. “ “Women are supposed to be very calm generally; but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties; and a field for their efforts as much as their brother's do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint; too absolute a stagnation; precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings; to playing the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them. If they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.” (Bronte, 130-31) From the above example, we can see that the male characters and the female characters of the novel have very different opinions of what their sexes should be allowed to do within the time frame that the novel takes place. For example, from the above sample text, we can see that Ms. Eyre feels that women should be able to do more than just the general tasks that tended to fill a Victorian Woman's day. Back during the course of Victorian times, the women would be responsible for all cooking, cleaning and childcare but were forbidden from working outside of the home. This is a great example of the class inequity as well that was very prominent during Victorian Times. Men were of the opinion that it was their sole responsibility to care for all of the women and children in their lives by being the sole breadwinner. Men were of the opinion that women were only good for two things in life: cooking and child-rearing. Another example of how gender roles tended to play a huge role in the course of the novel can best be said within the course of the following passage from the novel, which occurs near the end of Chapter 35. “ Shall I?” I said briefly; and I looked at his features, beautiful in their harmony, but strangely formidable in their still severity; at his brow, commanding, but not open; at his eyes, bright and deep and searching, but never soft; at his tall imposing figure; and fancied myself in idea his wife. Oh! It would never do! As his curate, his comrade, all would be right; I would cross oceans with him in that capacity; toil under Eastern sun, in Asian deserts with him in that office; admire and emulate his courage and devotion and vigor; accommodate quietly to his masterhood; smile undisturbed at his ineradicable ambition... I should suffer often, no doubt, attached to him only in this capacity; my body would be under a rather stringent yoke, but my heart and mind would be free. I should still have my unblighted self to turn to; my natural unenslaved feelings with which to communicate in moments of lonliness. There would be recesses in my mind which would be only mine, to which he never came; and sentiments growing there, fresh and sheltered, which his austerity could never blight, nor his measured warrior-march trample down; but as his wife-- at his side always, and always restrained, and always checked forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital—this would be unendurable.” (Bronte, 434) Within this third and final example, we can clearly see that this is another clear cut example of how gneder is used within the course of the novel to express how women and men were split into different classes and roles based on if they were born female or male during this time period. In Summary, Jane Eyre is a great work of American Literature in that it is chock full of examples of how Bronte used her main character, Jane Eyre, to explore the role of womanhood in Victorian England. Much like her famed character, Bronte herself lived in England during the Victorian Era and could only have chosen a select few careers as the idea of a woman working was unheard of during this time period. Unlike today's women, women who lived during the Victorian Era could only be Teachers, Governesses, or Housewives. Whereas today, during the course of the 21st century, we as women can choose to be that and much much more, from Doctors to Lawyers if we choose to do so. Although there are still some fields in which men predominately own them, women are starting to catch up and become members of management in even the most male dominated field. Bibliography Weisser, Susan O., Bronte, E. Jane Eyre. Barnes and Noble. 2005.